DODOMA (Tanzania) - Hasheem Thabeet has been elected as the new president of the Tanzania Basketball Federation (TBF).
He defeated Leonard Benedict Haule in the presidential race and succeeds outgoing president Michael Millias Kadebe.
Alongside the newly elected president, the newly elected TBF executive committee comprises Mohamed Haruna Kasui as vice president, Mwenze Fiston Kabinda as general secretary and Simon Joe Mirondo as deputy general secretary.
Thabeet envisions bright future for Tanzanian basketball
[](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/thabeet-envisions-bright-future-of-tanzanian-basketball)
Thabeet was selected second overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies.
The 7-foot-3 centre entered the history books as the first Tanzanian to play in the NBA and had a successful college career at the University of Connecticut.
Thabeet, who played for NBA franchises Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder over five seasons, last played for Dar City Basketball during the 2026 Road to BAL qualifiers.
The 39-year-old helped Dar City qualify for the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season.
Hasheem Thabeet at 2024 East Africa Clubs Club
In his victory speech, Thabeet reportedly said: "I want to see basketball played at grassroots level in schools, with players aged under 13 and under 18 growing to senior levels.
"This should happen in every part of the nation, not just in the cities, so that we can build a strong foundation for the future of Tanzanian basketball”.
It remains to be seen whether Hasheem Thabeet will be part of the Dar City squad set to make their BAL debut at the 2026 Kalahari Conference in Pretoria.
**FIBA**