DOUALA (Cameroon) - First, Ulrich Chomche made history by becoming the first player drafted directly from the NBA Academy Africa to the NBA. Now, the 2027 World Cup has Chomche focused on making more history.
Cameroon has had one of the largest numbers of players from Africa in recent NBA seasons.
Despite the talent the Central African nation has produced, it has never qualified for the FIBA Basketball World Cup. The country narrowly missed qualifying in 2019.
Our country needs moments of joy - Ulrich Chomche
The World Cup Qualifiers Group C games, which Cameroon will host in Douala from July 2-5, could boost their chances of reaching the 2027 World Cup in Qatar.
Chomche remains focused on becoming the best version of himself while carrying the hopes of a nation that continues producing elite basketball talent.
When asked how he wants to be remembered, his answer is immediate. "As a history maker."
Yet even now, his thoughts return to Cameroon with one ambition, that of writing a glorious page of Cameron's basketball history.
Chomche wants to be part of the team that makes this ambition come to fruition and he dreams of giving people reasons to celebrate - not only through basketball, but through sport in general.
"Our country needs moments of joy. The nation is quiet because we failed to qualify for the 2026 Football World Cup and we know that we can give them reasons to celebrate if we qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup."
Group A, where Cameroon is lodged alongside South Sudan, Cape Verde and Libya, is wide open with three teams having two wins each.
But despite the mettle of their adversaries, the Cameroonian center Ulrich Chomche is upbeat on home court, the Lions will emerge invincible.
"We want to make history and we're Cameroonians. By nature we're confident and we're winners. We know what we need to do and we'll do everything to do just that and make the fans happy"
How far Chomche has come!
For the 20-year-old Chomche, the NBA is not the finish line; it's a new beginning.
Before he became one of Africa's brightest basketball prospects and the first player ever drafted directly from the NBA Academy Africa to the NBA, Ulrich Chomche wasn't chasing fame.
He wasn't dreaming of sold-out arenas or NBA spotlights and not even in his wildest dreams did he ever envisage the idea of becoming a professional basketball player.
Playing basketball wasn't a story of passion for him, it was simply an opportunity to escape household chores.
Chomche grew up in the cold, hilly town of Bafang in Cameroon's western region. Basketball was never part of the family plan. Education was the priority, and his parents feared that playing basketball would distract him from school and jeopardize his future.
"My family didn't want me to play basketball," Chomche recalls with a large smile on his face. "They thought my grades would go down and I wouldn't be focused."
But the story changed when a determined coach Norbert Chenkam took Chomche under his wings, spotting a glimpse of talent and the possibility of grooming this talent to elite skills.
Training under Coach Chenkam honed Chomche's skills and attracted attention. The agreement was simple: if his grades slipped, he would stop playing basketball immediately.
So the 2.11 m (6-foot-11) learned to balance playing basketball as an escape from household chores with maintaining decent grades in school.
Ironically, basketball became more of a refuge than a career ambition.
"Our house was always full. There were so many people, so much noise and so many chores," he laughs. "I stayed after school just so I could play basketball. I'd come home when the cleaning was done and the food was already ready."
What began as an escape would soon become his destiny.
The knock that changed everything
Soon, another coach, Joe Toumou, arrived at the family's doorstep with an opportunity that sounded almost unbelievable.
The NBA Academy Africa in Senegal wanted Chomche, but his parents immediately refused.
"They thought I was going somewhere nearby like Douala or Yaoundé. But when coach Toumou told them it was Senegal, they said, 'No chance.'"
The academy's representatives didn't give up. They returned a second time, eventually convincing the family.
At just 13 years old, Chomche left Cameroon for the first time. Looking back, he calls it the defining moment of his life.
"If there was no NBA Academy, I don't think I'd be here today."
Learning Basketball From Scratch
Despite already playing in Cameroon, Chomche quickly realized he barely understood the sport.
"When I got there, I thought I knew basketball. I didn't know anything."
For Chomche this was a startling reality. Everything he thought he knew changed and he learned basketball fundamentals from the ground up, learning English, learning how to be disciplined and most importantly, he says, he learned how to become a man.
