Kubukeka sekusele kancane ukuthi umdlali wakuleli we-basketball, uSamkelo Brian Cele, afeze iphupho leminyaka lokudlala kwiligi enkulukazi emhlabeni, iNational Basketball League (NBA) yase-USA.
UCele (26) ubizwe yiNew York Knicks ukuba azoba yingxenye yemidlalo yokulungiselela isizini entsha, eyaziwa ngeNBA Summer League, kulandela ukugila izimanga kwiBasketball Africa League (BAL). IKnicks ingeliye lamaqembu adlala kwiNBA.
Kwi-BAL eqale ngoMashi yaphela ngoJuni, ehlanganisa amaqembu ahamba phambili aqhamuka emazweni ehlukene e-Afrika, uCele ubedlalela elakuleli, iCape Town Tigers.
Udlale indima enkulu ngesikhathi iTigers ifinyelela kowandulela owamanqamu, waphinde waqokwa ngesikhathi kuhlanganiswa iqembu labadlali abavelele.
Ngokusho kwakhe, uthando lwe-basketball lwaqala ngo-2011 ngesikhathi ehlangana nomdlali othize wamaLA Lakers kwithelevishini, wachazwa yisitayela somdlali ongasekho emhlabeni, uKobe Bryant.
Akuthathanga sikhathi waba yingxenye yeqembu i-The Clan, elizinze KwaDabeka, eThekwini, ngaphansi kohlelo lokuthuthukisa intsha ngokusebenzisa ezemidlalo olwalenganyelwe nguGeorge Mwaura.
“Ngo-2011 ngamgqugquzela uBrian ukuthi adlale i-basketball ngoba ngibona ukuthi usukile egadeni. Akuthathanga sikhathi ukuthi awuthande kakhulu lo mdlalo futhi akhombise ukuthi unekhono. Saqhubeka nokumeseka njengezinye izingane eziningi esasiziza ngamateku nokunye,” kusho uMwaura.
“Sasihlanganisa amaqembu ukuze adlale kuma-Salga Games neminye imiqhudelwano, nokuyilapho uBrian aya ngokuya edlondlobala khona. Umqeqeshi uLetha Zulu, ongasekho, wagcina emtholele umfundaze ukuze ayofunda eDurban High School, aphinde aqhubeke ne-basketball khona.
“Ngiyakhumbula ngimlekelela nomama wakhe nogogo wakhe belungisa amaphepha okushaya i-passport ngesikhathi ebizwe ekhempini eyayiseSerbia. Ngiyaziqhenya kakhulu ngalokhu asekuzuzile. Selokhu kwathi nhlo ungumuntu ozimiselayo futhi ongalilahli ithemba.”
Ngemuva kokuqeda isikole ngo-2016 uCele walibangisa e-USA lapho afike wadlalela iBull City Prep eCharlotte, eNorth Carolina.
Ube esedlulela eNortheastern Oklahoma A&M College, eSouthern University, eMarist College nase-University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, ngaphambi kokuthathwa yiTigers ngo-2023.
Ngokusho kwakhe, akazange akholwe ngesikhathi ethola ucingo ngoJuni olwaluqinisekisa ukuthi uzoba yingxenye yeqembu leKnicks kwiSummer League, eqale ngeSonto eLas Vegas.
"Ngangiziphumela ejimini ngesikhathi ngithola izindaba zokuthi ngimenywe yiKnicks kwiSummer League, angizange ngikholwe. Kwaqale kwangimangaza yize bekuyinto ebesenginesikhathi ngiyifisa futhi ngiyisebenzela,” uchaze kanje uCele exoxa ne-ESPN.
Uma kwenzeka uCele echaza umqeqeshi uDice Yoshimoto, ocija iqembu leKnicks kwiSummer League, angazithola eseyingxenye yeqembu elikhulu eliphekwa uTom Thibodeau. Lokhu kungamenza umdlali wokuqala waseNingizimu Afrika ukudlala kwiNBA.
UMwaura usaqhubeka nokufukula umphakathi ezindaweni ezifana naseClermont, eSavannah Park nezinye nenhlangano i-Isiseko Imara, egxile kakhulu ekulweni nesihlava sokuthi izingane zikhule zingenabo obaba.
Le nhlangano igqugquzela abesilisa ukuthi babe ngobaba abaqotho baphinde bangenelele uma kukhona intsha esondelene nabo engenabo obaba. Zisaqhubeka nezinhlelo zemidlalo, ikakhulukazi eze-basketball, lapho kunamaqembu abesilisa nabesifazane kusukela ku-Under-13 kuya ku-Under-20.
UNtuthuko Luthuli, owayedlala noCele besakhula, usengomunye wabaqeqeshi kwi-The Clan, lapho ebambisene khona noDinho Hlophe. Isifiso sabo ukukhiqiza inqwaba yabadlali abazofinyelela ezingeni eliphezulu kwi-basketball noma baphumelele kweminye imikhakha empilweni.
“Kuyasithokozisa ukuthi sisaqhubeka nokushintsha izimpilo zentsha ngalo mdlalo. Sesinabo abanye abadlali asebethole imifundaze ngenxa yokudlala kahle. Sifisa ukuthi bafinyelele nalapho singafikanga khona. Uma kungasenzekanga nge-basketball kodwa miningi eminye iminyango engabavulekela,” kusho uLuthuli.
“Sithemba ukuthi ukubona abantu abadlule lapho bedlule khona bephumelela kuzobakhuthaza nabanye abazolandela, bakwazi ukufeza amaphupho abo.”
UCele usengaphansi kwenkampani iRoc Nation Sports ephethe inqwaba yezihlabani zezemidlalo zakuleli nasemhlabeni jikelele okubalwa kuzona uSiya Kolisi, uBongiwe Msomi, uVinicius Junior, uKevin de Bruyne, uLamelo Ball nabanye.