Crocs on his feet and hoodie on his head, senior criminal justice major Boe Nguidjol sat across from me in the corner of a coffee shop. There’s a mythos that surrounds even college basketball players, for Boe that cloud is thicker than most. He’s a starting forward for Union University’s team, ranking second in total rebounds in the GSC, and oh yeah, he trains with NBA players. Needless to say, I was surprised that a guy whose gone toe to toe with Lebron was shy, a guy with crocs on his feet and a hoodie on his head.
Since his freshmen year of college, Nguidjol has been playing with NBA players through a program in Los Angeles that lets young, talented college players play with the best of the pros.
“It just helps you see where you need to be if you want to become a pro,” Nguidjol said, reflecting on his experiences playing with them. “It shows the work that they put in, like the actual work because I see them in the gym working out too. I don’t just play with them; I workout. Sometimes it’s a lot going on.”
The more Nguidjol talked about basketball, the more alive he became. I get the sense he has a genuine love for his sport.
“Isaiah Thomas,” Nguidjol said without a moment’s hesitation when I asked which player he was most glad to have played with. “You heard of Isaiah Thomas on the Celtics like, yeah, like a superstar. And then he got hurt. And he just basically fell off the map and he’s still working to get back to the NBA.”
To be where Nguidjol is, to get where he wants to go, the NBA, a person needs an incredible work ethic. Nguidjol has that ethic. We all love the underdog, and so does Nguidjol.
“He’s 5’9″ and then he scored 50 on us. It was crazy.” He paused for a second, breaks into a grin and quickly corrects himself. “Not on me though.”
The more we talked, the more the general mythos of being a basketball player faded in my head. We view these players as doing something unattainable. We see Lebron James as doing something that nobody can do, but in reality, the next Lebron could be anyone.
“Your attitude, your attitude becomes very important because they always have like a positive attitude no matter what goes on. It can be the worst day of the year and they’re still going to come out positive and give their best,” Nguidjol said when I asked him what becomes important when playing at a high level. “And that just shows me like I have to do the same because what am I doing for me to be getting frustrated over the little things and stuff like that? So that’s helped me a lot.”
For where Nguidjol is right now, an incredibly talented player with aspirations to join the NBA, his attitude is crucial. What he’s learned from playing with the best is reflected in his effort on the court.
I had the opportunity to watch Nguidjol play early in 2022, and the energy he brought to the game was palpable, even before I interviewed him and knew his mentality. Union was playing some team I don’t remember in an auditorium that was far from packed, but Nguidjol played like he was in Madison Square Garden. That’s his headspace, that’s how he approaches the sport. He leaves it all on the court, playing every game like it’s his last.
“I can just show — tell them — what I’ve experienced. Right? That’s all I can do,” Nguidjol said, commenting on if his training experiences have affected how he acts around his teammates.
Nguidjol is a leader on his team, and as with any good leader, he talks about it with humility.
“I feel like with the leadership stuff, I feel like our team does a really good job of everybody stepping up and taking a role, some type of role. It might not be a big role, given the walk-ons, like you still got a role on the team. But with me, I feel like I became a better leader,” Nguidjol said.
This team dynamic speaks not only to the efforts of Nguidjol but a broader push throughout Union’s entire team. Improvement is fostered in every member of the team through leadership. Boe is a leader on his team, but so is everyone.
Throughout it all, Nguidjol keeps learning and remembering the lessons he’s learned.
“Don’t get frustrated because of the little deeds because it’s a long game,” Nguidjol said, reiterating an early point he made about what separates NBA players from everyone else. “You got to remember that stuff like that doesn’t matter. it’s a long season, stay focused.”
As our conversation came to a close, I asked Nguidjol what his favorite basketball team was.
“The Clippers,” he said, before adding, “I’m from LA. Everybody loves the Lakers. I don’t like that. I like the underdog.”
Nothing is certain, but Nguidjol has the dedication and mentality to make it. Setbacks large or small won’t stop him. After all, if every game is in Madison Square Garden, what’s the point of doing anything but your best?
Photo courtesy of UU Athletics.
