Emmanuel Taban, a 6-foot-7 Kenyan refugee, credits his grandmother and seventh-grade art teacher for pushing him to pursue his basketball dreams. (Photo courtesy of Emmanual Taban)
TEMPE – For Emmanuel Taban, basketball is more than just a game – it’s an escape, a lifeline that has been guided by mentors like his grandmother and his seventh-grade art teacher Wilie Muñoz, whose belief in Taban recently pushed him to take the next step in his journey.
The 6-foot-7 forward, a Kenyan refugee whose grandmother raised him, traveled to the U.S. in the spring of 2004 before moving to Phoenix in 2008. Last weekend, he was one of the many hopefuls who showed up for the Valley Suns’ open tryouts at the Sun Devil Fitness Complex. The new G League affiliate of the Phoenix Suns, the Valley Suns open their inaugural season Nov. 8.
“My seventh-grade art teacher sent me the flyer (for the tryout) and said she would pay the buy-in fee if I wanted to do it,” Taban said of Muñoz. “It’s surreal, I cried when she sent me the message.
“She was one of those people in my life; whenever I was giving up on myself and doubting myself on my journey, she would give me words of motivation to help keep the fire going.”
The spark can be traced back to his grandmother’s decision to migrate from Kenya to the United States, Taban said.
“My grandma was on the verge of retirement. Think about it: You are five to seven years out from retirement, taking life slow and living in the countryside.” Taban said. “She did it; she was willing to make that sacrifice.”
Taban spoke about how his grandmother has aspirations to someday move back to Kenya, and he plans to help make this dream a reality.
“I want to be the one to get her back home,” Taban said. “I know she sacrificed a lot to bring me out here, and I don’t want her sacrifice to go in vain.”
Taban’s first love was soccer, his birth country’s biggest sport. Taban credits his cousin Bullen for helping him find his love for basketball.
Emmanuel Taban’s story began when his grandmother made the life-changing decision to migrate from Kenya to the U.S. (Photo courtesy of Emmanual Taban)
“My favorite memory from Kenya is of my cousin and me. He was the one who got me into basketball,” Taban said.
He made a name for himself in basketball circles at Apollo High School in Glendale, where he earned first-team All-Conference honors and helped the Hawks win three regional championships while achieving a top 100 ranking by his senior year (No. 77).
Taban chose to take his basketball skills to Fullerton over staying home to play for Arizona State, but after the COVID-19 pandemic cut his freshman season short and stops at Portland State and Northern New Mexico, he found himself in Tempe at Sun Devil Fitness Complex for a tryout Saturday with the Valley Suns.
The Valley Suns, the NBA’s newest addition, held tryouts to bolster what the organization hopes will lead to impactful, character-driven players making the team. Hundreds of players from all around the world journeyed to the Sun Devil Fitness Complex, including former five-star recruit Kyree Walker and Arizona native Michael Bibby, who is the son of former NBA player Mike Bibby.
Most important for Valley Suns coach John Little is not the team’s goals but what he wants to instill in the players and the culture of the organization, understanding that players serve as the foundation.
“We’re looking for guys with great character who can be another mold for our team,” said Little, a former coach of the Wisconsin Herd, the G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks, where Suns coach Mike Budenholzer previously coached.
Taban, whose story exemplifies resilience and hard work, debated returning to Northern New Mexico but continues to push for his dream thanks to his teacher.
His impact has been significant for men’s basketball coach Jesus Aragon and the Eagles. In four games during the 2023-24 season, he averaged 12 points and 4.8 rebounds as Northern New Mexico finished 8-12 and fell to Florida College in the 2024 CAC Conference Tournament.
Aragon initially recruited Taban from Portland State due to his clear athleticism on the surface but was pleasantly surprised with the kind of player he found. Taban has one more year of college ability.
“When recruiting Emmanuel, we saw he had a great wing span and good height for his position, but we were not expecting his level of leadership and personality,” Aragon said. “He pushes everyone on and off the court, and we hope to make the conference championship with him for his senior year.”