Amida Peregrino-Brimah
Accra-born, Amida Peregrino-Brimah, a top basketball player in the US is in town to visit his family and friends.
Since he left his base, Nyamekye, adjoining Fadama, he has made a few visits to see his dad and mum and siblings all of who are happy to see him relishing his tremendous progress in basketball playing in the US.
The 2.08 meters tall Centre for the National Basketball Association Gatorade League team, the Austin Spurs, was born and raised in Accra, Ghana until the age of 16. He played football for most of his life in Accra and only knew about basketball because of his uncle’s eagerness for him to take advantage of his height.
His uncle, Lawal Peregrino-Brimah aka Lancaster, is a basketball coach for the Customs Department team.
By chance, Brimah was offered an opportunity to play basketball in the United States starting in his sophomore year of high school.
“If I didn’t have an opportunity to go to America, nobody would know who I was. I would’ve been a regular kid working. A seven footer working in an office,” Brimah says.
After three years of playing basketball at Archbishop Coleman Carroll High School in Miami, Florida, Brimah began his first year of college basketball; playing for the University of Connecticut during the 2013-14 season. That year, Brimah had a team high of 92 blocks during the season and the UConn Huskies won the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball National Championship. He played three more years for the Huskies and finished his career ranked third on the team’s all-time blocked shot list.
After graduating from the University of Connecticut, Brimah entered the NBA draft but ended up going undrafted so that he could have a better choice of the team he would play for. He went to training camp for the San Antonio Spurs and was signed a training camp deal until he was released to the G-League to play for the Austin Spurs. After a winning regular season, Brimah and the Austin Spurs defeated the Raptors 905 in two straight games to win the NBA G-League Championship.
“It was a great ride, we had a great team,” he says. “We took each game at a time and we ended up winning the whole thing.”
Brimah played for the Spurs NBA Summer League team and is now taking time to see family in Accra. Up next, Brimah says he has offers from NBA teams but can’t talk about any specifics.
One year after turning professional, Brimah has big hopes for what he can do to bring basketball to his hometown.
“The kids need an opportunity. Next year I want to come here and just start a camp. Just give these kids some motivation and give them an idea of what basketball actually is,” he says.
“I just want them to a have a personal meeting with me, one on one basis just me coaching them and teaching them so they can have the feel of what basketball is. What they can look up to and what they think they can be.”
By Will Tierney