"The Academy didn't just teach me basketball. They taught me life."
Coaches became mentors and father figures. Evenings were spent watching NBA games, breaking down film and studying players he had barely heard of before.
"I only knew LeBron James and Kevin Durant."
Coach Assane Badji introduced him to the wider basketball world, patiently explaining players, systems and the finer details of the game.
It was an education far beyond the court but the transition wasn't easy.
Coming from the cool climate of Bafang, Senegal's heat hit him hard. So did the demanding routine that started with morning workouts then afternoon practice followed up by individual training, English lessons, homework and then one last practice before going to bed.
"My first year was really hard," Chomche admits. "I had to adapt quickly and some days stretched until one in the morning before another 5 a.m. wake-up call. But when you love this game, you adapt and once you adapt, you become better at it."
Choosing Basketball
Even after moving to Senegal, Chomche's family never expected basketball to become his profession. To them, the NBA Academy was simply a pathway to a free and quality education.
"They kept telling me, you're there to study. Use basketball to get an education."
He listened and he even graduated from high school early after taking additional classes. But something changed as scouts began taking notice and people started talking about his potential then came one conversation that transformed everything.
"We went to a tournament in France and after a strong performance in France, one of our Academy coaches Alfred Aboya looked me in the eye and said if you stay serious, you can make the NBA."
For the first time, Chomche allowed himself to believe it.
"I thought to myself why not? Basketball can help me feed my family and changed everything for me."
From that moment, every workout had greater purpose. Every early morning mattered and very repetition counted and what he had perceived as routine became more crucial to him.
Africa's New Stage
Chomche credits another game-changing initiative for accelerating his rise: the Basketball Africa League's BAL Elevate program. For young African prospects, it provided visibility, something the continent had long lacked.
"There wasn't another platform where young African players could show the world what we're capable of."
"My first year at BAL, I played with FAP of Cameroon and I loved the atmosphere, the environment and I embraced every opportunity that came with it".
One memorable game against South Sudan side Cobra Sports [during the 2022 Nile Conference] remains among his favourites.
Opponents reportedly boasted to Chomche's friend and schoolmate at the NBA Academy- Khaman Maluach that they would dunk on the young Cameroonian.
Instead, Chomche answered with his own energy, hustle and shot-blocking, announcing himself on one of Africa's biggest basketball stages.
Draft Night Without the Drama
As the 2024 NBA Draft approached, Chomche believed his name would be called but there was the constant lingering question of "when will it be called?".
Rather than sit in the draft arena surrounded by cameras, he stayed home watching draft and gripped by a flurry of strong emotions, he fell asleep.
"I didn't want to be disappointed. I knew during the combine workouts that I had impressed a few scouts. I am someone who's deeply rooted in faith so I knew I had done my part and I left the rest in GOD's Hands."
Then his phone rang and his agent delivered the life-changing news. The Toronto Raptors had selected him.
"I was so happy. To me it felt great and I understood that what was a dream had now become reality."
The moment also made history as Chomche became the first player ever drafted directly from NBA Academy Africa into the NBA.
Finding Family in Toronto
Landing in Toronto felt strangely familiar for Chomche. Before him, fellow Cameroonians Pascal Siakam and Christian Koloko had already worn Raptors colours.
"It felt like going home."
Things became easier for Chomche who found in Christian Koloko an elder brother and friend.
Together with Yves Missi, the three Cameroonians in the NBA stay connected through WhatsApp, Snapchat and Instagram, constantly checking in, sharing laughs and supporting one another.
"He gave us advice about what to expect in the NBA."
Another African veteran also played a major role.
Angolan center Bruno Fernando embraced Chomche like a younger brother, training with him, offering advice and helping him adjust to life as an NBA player.
"Bruno has been incredible. He has been extremely kind and forthcoming with me. He treated me so well that at some point I thought he was Cameroonian. He is an incredible person off the court."
More than basketball
From a teenager escaping chores in Bafang to making NBA history, Ulrich Chomche's story reminds us that greatness doesn't always begin with a dream.
Sometimes, it begins with simply finding somewhere to play and sometimes, all it takes is one coach willing to knock on the door twice.
FIBA