He left home at age 14 ("It was also an economic decision") • Suddenly lost his father when he was 20 ("I promised my mother I would take care of her") • And since then he just "wants to take care of his family for a better life" • Brian Angola from Ness Ziona " Dreaming of becoming the first Colombian in the NBA "
Angola with the ball.
Completely changed Ness Ziona
Photography:
Liron Moldovan
Ness Ziona player Brian Angola is one of the holders of the basketball torch in Colombia, a country sick of football.
"My teammates and I are trying to make a difference and let people know that Colombia is not just football. There is basketball, cycling and other sports here," he said in an interview with Israel Today. "I want children to know that it is possible to succeed through basketball. I have the opportunity to play for my country, I do it. "
Do you know that you are the first Colombian player in the history of Israeli basketball?
"Wow, I did not know, it's wonderful."
Angola (26) was born in the small town of Vijanova, Colombia, with a population of less than 40,000.
As a child, he played football like all his friends, but his parents pushed him to move to basketball, thinking that in the less-regarded industry he could develop a career as a professional and earn a decent living.
They were right.
At the age of 14 he left the city and moved to an academy in the big city of Bogota.
Four years later he traveled to the US where he played at two colleges and in 2018 began his professional career. Last season he won the Belgian championship and was named the Outstanding Player in the Final Four. Weak.
"Colombia has stereotypes from 30 years ago and everyone knows our country because of Escobar (famous drug baron, YM), but today it's different," says the actor who took it upon himself to be his country's traveling ambassador, "Everyone who comes to visit Colombia will tell you That he loves the place and does not want to return to his country.
I'm happy to put Colombia on the map through basketball. "
How did you even get into basketball?
Probably all your friends played football.
"I started in sports to keep out of distractions that can drag you into bad places. As a teenager there are a lot of things that can divert you from the good path, and I was the first of my family to finish high school. Sports helped me get things done, and today I use it to take care of my family."
"The truth is that football is my favorite sport. I love basketball and make a living from it, but love football and watch all the time. My parents pushed me to football because they wanted me to be different from everyone else and knew I could succeed. I thank them for that. But I'll still play football." He promises, "I plan to retire from basketball at about age 32, then play football for two or three years in the league in Colombia."
As mentioned, at the age of 14 Angola left home and now he is returning to the decision he made and the many difficulties: "Leaving home at 14 was also an economic decision. I received a scholarship that paid me for everything - from school to food and clothes, which made my family easier.
“When I moved to the US I felt it was the best thing for me and the best place for me.
I did not know a word of English and I was very thin, I weighed about 62 kg. It was difficult, but I was faced with two options: give up or push myself to be the best I can. I am glad I made the right decision.
"Dad wanted me to come to the NBA"
After two years at anonymous North Idaho College, Angola moved to Greater Florida State, but then a family crisis occurred that threatened to stop the career he was beginning to develop.
"I came to visit Colombia and suddenly my father died at the age of 40 from a heart attack," he says.
"One day I went into my father's Facebook and saw that a year and a half earlier he had uploaded a picture of us together and wrote, 'I'm accompanying my son on his way to the NBA.' At that moment I decided I was going back to the US.
I told my mother I needed two or three years and I would make her proud and take care of her.
Since then that promise has been pushing me.
I keep pushing myself to take care of my family for a better life. "
Angola says that every time he wears the national team uniform of the Colombian team he remembers his father.
"I feel like he's watching me. When I hear the anthem I remember him and play with emotion and power because of it."
In the final game of his second regular season at Florida State, Angola became a star in a viral video that garnered millions of views online.
His friends flew his mother from Colombia straight to the final game and the graduation ceremony without his knowledge, and as she entered the stunned Brian Hall he began to cry with excitement.
"My mother never watched a game closely. I sent her a message before the game and she replied that she was busy. I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I started to cry, I just lost it."
At the end of last night's game, Angola did not forget where he came from and told his mother that if she saw the interview she would know he loved her.
This is basically the essence of the person he is - an actor who not only plays for himself, but represents his country, town and family.
He leaves all his heart on the floor, which is evident in every minute of his time on the court. @ Ironinessziona pic.twitter.com/AHU4ERVIJF
- Pick and Roll (@ pickandroll11) December 29, 2020
A friend of Hamas Rodriguez
Angola has not yet reached the NBA.
In the summer of 2018 he was included in the Orlando Magic team in the summer league, but was released shortly before the start of the season.
"I feel like I fulfilled part of my dream by training with them and being close, but I still lack something. I want to be the first Colombian to play in the best league in the world."
Thanks to his arrival in the G-League as well as thanks to his successful performances with the national team, Angola has in recent years become a well-known figure in Colombian sports and on Instagram he has over 110,000 followers.
"I'm proud to be a role model. A lot of kids send me messages that they want to be like me and ask for advice. I always try to be nice and answer. It's important for me to inspire the next generation in my city and Colombia. I want kids to know they can make dreams come true."
His friends' immediate circle includes football stars such as Quadrado, Quintero, and especially Hamas Rodriguez.
"Last summer I went to Madrid for two weeks of training and all this time I was at Hamas at home with his family," the player says, "We are very close. He loves basketball, and we played a lot together. We both have a goal - to get a positive opinion of people about Colombia."
The journey to fulfill dreams
Last summer Angola experienced another not-so-simple case when his good friend from Florida State Michael Ojo died after collapsing during training in Belgrade.
Ojo played for the Red Star, and Angola at the time was a player of city rival Partisan.
"I still can not believe it happened," he says, "it's a very difficult story for me. I spent all my time in Serbia with him. When I first came to town there were some money problems and I asked him for help, so he just came to me and took me to eat. When I heard what happened I started crying, it took me a while to digest. "
And back to Israel.
Since landing in the heart of the colony, Angola has completely changed the team.
His averages are impressive with 21.3 points (48.6% for 3), 8.3 rebounds and a total of 24.3 index points.
More importantly, in four league games with him, the team balance stands at three wins and only one loss.
Yesterday (Sunday) the Colombian took off with his teammates to Poland where they will play this week in a bubble in Wloclawek as part of the Third European Cup.
Angola will try to help his team get through a stage in Europe on the path to fulfilling his personal and national dreams.