Post by DanMcQ on Oct 22, 2006 11:24:31 GMT -5
On the go
Engen Nurumbi, who grew up in the Congo, has lived on four continents and survived a civil war to follow his passion for playing basketball.
Engen Nurumbi, who grew up in the Congo, has lived on four continents and survived a civil war to follow his passion for playing basketball.
...That's when he met Dikembe Mutombo.
Mutombo is a hero in Kinshasa. He grew up there, left when it was still known as Zaire and went on to play center for Georgetown and in the NBA. He is also revered for his charity work. Mutombo, who currently plays for the Houston Rockets, recently donated $15 million for a 300-bed hospital near his hometown.
Meeting Mutombo was memorable, but Nurumbi never imagined himself playing in the NBA, much less playing college basketball in the United States.
That came when he was 18 and playing for a team in the Ivory Coast. Nurumbi met another former Georgetown player, Joe Touomou, a Cameroon native who told him he would be able to play for the Hoyas.
"The kid could hit the rim with his head and had very big hands," said Touomou, who became an NBA scout. "His rebounding was very good for a young player of his age. I told him that a lot of players at the college level don't value that skill, and if he continued to work on it, he will easily earn a spot in a D-I college in the U.S."
Suddenly, Nurumbi had a new dream.
START OF THE JOURNEY
Hundreds of young African prospects each year post their biographies on the Internet and mail game tapes to schools, hoping basketball can be their ticket to the United States and a college degree. Even if they attract interest, they have to be able to afford to relocate and hope their government allows them to leave.
"It's quite difficult for kids in Africa to get a visa," Touomou said. "Patience becomes a big factor in the process, and they also need help."
Mutombo is a hero in Kinshasa. He grew up there, left when it was still known as Zaire and went on to play center for Georgetown and in the NBA. He is also revered for his charity work. Mutombo, who currently plays for the Houston Rockets, recently donated $15 million for a 300-bed hospital near his hometown.
Meeting Mutombo was memorable, but Nurumbi never imagined himself playing in the NBA, much less playing college basketball in the United States.
That came when he was 18 and playing for a team in the Ivory Coast. Nurumbi met another former Georgetown player, Joe Touomou, a Cameroon native who told him he would be able to play for the Hoyas.
"The kid could hit the rim with his head and had very big hands," said Touomou, who became an NBA scout. "His rebounding was very good for a young player of his age. I told him that a lot of players at the college level don't value that skill, and if he continued to work on it, he will easily earn a spot in a D-I college in the U.S."
Suddenly, Nurumbi had a new dream.
START OF THE JOURNEY
Hundreds of young African prospects each year post their biographies on the Internet and mail game tapes to schools, hoping basketball can be their ticket to the United States and a college degree. Even if they attract interest, they have to be able to afford to relocate and hope their government allows them to leave.
"It's quite difficult for kids in Africa to get a visa," Touomou said. "Patience becomes a big factor in the process, and they also need help."