Durban basketball player drafted by NBA's New York Knicks

Lester Kiewit speaks to Samkelo 'Sam' Cele, a professional basketball player.

Samkelo 'Sam' Cele is a 26-year-old South African basketball player who plays for the Cape Town Tigers in the Basketball Africa League (BAL). 

Samkelo Cele was born in Durban and started playing basketball at school, receiving a basketball scholarship at Durban High School. 

Cele then got to play college basketball in the USA and signed his first professional contract with Cape Town Tigers in 2023 for the Basketball Africa League. 

Now he's making it internationally, spending the NBA Summer League with the New York Knicks.

Cele says he got the call letting him know he's been drafted for the Knicks while working out at home in Durban.

"The call came from the assistant GM [General Manager], Frank Zanin of the New York Knicks. He let me know after my season in the BAL... I guess I did well enough to catch eyes of some NBA teams and the New York Knicks was one of them."

- Samkelo Cele, Professional Basketball Player

No South African has played in the NBA before.

"... it's a personal dream of mine. It would mean that the hard work is finally paying off and for the country... it would also mean that it's possible and I believe that everything I do now is bigger than myself."

- Samkelo Cele, Professional Basketball Player

"It would be great to accomplish the goal of playing in the NBA for myself but more so for the country. It would be so much bigger than me because all the kids that come from where I come from and from situations similar to mine will see that this guy's journey is definitely a beacon of hope. It's not impossible to get there... so long as we're good people, work hard and put forth the effort that's needed, because it's a lengthy and gruesome process... but if you stick with it, things can happen."

- Samkelo Cele, Professional Basketball Player

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation.