Former Westchester Knick, Olympic Star Makes Promise to NBA

Former Westchester Knick Nuni Omot has been one of the breakout stars of the Summer Olympics.

Jul 31, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States guard Lebron James (6) and South Sudan small forward Nuni Omot (5) fight for a loose ball in the fourth quarter during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Former Westchester Knick Nuni Omot is turning South Sudan into his own dream team.

The Bright Stars are one of the most talked-about stories of the Paris Olympics' ongoing basketball activities: the team is making its Olympic basketball debut just 13 years after the nation declared independence and has put up some respectable showings that have them on the brink of advancement.

Shortly after taking the United States' men's national team to the brink in a pre-Olympic exhibition, the South Sudanese won their ringed debut, downing Puerto Rico 90-79 last weekend. While the Americans handled business in more convincing fashion in group play on Wednesday, Omot impressed with 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting against opposition backed to the brim with NBA talent.

When X account @Realhoops_FL made note of Omot's effort, he took the time to make a solemn promise to any Association scouts that took in the Wednesday clash.

"Any team that gives me a chance, I promise you won’t regret it," the 29-year-old Omot said, capping off his post with an emoji depicting hands in prayer.

Omot played 13 games with the Westchester Knicks in 2022-23, averaging 8.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in just under 20 minutes a game before he was traded to the Orlando Magic's affiliate in Lakeland.

The Baylor alum, who previously appeared in a 2018 preseason game for the Brooklyn Nets, has been globetrotting ever since, notably earning a championship in the Basketball Africa League to Al Ahly of Egypt. In April, Omot signed with Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan, a long-running Israeli club based near Tel Aviv.

This basketball journey is a brilliant culmination of Omot's life to date, one that began in a Kenyan refugee camp before he, his mother, and his siblings were able to move to Minnesota, where he took up basketball after previously starring as a football receiver. He would later earn an athletic scholarship from Baylor after two years between the Division II and JUCO levels.

Omot has dedicated his journey to date to his mother Pillow, reasoning that nothing that has transpired would be possible without her.

“Her desire, and her passion for me and my brother, when we got to the U.S., she started working," Omot recalled in a 2018 interview with Chris Dortch of NBA.com. “What she had to go through was unbelievable, something you would see in a movie. All the thousands of miles she had to travel to find a home for her family.”

Omot and the Bright Stars will have a shot at an improbable Olympic advancement on Saturday when they wrap up group play against Serbia in Lille (3 p.m. ET, CNBC).

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