Omole brothers came, saw and conquered basketball

Brothers, or sisters, aren’t (almost always) simply close, but also knit together. Because the bond that links your true sibling is not only one of blood, but also of mutual respect.

Over the years, we have had intriguing and compelling stories of siblings who have played for the same team, in different sports.

And it’s always entertaining to watch sibling rivalries play out and the script reads even better when two brothers land on the same team.

In 2014, Marcus and Markieff Morris signed the NBA’s first-ever joint contract, inking a combined $52 million (about Sh5.2 billion) deal with the Phoenix Suns at a discount on the understanding that they would be allowed to remain on the same team, long-term.

Marcus was traded to Detroit Pistons six months later, which infuriated both brothers and led to Markieff demanding a trade and getting shipped off to the Washington Wizards.

While having the Morris twins on the same team made for a quirky news angle, their most entertaining moment came during the 2017 National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs when everyone started speculating that they’d switched places.

Closer home, we have had outstanding examples of brothers whose history is epic by any stretch of imagination.

The story of brothers Sam “Big” Omole and Isaac Arina Omole is inspiring in every sense and can go a long way to many more young souls playing the beautiful elite game that is basketball.

The Omoles dominated Kenyan basketball in the 80s, playing together for Kenya Ports Authority and the national team after starting the game of basketball together at a tender age of 12 at St Peter’s Claver Primary School courts.

The two later went separate ways after St Peters, with Sam Omole joining Barclays Eagles while his younger brother Isaac opted to form a new club, the Mau Mau basketball team, before later joining his big brother at again at Barclays Eagles and, later, Kenya Ports Authority where they both work to date. “Our journey to basketball stardom was tough because we were really hated.

“Because people looked at us as coming from well-off families just by the fact that we were among the first black families to live in New Ngara Flats which were the dominated by the goans, making them to refer to us as “wuu wuu” children (that is children from gated estate),” Sam said in this interview which they opted to do jointly at Sam’s residence at the KPA Flats, Manyimbo, on Wednesday.

Makeshift basketballs

According to them, any attempt to join fellow children at basketball court to start learning the game was thwarted by hatred from their peers, thus demoralising them.

Sam said he, therefore, opted to knit makeshift basketballs made of paper waste and covered well with polythene which he continuously shot at a marked spot on the wall of their house as his first step to learn shooting.

“It is while I was in standard seven and my brother in standard six, both of us at Pumwani Primary School, when the late coach Thomas Smarts Olumbo, who happened to be living in the neighborhood at Ngara Estate, held our hands and dragged us to St Peters Clavers basketball court to start coaching us the basketball game,” Sam said, adding that he owes everything basketball wise to the late Olumbo.

While they cannot remember what really inspired them to like the game of basketball, the 57-year-old 6’8 tall assistant superintendent rail-trainer at KPA said the fact that he could touch the back board rim at the St Peter’s courts, which was slightly lower than the required standards, gave him a hope that he could dunk.

And this made him make dunking his trade mark.

“Being the last born in a family of nine, my mother never wanted me to play basketball, especially that I was asthmatic and even initially resisted my move to Mombasa,” the younger Omole, Isaac, who is an assistant administrator procurement department at KPA and who was nicknamed “Iceman” after an American George Gervin who could literally fly on the court, said.

Sam, however, says his serious basketball journey took off in 1979 while a form two student at City High School when Barclays Eagles’ coach, the late Abel Mwangangi, got attracted to his height and work ethic and immediately recruited him into the “Nests” making him quit schooling at form two.

“Coach Mwangangi felt I was too good and could not, therefore, let me complete secondary education and immediately offered me employment as a clerk at Barclays Bank while I played for the Bank team till 1986 when I finally quit to join KPA,” Sam Omole said. His brother Isaac’s story is slightly different.

Attempted military coup

After forming “Mau Mau” while till in form three, they continued to compete in open tournaments until 1982 during the infamous attempted military coup when the entire team was arrested by Kenyan soldiers who were positioned at the then V.O.K along Nairobi/Nakuru Highway while from a tournament in Kisumu.

That literally marked the end of Mau Mau Basketball Club.

“This is a story I don’t like telling in detail, because it gives me bad memories. But just know that we were arrested in the morning of the coup and later released forcing the team to disintegrate after all players went their way,” the 55-year-old younger Omole says. Isaac was then approached by Barclays’ coach to link up with his elder brother at Barclays in 1984 where they played together winning several titles before getting offers to join KPA in 1986.

It was, however, the younger Omole who joined KPA first in October, 1992 when he was approached by KPA player, the late Harry Maina, who later became the KPA women’s head coach. KPA’s men’s team, then coach Fred Ogutu, convinced the elder Omole to quit his job at Barclays and join KPA with an improved offer.

Tendered his resignation

“Big Sam” was very comfortable at Barclays, but when coach Ogutu came with a much better offer, he quietly took leave of duty and travelled to Mombasa to first take up the job before tendering his resignation at Barclays.

“Leaving Barclays caused a lot of tension between the two CEO’s with Barclays boss Mike Mills making a personal call to then KPA Managing Director Philip Okundi inquiring why he had poached me from Barclays but it was too late since I had a better offer at KPA which I could not resist,” he says.

The two are not happy with the current generation of players whom they say have a very bad attitude and only play sports for money.

“During our time, we played for the country and companies, mostly relying only on bread and soda for lunch during national team training camps with no allowances as opposed to the current crop of players who will first demand how much they will be paid before taking to the court,” Sam regrets.

He is particularly not happy that KPA basketball teams have been losing to teams like Ulinzi and Equity Bank, among others, saying that was not possible during their time when KPA teams were in a class of their own. The two says it was unfortunate that they had to quit playing for KPA while still at their peak because of the politics in the playing unit which they did not want to be associated with. While the younger Omole quit the game in 1992, just after returning with the national team from the All Africa Games in Egypt where the team finished third, the best performance by the national team ever after a one month training stint in the USA, “Big Sam” played for another two years before finally quitting in 1994.

“When I was hanging up my boots, I handed over my number 14 shirt to Peter Kiganya (now a US-based coach) whom I remember telling that the number 14s fly high, and I’m happy he did not disappoint me,” Isaac said. Throughout their basketball careers, the two brothers have never fought nor been ejected from the game with a technical fouls but Isaac regrets accidentally stooping his brother Sam who fell awkwardly during a Kecoso Games practice session in Nyeri.

This forced the elder Omole to receive several stitches on the chin before continuing with play.

“One thing which is clear is that we came to KPA with talent. No one could teach us any new skills so the coaches work was simply to organize us,” says.

Gave them employment

Sam who was dubbed “king of elbow” due to his ragged approach to the game which saw him secretly elbow his opponents away from the referees sight, however, says he regrets hitting a Central Bank of Kenya player — whose name he could only remember as Jerry — accidentally knocking his tooth off.

The two are happy that basketball gave them employment at KPA, where they are to date, and helped them climb up the ladder to managerial positions they currently hold.

Even if the government never recognised them for the close to 10 years they played for the national team and made huge contributions to the development of the national game.

Their nephew Robert “Bob” Omole, was also an accomplished basketballer, right from his days at Cardinal  Otunga High School, Mosocho, in Kisii., and later at Barclays Eagles.