ZOUK MIKAEL (Lebanon) - Nuni Omot has become a basketball globetrotter himself and the seasoned forward cannot wait to see what's in store for him now that his journey has taken him to this country.
The South Sudanese star joined Al Riyadi just last December in yet another high-profile signing for the traditional Lebanese powerhouse, and he's very much looking forward to achieving success with his new team.
"Very excited," he expressed. "I've been fortunate enough to play across the world, in many different places."
Omot was brought in to take the place of Ivan Buva and his addition to the Yellow Castle not only fortifies their frontcourt, but injects even more championship experience to FIBA WASL's 'three-peat' seekers.
For those unfamiliar, the 31-year-old steered Al Ahly of Egypt to their first-ever Basketball Africa League crown back in 2023, and would go on to cap off a stellar campaign by taking home Most Valuable Player honors.
It was easily his best stop as a pro - a career which began in the G-League in 2018 and eventually led him to various countries such as North Macedonia, Germany, Turkey, France, and China, just to name a few.
And in between those stints, the former Baylor Bear had played in FIBA club competitions as well, first in the FIBA Europe Cup with Dutch side ZZ Leiden and in the Basketball Champions League with Tofas SK of Turkey.
Now, he's in another one - WASL, that is - and with a team that's out to defend two titles for yet another season, since they are also attempting to win the West Asia League title for a fourth successive time.
"I've been blessed to be able to continue to play, and still be healthy and be able to help teams," he said. "I'm just very fortunate to be able to be in this position, to be able to be here with a historic club like Al Riyadi."
Omot played his first WASL game last January 13 in Zouk Mikael and wasted no time proving his worth. He finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists to help Riyadi to a convincing 113-89 victory over Al Wahda SC.
The one-time Olympian had 8 points in the first half as he was key in their second-quarter surge, which kick-started their breakaway in the ensuing frame to eventually take the solo lead in the standings at 4-1.
Coach Ahmad Farran could only heap praises on Omot, expressing excitement with the kind of potential that the squad as a whole now has with Omot in tow, especially once he masters their scheme of things.
"We are lucky to bring Nuni here in Lebanon," he said. "A big player with a big mentality. He's trying to fit into the team. He hasn't practiced that much because since he came, he's been playing games."
"But we are very positive about his situation with us," the champion mentor added. "I'm very optimistic that he will help the team a lot when he gets to know his teammates on the court ... he will do a lot of good things to us."
Omot, for his part, intends to help Riyadi in whatever way he can as they all share a common goal: to win.
"Obviously, it's my first time playing in WASL. I know the history of the club, and just to be able to be here and be able to be a part of it is a blessing for me," he said. "My goal is to win everything and this club has a history of it."
"And I just want to do everything in my power to be able to help the team in any way possible," he added.
FIBA