Amida (L) with Dr. Muniratu Alhassan his US resident cousin and his father, Rashad Peregrino- Brimah and mother Barkisu Peregrino-Brimah during his graduation in the US
Ghana’s second basketball sensation, Amida Brimah, has already carved a niche for himself in the biggest basketball league in the world, the NBA.
Few days a ago, he made his first points in the league when the Indiana Pacers faced off with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Pacers-Blazers game was the second in his NBA career after his two-way transfer deal with the Pacers from the G League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Brimah, 27, made good use of the almost ten minutes offered him – scoring six points, making three rebounds and two blocks.
And if there is anything that has been his driving force, it is the sheer determination to rise to the top coupled with sound technical guidance when he first set foot on the American soil.
His sharp reflexes, speed and tenacity has endeared him to his side’s faithful and opponents as well, and he has already settled in a team he refers to as a great group.
He told Joy Sports recently, “Yeah, it’s been good, it’s been good. This group is a great group, very friendly and when I first got here he lists some names were like “we need you, we need you” and them telling me that they need me was just enough for me to be like okay.”
The lanky player, named after his grandfather, the late Amida Peregrino-Brimah added, “I didn’t just come here just to be called up, I came for a purpose and that is one of the confidence boosters for me. They are a great group.
“My coach when I was in Ghana was the one who forced me to come to the court. I was literally just like them. I didn’t want to play basketball, so painting the picture letting them know that if I can do it, you can do it and you can even do way better than I did. So that’s what I wanna do, I wanna be like that image and that I guess, role model to those kids that want to be in a situation like I am or even better.”
He stated, “For me right now, I’m just trying to play my role and whatever role the coach wants me to play. Whenever I step on the court I’m making sure that I’m playing that role. That’s another thing. It’s very important that you know your role and what the team is expecting from you. So I know what my role is and right now if what they want from me is to rebound, set screens and block shots then that’s what I’m going to do. Whatever role the team wants me to do, is what I’m willing to do at this point.”
The 2014/15 NCAA champion signed for Partisan in the Belgian League after, and featured 10 times for the side, averaging 69.4 field goals. He put up impressive defensive performances with a defensive rebound average of 3.1 and total rebound average of 5.3.
The 6’10 center had his basic school education at the Happy Home Primary, graduated at Wesley Grammar High School but spent majority of his afternoons at the Tudu Lebanon House court while with Galaxy Basketball Academy in Accra.
Amazingly, the 2018 NBA G League champion who has progressed steadily in the game did not grow up with basketball as a core interest.
From The Sports Desk