Young basketball player Samkelo Cele has been selected to play for the New York Knicks as part of the NBA Summer League!
Global (16 July 2024)—South African basketball fans might know Samkelo Cele as one of the Cape Town Tiger’s fiercest players or as one of the Basketball Africa League (BAL)’s formidable first team members. But now, Samkelo has a new title that’s made South Africa and his home city of Durban enormously proud—he’s going to get a taste of the National Basketball Association (NBA) with none other than the New York Knicks for the NBA Summer League!
View this post on Instagram
It’s the kind of opportunity most young hoopers spend most of their time dreaming about and working toward. This is something the rising star recognises, sharing that receiving the call was nothing short of “surreal”.
“I couldn’t believe it, even though it was something I had wanted and hope for because opportunities have been spoken about since last year’s BAL,” he told ESPN when reflecting on the moment the dream came true.
The 27-year-old player hailing from Durban has come a long way to get a taste of the big leagues. From his days learning the courts at Durban Boys High School to heading overseas to play college basketball and all the countless hours of work that led him to the Tigers and BAL, this is hardly an overnight success story. However, it’s one that South Africa will keep very close to our hearts as many now associate Samkelo as the face of hope for young South African basketball players who have dreams as big as his.
Meanwhile, in other news of South Africa’s breaking barriers in prestigious leagues, Harrison Brunicke has come a long way from Joburg to making the skating history books for South Africa with the young ice hockey star becoming the first South African-born skater to be selected for the NHL draft in decades!
Sources: Various (Linked Above)
Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google.
Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:
Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.
by 