'I’m more motivated than ever’

It was March 2018 when Mayindombe suffered a severe ankle sprain in the third quarter of a one-point victory over Sheffield Sharks.

He was forced to miss the remainder of the 2017/18 campaign, including the Flyers’ memorable run to the semi-finals of the BBL play-offs.

Fast forward 17 weeks later, Mayindombe found himself running once again and well on the road to recovery.

"It was tough for me last season, I missed the whole second half of the season,” he revealed to Bristol Flyers TV.

“We thought it was almost ligament damage but it was a just a badly sprained ankle - I didn’t expect it to take so long.

"You know how passionate I am about this game, so sitting on the sidelines was very difficult for me."

Following his return to fitness, Mayindombe most recently competed for ‘Kingz of Congo’ at world streetball tournament Quai 44 held in France.

He competed against a number of familiar faces in British Basketball, including Conner Washington of the Leicester Riders, Darius Defoe of the Newcastle Eagles and Surrey Scorchers’ captain Tayo Ogedengbe.

There was also NBA representation at the tournament, with the likes of Bismack Biyombo suiting up on the cutsom-built outdoor court.

"That was a great experience, I met a lot of players from around the world who play at a very high level,” Mayindombe added.

"I always like to meet new people, so I'm looking forward to playing with the new guys in Bristol this season - I saw their highlights online and they look really good

"Our team is going to be a lot faster this year, a lot longer and much better at defence

"I can’t wait to step on the court again. It’s been a long time for me coming back from injury. I want to be better this year and I want to prove myself at both ends of the court."