Despite having just embarked on his first professional season, Tomiwa Sulaiman’s basketball journey is already one filled with incredible experiences and adventures across the globe that the nine-year-old version of himself who first started hooping could never have dreamt of.
Playing for Rob Paternostro’s Leicester Riders in his rookie campaign, the 24-year-old Londoner has become a key part of the rotation already for one of British basketball’s powerhouses. We caught up with him recently to learn more about his journey.
“I started playing when I was nine years old for a small team in Norfolk and quickly found my love for the game,” Sulaiman said.
“I didn’t know much about basketball, but I was always active as a kid and a bit bigger than everybody else so my uncle introduced me to the game and I never looked back.
“I remember being 14 at one of my junior clubs and playing up at Under-18s level because they didn’t have an Under-16s team, before then getting into the England team, for whom I played a tournament overseas in Copenhagen and ended up being scouted to go to a basketball academy in Gran Canaria.
“Leaving the country at 15 for most would be terrifying, but to this day I still say it is one of the best things I ever decided to do, because of the culture I learned, the people I met, where I got to travel to with the team and all of those life benefits besides the incredible basketball experience.
“After that I went to the States for two years, graduated high school and got a scholarship after the pandemic to play in NCAA Division II, winning individual honours, setting school records for the team, before moving on to Division I and winning a championship. All of this is before turning pro, so it truly has been a blessed journey and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
After playing for Indiana University of Pennsylvania at NCAA DII level and Towson Tigers – the alma mater of former Rider Charles Thompson – in NCAA DI, Sulaiman was delighted to make the transition to Leicester this summer, where he used to attend summer workouts in his breaks from collegiate basketball.
This season caps off a crazy decade for the 24-year-old which started with leaving home to attend a basketball academy in Gran Canaria before embarking on his American adventure and returning home this summer, and Sulaiman shared his reflections on the entire experience thus far.
“If someone was to tell me when I was 15 years old that this was how the next decade of my life was going to be, I’d have said you were crazy, but I think it’s transpired this way because of the work I’ve put in and the great people I’ve had around me through the journey.
“I always say to people ‘show me your network and I’ll show you your net worth’. If you surround yourself with people who are pushing themselves, have the right mindset and are always pushing to be better – no matter what field they’re in – that is going to rub off and have a positive impact on you, and the same is true of the reverse.
“From a young age I’ve been consistent, disciplined and passionate and being that way has got me here, for sure. I made a lot of sacrifices and it feels crazy to be sitting here saying I’m a professional basketball player, so I’m not taking a moment of this for granted and I hope those same characteristics help me keep growing and improving and having a great career.”
One of a number of young British talents in the league this season, Sulaiman knows that he and his compatriots will be looked at as role models by the younger generations of fans in the crowd, and he took the opportunity to offer his advice from his experience that he’d share with those aspiring hoopers.
“If you have a dream and there’s something that you want to do, go out and do it. Don’t wait for handouts. Don’t wait for someone to come and save you or give you a pat on the back, it’s not how life goes.
“Before I was ranked number two at Deng Camp, nobody knew who I was, but I was still in the gym at 6am every day after begging my teachers to let me in early so I could do extra work on my game. If you want something, you’ve just got to put in the work and trust that it’ll pay off in the end. Doing the work doesn’t guarantee you’ll be successful, but it puts you in the best position possible.
“It’s not easy. I’d be lying if I said I wake up every day with a smile to my face doing all of this, but looking back on the life I’ve lived, I wouldn’t change it for a bit. I don’t describe myself as a basketball player. I just say I’m good at basketball because there’s a lot more to me than just basketball, and that’s what you have to be.”
“You can be great at basketball, but you got to be more than just your sport, and once you’re more than your sport, people see the value you have, what you bring to communities, what you bring to schools, and they value that because it goes a long way. It builds character, and more people are going to want to come and support you, so be a great person, please and thank you’s go a long way in this game, and don’t ever forget what you come from.”
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