Westside basketball is a family affair on the floor. London Dada of the Warriors is the son of Tola Dada, a Westside assistant principal and a first-team all-state center at Burke who went on to play at UNO. As a sophomore, all notion of London being identified as Tola’s kid goes out the window. The 6’7″ guard has garnered tremendous momentum under his own name after making his first varsity start and hitting 13 three-pointers on a state-best 57 percent shooting from downtown. London remembers on his first start at varsity.
“I came out of the locker room and the coach said I was going to start,” London said. “I was apprehensive, but I was just going to go out there and do my best. The season’s start has been rather positive. I’m an excellent shooter and rebounder. I’ve been practicing my defense a lot.”
Before coming to Westside, London had just one coach till middle school: his father. London admits it was difficult to having his father as his coach, but he is glad for what he learned. Tola shares his son’s viewpoint on being his coach. Looking back, Tola is glad for his time as his son’s coach, but acknowledges he may have been harsh on London at times.
“Looking back, it was tough,” Tola said. “But it’s enjoyable, and I am glad for that. It was distressing since parent coaches are sometimes too harsh or too gentle for their own children. I wanted to be able to provide him with the finest experience possible, with the team. I’ll confess that I was sometimes too severe on him, but it was a lot of joy to be able to contribute to some of his progress.”
London began his high school career as a leader on the junior varsity. Only a year later, he has appeared in all four victories for the Warriors this season. The Westside guard began the season as the team’s sixth player, but has quickly moved into the starting lineup. London ranks second on the squad, scoring 12.8 points per game and shooting 62% from the field. It’s reasonable to say that London is outperforming expectations to begin the season.
“Coming into the year we had a lot of transfers, so I didn’t really know what my role would be,” London said. “I took every training seriously and worked hard throughout practice. “I felt like I gave myself a good chance to play this season.”
London’s success in high school as a sophomore may surprise others, but it comes as no surprise to his tight circle. London has spent many hours practicing as he has progressed from middle to high school. London’s first in-game dunk came in eighth grade, and he has never looked back since.
“He’ll tell you, it’s a lot of time put in,” Tola said. “We practice a lot of shooting and footwork outside of school, possibly for two or three hours every day. We plan to work out every day this summer. He’ll do certain things on his own, and we’ll do other things together, you understand. However, in order to succeed in Class A in Nebraska, you must devote a significant amount of time. He’s willing to do it, and you’ll see the results. I’m simply interested to watch how his career evolves.”
London and his teammates are looking forward to the Metro Holiday Tournament at Bellevue West High School, where the Warriors are the top seeds. The tournament starts Saturday, December 28th.