South Sudan's Nuni Omot begs for NBA chance: "You won't regret it"
South Sudan power forward Nuni Omot expressed his aspiration to reignite his NBA dream after an impressive showing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Omot, who went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft, played for the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 Summer League. He later joined the Brooklyn Nets on a training camp deal but was waived a month later and played for their NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Omot conveyed that any team willing to take another chance on him would not regret it.
“Any team that gives me a chance, I promise you won’t regret it,” he said.
Nuni Omot had a strong performance during South Sudan's Olympic campaign, beginning with a 12-point game in their 90-79 win against Puerto Rico.
Though he shot an inefficient 4-for-15 from the field and 2-for-7 from beyond the arc, he also contributed six rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block, ending with a plus-10, the second highest on the team.
He followed up with a 24-point performance against Team USA, the highest in the game. He shot 8-for-12 from the field, including 3-for-5 from deep, grabbed two rebounds, and had two assists and two steals, though the USA won 103-86.
Against Serbia, he scored 14 points on 4-for-11 shooting.
South Sudan's Wenyen Gabriel endorsed Nuni Omot, saying in an Instagram story:
"League him."
Looking at the ups and downs of Nuni Omot’s career
Nuni Omot, born in 1994 in a refugee camp in Nairobi, Kenya, has made significant strides in his career, overcoming a challenging upbringing to reach professional basketball.
Omot's family moved to Minnesota in 1996, where he began to develop his passion for sports. His basketball journey started at Mahtomedi High School in Minnesota, where he averaged 18 points during his senior year and earned All-Conference honors.
Despite his impressive performance, he did not receive any NCAA Division I scholarship offers, prompting him to begin his college career at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. After redshirting his freshman year, he averaged 12.4 points and 5.5 rebounds in his first active season.
Seeking greater exposure, Omot transferred to Indian Hills Community College, where he excelled, averaging 12.2 points and earning All-American honors.
His performance caught the attention of Baylor University, leading to a scholarship offer. At Baylor, Omot faced challenges, including a semester-long academic suspension, but he overcame these, culminating in a senior season where he averaged 9.9 points per game.
After going undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft, Omot began his professional career with the Long Island Nets in the G League. He later played overseas, including stints with MZT Skopje in North Macedonia and Al Ahly in Egypt.
Omot currently plays for the Ningbo Rockets in the Chinese Basketball Association and represents South Sudan on the international stage.