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Oscar Tshiebwe has a lot to love in his basketball life these days.
Just over a month ago, he signed a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers, meaning he will be an NBA rookie in 2023-24. “NBA life is great,” he said in a phone interview last week.
Not only is Tshiebwe in the NBA, but he also has a contract with the franchise that is the closest to Lexington, Kentucky, which is where the University of Kentucky is. Tshiebwe spent his final two collegiate seasons there, where he was the Naismith College Player of the Year in 2022.
“For me, Kentucky is home,” Tshiebwe said. The NBA big man had multiple teams competing for his services after going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, but he chose Indiana for both the opportunity and the proximity to one of his favorite places.
“I liked the Pacers because, first of all, it is just close… I feel Kentucky [is] home for me,” he said. “It’s close to home. And it’s a place I watched the Pacers a long time ago.”
Tshiebwe has only been with the Pacers franchise for about a month. He hasn’t had an NBA practice yet, or even a stint in the G League. But so far, he likes everything about his new NBA home. He thinks it’s a great opportunity.
Just over three weeks ago, Tshiebwe and the Pacers wrapped up their final Summer League outing. It was his first chance to show his new team what he can do, and he proved to be exactly as advertised.
The Congolese big man is a rebounding machine. With the Wildcats in college, he grabbed 14.4 boards per game across two seasons, an eye-popping number. His offensive rebounding figures in the NCAA ranks were impressive.
With the blue and gold, that remained the case. Tshiebwe grabbed 6.8 rebounds per game in just over 13 minutes of action on average. Per 36 minutes, he pulled in 18.7 boards, far and away the highest number on Indiana’s roster. It ranked fourth among all players who suited up in Summer League, and Tshiebwe added 6.4 points and 0.8 assists per game.
For Tshiebwe, rebounding is an art. It’s equal parts effort, statistics, technique. Every little thing matters as he looks to get an advantage on the glass.
A few moments in Tshiebwe’s life contributed to his prowess on the boards. One of them was studying Dennis Rodman, perhaps the best rebounder in NBA history. Another was playing soccer growing up. Tshiebwe was a goalie, so he became excellent at using his hands to get possession of the ball.
“Every time the ball touches my hands, I’ve gotta come [down] with it. Same with soccer… every time [the ball] touches your hands a little bit, you’ve got to squeeze [it],” Tshiebwe explained. Soccer was his favorite sport for most of his childhood.
There’s more to rebounding than that, though. Tshiebwe explained that he has looked at data that details where the ball typically bounces off the rim given where a shot was attempted. That helps him get into rebounding position early, where he can settle himself into a spot that will allow him to grab the ball. But he still has to read the shot and fight if it goes somewhere else.
“To be a good rebounder, the first thing is gifts from God. Another thing is effort,” Tshiebwe said. “At the end of the day, it’s just fight,” he added later.
Few players study the art of rebounding, but Tshiebwe is not the typical player. That’s his best NBA skill, and it would hold up with other pro bigs already. He noted that Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who recently signed a contract extension, had a conversation with him that included a discussion of his rebounding ability.
Those two went against each other during Big 12 play when Tshiebwe played for West Virginia and Haliburton was at Iowa State. They’ve shared the hardwood before, and now they will as teammates.
“There’s not many people in the NBA really fighting for that,” Tshiebwe said of rebounds. He singled out Kevon Looney as someone who has changed a game with his rebounding before, and he was impressed by Looney’s influence in the Golden State Warriors first-round playoff victory over the Sacramento Kings this postseason.
The now-Pacers big man knows that he needs to expand his game. During his rookie season, he wants to work on his switching defense and being able to stay in front of his man. He would like to improve his shooting, too, a never-ending goal for NBA players in the modern era.
It’s his rebounding that will get him on the court, though, and it’s part of what got him this far. Which is fascinating, because at first, Oscar Tshiebwe wasn’t that into basketball.
He was a goalie growing up, but as a younger teenager, he just kept growing. At around age 15, in part because of his height, he was encouraged to play basketball.
“I did not like it. But my brother kind of forced me,” Tshiebwe said of the sport. Fortunately for him, he stuck with it and met an important person both for his life and his love of the game.
Bismack Biyombo, who spent the last two seasons with the Phoenix Suns, is also from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He has held basketball camps there, and Tshiebwe attended one. That’s where they met, and Biyombo went out of his way to help the now-Pacers center make it to America.
“He came to do the basketball camp. I went there. That’s how I got picked up to come to America,” Tshiebwe said. “And today? I fell in love with basketball now.”
Since then, the two have stayed close. Biyombo went out of his way to watch the 2019 Nike Hoop Summit because Tshiebwe was participating. The two still talk, and Biyombo provided tips throughout the pre-draft process.
They worked, as Tshiebwe now has a contract with an NBA team. Biyombo worked as a mentor and told him to stick with it on a two-way deal, and now Tshiebwe has some goals.
“Bring a greatness. Come in and try to help [be] the missing piece,” Indiana’s rookie said of what he wants to accomplish during his first campaign. He noted that he feels like some players jog during basketball games, but Tshiebwe is going to hustle and grab rebounds.
“I know how to go get the basketball,” he said.
Tshiebwe has already started to grow close with his teammates. Thanks to Kentucky, he has a relationship with reserve big man Isaiah Jackson, but he is getting to know everybody. He had a great time at Summer League and in the practices beforehand, and the 23-year old particularly enjoyed being with his teammate at rookie meetings.
He also loved the team dinners. Tshiebwe describes himself as a fun-loving guy who can get along with anyone, so social settings with his fellow Pacers are enjoyable.
Those strong relationships date back to the pre-draft process. Tshiebwe initially worked out for the Pacers on June 12 with five other players, and he showed enough for the team to have interest.
“I got good feedback from the team. The team told me ‘Oscar, you’re a special player. You’re going to play in this league if you keep doing what you do’,” Tshiebwe recalls of his Pacers workout.
Many who know Tshiebwe detail that he is easy to get along with. He has a relaxed and unruffled personality. But once he is on the hardwood, everything changes. He doesn’t want to be friends until the game is over.
“When I step on the court, that’s business. No more jokes,” he said. He plays like it, and his motor is impressive.
For the Pacers, that will be a helpful skill. On a two-way deal, Tshiebwe won’t play a ton. But when he does, Indiana will know exactly what they are getting. They are getting a young big man who learned to love basketball recently but now can’t quit. They’ll see a center who hates giving up rebounds, and a player who is determined to outplay his opponents.
“I cannot wait to start the season… I will bring the fire to the team, and I can help,” Tshiebwe said. In just a few months, Tshiebwe won’t have to wait any longer. His NBA reality will begin.
Originally posted on forbes.com