Nate Ament, a 17 year-old basketball player born to an American father and a Rwandan mother, is continuing to make a name for himself as one of the hottest young talents in the USA.
This year, ESPN ranked Ament as the No. 8 prospect in the U.S. for the class of 2025, placing him among elite young talents like A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Darryn Peterson.
Three months ago, Jonathan Givony, an NBA Draft analyst for ESPN said Ament "looks like one of the best long-term prospects at the USA Basketball U18 training camp."
Ament has already represented the United States at the junior, having been part of the USA Men's U18 National Team which won gold at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup in June.
Standing at 6-foot-9, he plays as a small forward at Colgan High School in Manassas, Virginia, but his size and skillset allow him to be versatile enough to play other positions.
He has been described by American media as a player who "possesses a ton of athleticism, and is a great shooter from deep."
Times Sport had the opportunity to speak with Nate and his family--his father, Alfred Ament, and his mother, Godlieve Mukankuranga--about his basketball journey, as well as their own story of meeting in Rwanda, a few years after the Genocide against the Tutsi.
Alfred says he first came to Rwanda in 1996 as an intern with Catholic Relief Services, and it is during that time that he crossed paths with Godlieve, who had returned from Italy where she had lived for a number of years.
Born in Kicukiro, Godlieve moved to Italy at a young age, and it is from the European country that she pursued her secondary school studies as well as college, graduating as a nurse. After the genocide, she returned to Rwanda contribute to the country's rebuilding efforts, using her medical skills.
After a couple of years working in Rwanda, Godlieve and Albert relocated to Italy for some time before they eventually settled in Virginia, USA.
Neither of the couple played basketball at a high level, but both have connections to the sport. Alfred says he played casually with other employees of the Catholic Relief Services, while Godlieve has a brother who played along with Albert during that time.
"Basketball was my sport. We played on weekends in a team called Amahoro, often against the RPF army team," he recalls.
Now, the two are now focused on supporting their son Nate who looks not only poised to go professional, but also have a place among elite basketballers.
Initially a soccer player, Ament says he switched to basketball around the age of 10 or 11 when he began to grow very tall. He started training and playing, and moved to schools that gave him more exposure to the game.
The youngster broke out on the national scene in mid-2023 while playing for North Carolina's Team Loaded, earning acclaim for his mobility on the floor, ball skills, tremendous size, and ability to open up defences and big-men away from the basket due to his shooting from deep.
"I didn't do anything crazy; I just worked out," he told Times Sport when asked about his rise to where he is.
One of his proudest moments so far has been winning the gold medal with the USA U18 team.
"It was amazing winning the gold medal. I was very proud of myself. I feel like I represented not only my country but also my family. I had a lot of fun with my teammates, and it was great to see the world," he said.
Currently, Nate says he is focusing on developing both the mental and physical aspects of his game. He pointed out that he is working on being focused, more aggressive, and more aware of his capabilities on the court.
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On the physical side, he is putting efforts into strength and conditioning as basketball skills training.
He credits his success so far to the support given to him by his family, saying they are always in his corner.
"My brother is the one actually who introduced me to my trainer and now drives me to places when I have been out of my license. My brothers are my biggest supporters; my parents are my biggest supporters. They are the kind of reason why I play basketball. I feel like if I did not have them in my corner, there would be no point in playing basketball," he says.
Looking ahead, the youngster says his immediate goal is to finish high school and continue his basketball journey in college.
"For me, the next step is to finish my senior year of high school and then go on to college," he said.
Nate and his family have visited Rwanda in 2018 and 2021.
