Brisbane’s Roman Siulepa reveals future as he prepares for Basketball Without Borders event

He is one of Australia’s most gifted and athletic young stars who has spent time in elite rugby and basketball systems but Roman Siulepa has declared which one he will pursue as a career. VIDEO

One of Australia’s brightest and most hyped young basketball prospects has declared his future lies on the court rather than on the rugby field as he prepares to be part of one of the biggest weekends on the NBA calendar.

The 198cm, 110kg high-flying athlete that is Brisbane’s Roman Siulepa was one of three Australians named to compete at the Basketball Without Borders camp at the NBA All-Star weekend in Indiana from Saturday.

The event will be another chance for the 17-year-old to showcase his skills in front of NBA scouts.

Siulepa has been one of the standout juniors in Australian basketball for at least three years after jumping onto the radar with dominant performances in state and national tournaments.

The hype around Siulepa continues to reach new heights, especially after leading Queensland to a silver medal at the National Under-20 Championships earlier this month where he won the Bob Staunton Medal for tournament MVP.

Queensland teenage sensation Roman Siulepa in action at the Under-20 and Ivor Burge National Championships. Picture: Taylor Earnshaw

But while the youngster, who spent time playing in an Emerging Reds rugby development competition and played in the Global 7s on the Gold Coast in December, continued to dominate at the junior basketball level there was speculation he could make a switch to football.

However, despite also preparing to play GPS rugby union for Brisbane State High School this year, Siulepa said his future was “always going to be in basketball”.

“The end goal is basketball for sure,” he said.

“(My focus) is just to keep my options open … this year it’s just about having fun, it’s my last year of school and I guess my last year of being a child and being with my mates and all that, I’m yet to grow up.

“But after school year I’ll lock in and try and pursue basketball at a higher level whether it’s NBL or college.”

Queensland power forward Roman Siulepa will be a key cog for the Under-20 National Championships. Picture: Trent Schwarz

“Every basketball player dreams about the NBA but I don’t want to look forward too much and that approach has worked for me, so for now it’s me continuing to push and try and get into the NBL or college.”

It is believed Siulepa has attracted interest from NBL teams over the past year and it’s only increased since his performances at the national championships in Ballarat.

Siulepa and his family have enlisted the help of NBL veteran and Adelaide 36ers guard Jason Cadee to help him navigate through life as a teenage star with enormous hype.

Jason Cadee of the 36ers. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

“He’s awesome, he knows what he’s talking about, it’s good to have someone to talk to that I can joke around with but also who’ll tell you the truth and guide you as well,” Siulepa said. “He’s been crucial for me and my development inside and outside of basketball.”

Cadee, who was a talented junior himself and spent time at the Australian Institute of Sport before enjoying a career spanning more than 13 years in the NBL, became involved with the Siulepa family after a family friend reached out.

“I think we are seeing a lot get put on younger people these days with decisions that really don’t need to be made at that time but often people feel left behind if they don’t cause some others are,” Cadee said.

Queensland South big man Roman Siulepa in action against NSW Metro at the Under-18 National Championships. Picture: Taylor Earnshaw Photography

“I just basically came in and said leave this, this and this alone and worry about being a kid and playing basketball, sport, school and getting better.

“Anything else if they’re serious they can ring me and explain why it’s necessary now.

“I don’t think I’ve told him anything mind blowing but obviously with my background and family involvement in basketball I’ve seen and heard more than most since I was a kid.

“So I was just able to help him see certain things and understand them better then what he probably would have without me around.

“I also give him the honest truth about things I’ve seen or tournaments he’s played in whether that be good or bad when maybe others are just trying to tell him what they think he wants to hear.”

Cadee also said he believed Siulepa, who has spent time at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, had the chance to be a top tier Australian basketball player.

“Whether that’s the NBA, NBL or Europe I guess we will see,” he said.

“But the physical tools he possesses are elite, his work rate and competitiveness is something that will take him a long way and probably the most exciting part about him is he’s still relatively untapped in so many areas.

“So when he finds whatever program after school I think there will be accelerated growth through being in that environment every day and being coached in a professional or college environment.”

While Siulepa identified his shooting and conditioning as two areas he wants to improve on going forward, his trademark is his brute physicality, athleticism and passion – which has flooded social media throughout his juniors.

A passion and energy he believed sometimes could be misunderstood.

Queensland teenage sensation Roman Siulepa in action at the Under-20 and Ivor Burge National Championships. Picture: Taylor Earnshaw

“Of course the way I go about it can get misunderstood sometimes, I couldn’t care less what happens off the court but on the court we have one job and it’s to win,” he said.

“If that means I have to talk a little bit of crap or just bring the energy then that’s what I’ll do but I think people read too much into it.

“People can go at it, people can swear at each other and some people can even get into a fight but for me personally, when I get off the court, it’s all love, I couldn’t care about what happened on the court.”

His parents, Nadas and Rachel Siulepa, said their main focus was that their son was still enjoying himself and having fun while he’s still young but they were proud of his achievements and how far he has come.

They also said they believed his Samoan heritage helped keep him grounded and hoped Roman could inspire more athletes with that background to reach higher levels of basketball.

As for this weekend’s Basketball Without Borders camp, where Siulepa will compete against the best young talents from around the world, he said he was keen to “rip in”.

“I’m just taking it how it is which is a great opportunity and another chance to showcase my talents globally against some of the best players (in the world),” he said.