This year, the national basketball team welcomed a number of new players. These include US-based Center, Noah Bigirumwami. Currently plying his trade in the Spanish second tier, the 2.07m man has mostly featured for foreign teams, apart from Rwanda&039;s APR.

The 25-year old plays in a stretch forward position and boasts good size, versatility, great ball-shooting and mobility on the floor – attributes that may soon make him an asset for the national team, on which he was first introduced this year.

Born in Orange County, California, in the United States, Bigirumwami started playing basketball at a very young age. Like other children, the game was just one of the many sports he was enjoying.

"I didn’t focus on it too much. However, I grew up a Lakers fan and a big Kobe (Bryant) fan. That’s where the dream of being an NBA player came from, because I wanted to be just like him. I ultimately chose basketball because I had the most fun playing it and grew a deep passion for it,” he said.

As his game started taking shape, he was lucky to have a family that was already in love with basketball and gave him a lot of encouragement.

His two elder sisters played basketball, and the family always attended their games to cheer them.

When Bigirumwami started to feature for junior teams, he was given the same support.

"My family has been on plenty of road trips and plane rides to come watch me play and have been very supportive since day one. Not only with coming to watch games but investing in camps, workouts, trainers, and being there for me emotionally and believing in me,” he told Times Sport.

As a youngster that loved basketball, attending schools that were "big” on the game would always be an important step in the right direction. Fortunately, in 2012, things worked out well when his family sent him to Village Christian, a private school in Sun Valley, California, an academic institution that was winning state competitions at the time.

"It was a big leap to go here. A lot of the players were D1 (division one) talent and it really pushed me to work harder to get on their level,” he recalled.

After learning a lot from there, he moved on for a prep year at Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, North Carolina after which he joined college. Later, in August 2018, he got a D1 offer from Chicago State University where he played until early 2022.

"The most inspiring moment, so far, was when I first received D1 offers after junior college. To go D1 from the path of my career was inspiring. Less than two percent play D1 and I was told plenty of times that I wouldn’t. I came from not having any offers in high school to then going to a junior college and still not having any offers after season.

But he continuously worked hard and "really pushed myself.”

"I was going to different showcases believing God had the right school for me. I went to one more showcase and that was when God provided. School was about to start but I remember going to church and still having faith that God would provide, and that afternoon I got the call.”

There were a lot difficult moments in the journey so far, he admitted.

"For example, JUCO [Jordan University College] basketball is a grind. It really tested me and my love for this game. However, looking back, any time I felt down, or low, it was those moments that pushed me to trust God more,” he said.

"It was in those moments that I had to tell myself I couldn’t quit. I needed all of those moments to shape me to not only a better basketball player but a man off the court.”

Adapting to life at Oviedo Baloncesto

In September 2022, Bigirumwami signed for Oviedo Club Baloncesto, a professional basketball team based in Oviedo, Asturias, that plays in the Spanish LEB Oro league.

He is adapting well to life at the club and has already learnt a lot.

"The team is a lot younger and makes a point to develop players. It’s a nice city and I’ve adapted to living here nicely. When I first came, a lot was thrown at me and it was a process to adjust to. I’ve learned a lot already and my game has become better because of it.”

When called up for national team duty during the preparations for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers, Bigirumwami felt honored.

"I have been wanting to play for the national team for years and I was really excited when the time came,” he told Times Sport.

"It was even better that I had to compete to make the team and was chosen to represent the country. I was very proud to wear the jersey and very grateful. The experience was good. It was my first professional basketball experience as well so I was learning a lot and trying to adapt as fast as possible.”

The national basketball team bowed out of the qualifiers after Window 2, despite putting up a spirited fight in group B that had big teams such as South Sudan, Tunisia and Cameroon.

Despite this, Bigirumwami still has hope, and aspires to compete at the Afrobasket and World Cup tournaments along with the team.

"I know there’s a process to get there but I hope I can be a part of it and help the team get there.”

Compatriots on the national team are very welcoming, he noted, something that made it easy for him "to click.”

"I got to know everybody on the team personally and made friends with everybody. I knew some of the players before the national team camp but for most, I was meeting them for the first time. I still talk to them and stay connected.”

Bigirumwami wants to be the best player he can be.

"I know I want to play high level basketball and, wherever God takes me, I’m here for the journey and grateful I can play the game I love.”