David Singleton, Bandung City Basketball Hero

Thanks to the "cold hands" of David Singleton, the city of Bandung once again has an accomplished basketball club and respected basketball players.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI.

KELVIN HIANUSA

Coach David Singleton of Prawira Harum Bandung shook hands with Pelita Jaya Bakrie Jakarta's assistant coach Ricky Lesmana (left) after Game 2 of the final ended at C-Tra Arena, Bandung, on Saturday (22/7/2023). Singleton led Prawira to become a new champion in the IBL.

Thanks to David Singleton's "cold hands", the city of Bandung once again has an accomplished basketball club and respected basketball players. The coach revolutionized the culture of Prawira Harum Bandung with the Kaizen principles that he had acquired from his long journey in the world of sports. That principle has now become his guideline for life and the whole club.

Before the arrival of foreign coach David Singleton, Prawira Harum Bandung was just a mediocre club in the highest basketball league in Indonesia. They competed every season, but never achieved any notable success for a quarter of a century.

The long drought at C-Tra Arena, Bandung, ended on Saturday (22/7/2023), after the second game of the final of the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL). Prawira emerged as the new IBL 2023 champions by defeating the giant team, Pelita Jaya Bakrie Jakarta, in two straight games.

After a long bell, instead of partying, the Prawira players bowed down. They cried while giving thanks. In the stands, thousands of spectators overflowed with various emotions. There are those who jump around, hold their heads, and even cover their faces.

It is reasonable if the whole arena appears to have difficulty distinguishing dreams and reality. The last time a Bandung representative won the league was Panasia Indosyntec, now Prawira, in Kobatama 1998. It's been too long. Prawira's captain, Reza Guntara (27), was just learning to walk at that time.

At the beginning of the season, hardly anyone believed that Prawira would become the champion. The national team's star and Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the IBL 2022, Abraham Damar Grahita, is absent for the 2023 season due to permission issues. The team's mentality is also doubtful as they have never made it to the finals since 2008.

"People said we didn't have a chance. However, we kept going and believing. I am proud that it (the championship) has become a reality. I, and this city, will never forget it. We are building a great force in Bandung. It's not just about Jakarta anymore," said Dave, referring to himself.

Prawira at the same time ended the monopoly of Capital City teams who had collected 18 of the previous 19 titles, since the IBL era began in 2003. Reza and colleagues recorded a total record of 33 wins-3 losses with never losing once during the playoffs. i > (6-0).

KELVIN HIANUSA

Bandung's Prawira Harum coach, David Singleton, lifted the IBL 2023 championship trophy at C-Tra Arena, Bandung, on Saturday (22/7/2023). Singleton led Prawira to become the new IBL champion, ending a 25-year wait for a title in the city of Bandung.

Human management

The rise of Prawira began with their downfall last season, Dave's first season. They were defeated in the semifinals by Satria Muda Pertamina Jakarta. The 35-year-old coach realized that the players were still far from their best potential. The biggest hindrance was the issue of mentality.

Dave did not hastily revamp the team. Since joining Prawira at the end of 2021, he has always believed in the process by applying the Kaizen principle. The principle, which originated from Japan, focuses on persistent growth by improving small things every day until they form patterns and become perfect.

"He tolerates mistakes, but do not let it happen repeatedly. "If you keep making mistakes and lose, you will remain like that forever. I always want them to see the mistake and respond to it. It's all about what's next," he said.

Dave trusts the same players again. The difference is that the high intensity of training has been increased. Reza is a witness to how cruel Dave's revolution was during the preseason. He was trained thoroughly. Not only physical and gameplay, but also his "mind".

"You could say it hit me mentally. We are together every night until meeting. He also callspsychologist. At the start of the crazy season (his practice). If you can say, he's like a psychopath. But, yes, that's what made the championship trophy finally return to the city of Bandung," said Reza.

Suffering is over, performance improvement occurs. Mediocre players are transformed into top performers. Reza, for example, was called up to the national team for the first time after the final. He also won the Defensive Player of The Year and MVP Final awards that are usually won by foreign players.

