Ahead of his home debut for the Lakers, Toronto native Godwin Boahen speaks to Adam Moynihan about moving to Ireland, his goals for the season, and what he’s about to bring to the table.

Godwin, welcome to Killarney. How are you settling in so far? Is it your first time in Ireland?

Yeah, first time. So far, so good. Yes, sir. Yesterday we had that little storm, but it's been good so far.

When did you first arrive?

I've been here for two weeks now.

And what are your first impressions of the town? Have you seen much of it?

Basically, I think I've seen all of it. It's beautiful. Very spacious. And lots of greenery.

Is it much different to where you’re from?

Yeah, definitely. I'm from a city and this is a small town. I remember the first day I coached a couple of kids for the St Paul's U10 team. Later, I went out to get some dinner in town and I saw those same kids with their parents. So it's a very small town!

Can you tell me a bit about where you’re from and your background in basketball?

I grew up in Toronto, Ontario and played with a local team called the YAAACE. We had a really good AAU team and I played with a bunch of players who are in the NBA now: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Thon Maker, Oshae Brissett, Justin Jackson… I always ended up being the smallest one so I was always the point guard.

I ended up going to St Michael's College, which is a private school in Toronto. I left the private school at around 15/16 and went to St Louis Christian Academy (Missouri). That was the year that I kind of garnered a lot of interest. I ended up going to UIC (University of Illinois Chicago), where I actually had an Irish teammate: Jordan Blount. That’s my boy. I had four years at UIC. And then, right after that, COVID took over.

So how did the move to Ireland come about?

It was actually kind of crazy. I signed to go play CBA with the Edmonton Stingers and then I got my first injury of my whole life. I broke my ankle. I realised I might as well make sure I come back more than 100%, and not rush the rehab, because it was actually the best time to get hurt, if you know what I mean. Everything had shut down because of COVID.

I had a bunch of agents hit me up, and a bunch of teams showed interest. But it was like no team was willing to push the button because they didn't know if I could still do what I would have done [without the injury]. My uncle found this camp online that is run by Brad Kanis, and Brad hooked me up with St Paul’s.

You’ve played one game already. What have you made of your new teammates and the setup?

We're young but we have energy and we can use that to our advantage. I know the team is 1-5 but I feel like we could have won against Portlaoise, we just made a couple of mistakes. So based on that one game that I’ve played, I feel like we have a chance in this league. But I also understand that a lot of these players are young, and it's gonna take more than just faith to get it done.

Can you describe yourself as a player? What are you going to bring to the team?

I describe myself as “do whatever”. I’ll do whatever the coach wants me to do. I’ve played at so many different levels, and my game has had to change through all those levels. Coming here, the emphasis is on scoring. Because the team is very young, sometimes they get into droughts or it’s just not going through the hoop, so they need someone who can score. And I can do that. I see myself as someone who makes plays.

What are your personal goals for the season?

I want to win. I want to win this league. I know we’re 1-5 but I think there are 12 games left, and the top four teams go to the playoffs. Once you're in the playoffs, it's free game. My goal is to make it to the playoffs and win this league. I know this is not going to be easy. But it's not 30 games. We have 12 games. Just lock in and focus. We can do it.

And finally, just on a personal level, how happy are you to be here?

I mean, to be honest, I'm just very grateful to be in this position. Especially because of where I was last year after I graduated. If you asked me at the time, I never thought I'd be here. Because right after college, I had a deal, I had somewhere to go. But then the injury happens and then I had nowhere to go. And you're just sitting at home and you're actually thinking, am I gonna be able to play again? Am I even going to get a chance?

So I'm just grateful to be here, doing the thing that I love. I guess the injury and me taking the time away made me realise how much I really love the game. It's not like this league pays you millions of dollars or even pays you at all. Really, if you come to this league, it’s for the love of the game.

I'm excited. I'm happy. I'm grateful to be in this league and in this country. I just can't wait to get started.

National League Division 1

Scotts Lakers v Limerick Sport Eagles

Saturday at 7.30pm

Killarney Sports & Leisure Centre