The Potawatomi Fire are excited to announce the signing of Buay Koka for The Basketball League’s (TBL) 2025 season.
Koka, a 7-1 center originally from Nasir, South Sudan, played collegiately at Tulane University and University of Detroit Mercy. This will be Koka’s first professional experience.
“I’m excited to have Buay here,” said Fire General Manager David Qualls. “His and Charles Lampten’s signing will give us something we haven’t had since out first year in the league, and that’s size. Koka is a good player and someone I think the fans will enjoy watching and getting to know.”
“Buay is a fantastic addition to the Fire roster,” said two-time TBL Coach of the Year Mark Dannhoff. “With his shot-blocking ability, rebounding, and consistent mid-range jumper, he is a versatile player who can contribute in multiple ways. His defensive presence will definitely allow us to execute our defensive rotations more effectively and the impact will definitely elevate our team defense. His passion for the game, commitment to improving, and competitiveness fit perfectly with the Fire.”
Prior to his time in college, Koka played high school basketball at The Patrick School in New Jersey.
The two-time defending TBL champion Potawatomi Fire will begin their 2025 TBL season on March 2nd when they visit the Little Rock Lightning. The Fire will open their home schedule on March 8th when they host the Western Oklahoma Skykings.
Season tickets are currently on sale and individual game tickets are set to go on sale on February 3rd.
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ABOUT THE POTAWATOMI FIRE
The Potawatomi Fire are the first professional basketball team owned by a Native American tribe (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) in Oklahoma. The Fire compete in the Central Conference of The Basketball League (TBL), a men’s professional basketball league, with roughly 40 teams across the U.S. and Canada. The Fire play their home games at FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Through their first three years, the Fire have established themselves as the premier franchise in TBL. Along with winning the TBL championship in 2023 and 2024, the Fire organization was named the 2022 winner of the Jim Koch Award as TBL’s Best Ran Business. The dance team of the Fire, the Fire Girls, were named TBL’s 2022 Best Dance Team and Central Conference Best Dance Team in 2023 and 2024.