NBL 2021/22: Hawks star Duop Reath reveals inspiring journey from war-torn South Sudan to Tokyo bronze

He played a part in Aussie basketball history in Tokyo and the back story of Duop Reath is a heartwarming tale of overcoming countless challenges to fulfil basketball dreams.

Duop Reath is sitting in his beachside Wollongong unit – a world away from the war-torn environment he escaped as an eight-year-old in South Sudan.

The Illawarra Hawks big man fled a volatile and dangerous Sudan with his parents for the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya.

Reath spent three years in the camp before migrating to Australia for a better life.

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Duop Reath played an important role in the Boomers’s bronze break through in Tokyo.

“Safety was a very big concern over there in Sudan, but I guess it was just something that you had to learn to live with,” Reath, now 25, reflects.

“In terms of the war stories, my parents don’t really like to talk about the negatives too much.

“I was focused on playing with my friends and other siblings, so I didn’t notice the negatives and you don’t worry about the realities of what was really going on.

“That made life growing up not as tough as it really was, but I remember it being hard and my parents had to do what was best for us and move us elsewhere.”

Amid the chaos of conflict and death, Reath says his family found solace at the refugee camp in Kenya.

“There are different tribes over there, so everyone is separated into different zones just to make the adjustment a little bit easier,” he said.

“You live with other families, and it is like a small community.

“There are people from different areas, cultures, and backgrounds.

“It forces you to grow as a person when you are put in situations like that I think that experience has shaped me as the person I am today.”

Reath believes his tough times have only made him a better person when it comes to dealing with adversity.

He also remembers playing the role of parent with his six younger siblings growing up in Brisbane and Perth while his mother and father were at work.

Reath is impressing in the NBL.

The 2.11m giant loved the Tokyo experience.

There were times when everything became too much for Reath, but through the struggle he could also see the bigger picture.

“I think toughness is something that you can develop through all that hardship you go through,” he said.

“The toughness is something that you need to survive and to be able to get through the challenges I experienced.

“Everyone’s perception of toughness is different, but for me I just think you have to be tough sometimes in life.”

Reath regularly reflects on his challenging youth and the sacrifice his parents, Nyanen and Thomas, made to help him fulfil his dreams of becoming a professional basketballer.

His mother has dedicated endless hours to raising the kids and she now works in a day care centre while his father earns a living at the Perth Casino.

Reath is eternally grateful to them.

“They had to leave their family and everything behind back home to come to Australia to give us a better opportunity,” he said.

“Just to see the toughness they showed and to be able to use them as an example.

“I’d see my dad working throughout the nights and then coming home the next morning to take us to school or mum looking after all us kids.

“She taught me that anything is possible and that is a message I’m going to use for the rest of my life.

“So, anytime I feel like life is too hard, I just remember what my parents did for me.”

The Boomers made history in Tokyo after beating Slovenia in the bronze medal playoff.

BOOMERS JOY

Four months have passed since the Boomers won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics but Reath is still buzzing about the historic achievement.

He has vivid memories of the moment Australia defeated Slovenia to end the six-decade medal drought while he was sitting on the bench watching on.

“I thought it wasn’t real,” Reath said.

“It was like everything that was going on in front of me was like a dream.

“Even some of the guys were asking me, ‘is this really real right now?

“I think the biggest thing for me was seeing the older guys like Patty and Joe, their emotions and the hard work, hardships and foundations built for basketball here in Australia to finally win that medal.

“Seeing them react that way was really inspiring because if you work hard and do everything the right way you will get the rewards.”

Reath’s highlight was passing on his bronze medal to his proud parents in Perth.

“Mum was really emotional,” he said.

“Actually, when she found out I had made the team she was really emotional.

“All of us were emotional though, including me.

“It was an unreal moment, and I was so happy that they were able to share that experience with me.” 

Reath wants to help the Hawks win an NBL championship

PASSION FOR CHESS

When Reath isn’t living and breathing basketball, he likes to unwind with a game of chess.

It is a passion he started at age three before seriously pursuing following countless games during the lunchtime break at school growing up in Perth.

Now Reath can be seen with a chessboard in front of him almost every day.

“It has always been something different from basketball and I feel like you can apply it to life a lot just being a few pieces ahead of people,” he said.

“It has always been interesting for me, and I find it really relaxing.

“You kind of forget about reality and what is going on around you because you are so focused on the game.”

Reath aspires to make the NBA, but first he wants to help the Hawks win an NBL championship.

“If I can work hard and play well and the team does likewise, then everything will work out – that is what life has taught me.”