One of Dave's biggest strengths is his human management skills. With his charisma and motivational words, he can make his players highly respect him. Reza and his teammates seem determined to risk their lives on the field for their coach.

Guard of the national team, Yudha Saputera, is an example. "Playing as well as anything is never praised. However, if you make even the slightest mistake, you will be immediately scolded. I'm happy because he never makes me comfortable, like pushingto a cliff, so I'm to survive on my own," he said.

Dave is very friendly off the field, but the opposite on the field. He never sits quietly on the bench. This thin-bearded coach is so expressive, always standing on the sidelines to shout at his wards.

Dave, a former college athlete, has a very high level of discipline and competitive spirit. He is very tenacious when participating in training sessions. One of the youngest coaches in the IBL not only talks the talk, but also sets a direct example on the field.

The three-time consecutive Coach of the Year awardee in the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) possesses everything needed by a club to excel. Under his leadership, an insignificant stone can turn into a valuable diamond. Prior to joining the IBL, he also led the Vietnam-based team Saigon Heat to win the league championship in 2019.

KELVIN HIANUSA

Prawira Harum Bandung Coach David Singleton had already celebrated the IBL 2023 championship title before the end of Game 2 of the final at C-Tra Arena in Bandung on Saturday (22/7/2023). Singleton led his team to end a 25-year drought of achievements.

Sushi rolls

For Dave, everything started from home. The man who grew up in Oakland, California, gained his competitive spirit and love for sports from his family. His older brother, Steve, once played for the Minnesota Twins in the Major League Baseball.

"My father was a basketball player when he was in college. My mother was a runner when she was in high school. That's how I grew up surrounded by sports. So, I have always been into football (American), baseball, and basketball. I always thought since I was young that sports would be my life," he said.

Dave used to be an American football athlete at Tiffin University, Ohio. However, he retired early after graduating in 2011. He felt he didn't develop and wanted to return to his first love, basketball. It's a sport his father taught him since he was 8 years old.

Not as a player, but as a coach. He joined as an assistant coach at his former school, SMA Salesian College Preparatory, Richmond, California, in 2014. A year later, Dave was offered to coach in the New Zealand League.

Tim Fanning, his neighbor and brother's colleague, trained Nelson Giants for the 2015-2016 season. Dave was invited to become an assistant coach and he accepted the new challenge. Unbeknownst to him, it was the beginning moment of his career revival. Dave obtained the principle of Kaizen at Giants.

At a team meeting, Fanning showed a documentary about a Japanese sushi chef named Jiro. The chef has been selling on the subway since he was in his 20s, but was unable to sell because it was not tasty enough. Instead of giving up, he kept learning until he became the most famous chef at the age of 70.

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“He asked why no one was buying my sushi? Then improve it little by little, every day. The whole process is called (principle of) Kaizen. I was like, wow, this is crazy! Since then, I live by that principle. How do you get better day by day,” he said.

The rest is history. With Fanning's help, Dave made connections in Vietnam. His career skyrocketed in Vietnam, then caught the attention of IBL clubs. Who would have thought? The drought-washing basketball achiever in Bandung City is a former American football athlete.

After delivering the champion, Dave thanked the people of Bandung for their support. He emphasized that the Prawira spring season has just begun. "We are not finished yet. Our current goal is to repeat this achievement (next year)," he concluded.

David "Dave" Singleton

Born: San Francisco, California, USA, January 3, 1988

Coaching career:

• Assistant Coach Nelson Giants (2015-2016)
• Can Tho Catfish Head Coach (2016)
• Saigon Heat Head Coach (2017-2019)
• Head Coach of Pacific Caesar Surabaya (2020)
• Head Coach of Bima Perkasa Jogja (2021)
• Fraser Valley Bandits Head Coach (2021)
• Head Trainer Prawira Harum Bandung (2022-present)

Performance:

• Vietnam League Champion (2019)
• IBL Champion (2023)
• IBL Coach of The Year (2021, 2022, and 2023)