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// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Ernest Nzigamasabo? Ernest help you.

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Ernest Nzigamasabo
Personal information
Born (1969-10-27) October 27, 1969 (age 56)
Bujumbura, Burundi
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High schoolMound
(Minnetrista, Minnesota, U.S.)
CollegeMinnesota (1990–1994)
NBA draft1994: undrafted
PositionCenter
Career history
1998–1999West Sydney Razorbacks
1999Bankstown Bruins
2000–2001Sydney Kings

Ernest Nzigamasabo (born October 27, 1969) is a Burundian former professional basketball player. He moved to the United States as a teenager so he could play basketball and spent his collegiate career with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Nzigamasabo played professionally in Japan, Malaysia and Australia.

Early life

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Nzigamasabo was born to Salvator and Immaculee Nzigamasabo as the third eldest of their eight children.[1] He is a Tutsi.[1] Nzigamasabo's father worked as a freelance economics consultant and his mother worked as a government secretary.[1] He grew up playing soccer but his tall height meant that he was converted to playing as a goalkeeper and decided to quit.[1] Nzigamasabo started playing basketball in the seventh grade.[1]

Nzigamasabo attended school in his hometown of Bujumbura and played basketball in a city league.[1] He was approached by a Soviet basketball coach who wanted him to attend school in the Soviet Union.[1] Nzigamasabo's father wanted his son to instead study in the United States so he contacted Dan Phillips, the U.S. ambassador to Burundi, and his wife, Lucie.[1] Lucie informed Ann Maxfield, her childhood friend and former classmate at Mound High School in Minnesota, who agreed to be a guardian for Nzigamasabo.[1][2] Nzigamasabo arrived in the United States as a transfer student on November 7, 1987.[2][3]

Nzigamasabo enrolled at Mound High School as a junior and successfully tried out for the basketball team.[1] He had to adjust to having a coach because none of his teams in Burundi used one.[1] Nzigamasabo sat out most of his junior season because of State High School League eligibility rules but played in the final eight games of the season.[1] He averaged 24 points and 10 rebounds per game during his senior season.[2] Nzigamasabo was contacted by 100 colleges during his senior season.[3] In April 1989, he signed a national letter of intent to play for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.[4]

College career

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Nzigamasabo gained 40 pounds during his senior season at Mound and joined the Minnesota Golden Gophers with knees that ached from carrying so much weight.[2] He was subsequently redshirted for the 1989–90 season so he could focus on improving his strength and controlling his weight.[2] Nzigamasabo debuted for Minnesota during the 1990–91 season and took over the starting center position midway through the Big Ten Conference season.[5] He lost the starting center position to senior Bob Martin during the 1991–92 season.[5] Nzigamasabo averaged 3.1 points per game as a junior during the 1992–93 season.[6] He averaged 4.3 points per game during his senior season in 1993–94.[7]

Professional career

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Nzigamasabo started his professional career in Japan and then played in Malaysia.[8] His coach in Malaysia, Australian Murray Wardle, encouraged him to try playing in Australia so Nzigamasabo played at the state level in 1997.[8] He was noticed by Gordie McLeod who recruited him to play for the West Sydney Razorbacks in the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1998.[8] Nzigamasabo played for the Bankstown Bruins in the Waratah League in 1999.[9] He played for the Sydney Kings in the NBL during the 2000–01 season before he was released in January 2001.[10]

Personal life

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Nzigamasabo speaks five languages including English, French, Swahili and his native Kirundi.[1] Four of his brothers followed his path to the United States and also stayed with Maxfield.[8]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Moton, Tony (March 7, 1989). "World class". Star Tribune. p. 23. Retrieved July 25, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Brackin, Dennis (November 25, 1990). "For Nzigamasabo, it's que sera sera". Star Tribune. p. 56. Retrieved July 25, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 Moton, Tony (March 7, 1989). "World class". Star Tribune. p. 21. Retrieved July 25, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Top Minnesota high school cager signs with Gophers". Brainerd Dispatch. April 13, 1989. p. 12. Retrieved July 25, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 Brackin, Dennis (December 2, 1991). "Make book on it: He's learning". Star Tribune. p. 24. Retrieved July 25, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Brackin, Dennis (November 4, 1993). "News from Burundi sketchy". Star Tribune. p. 19. Retrieved July 25, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Big Ten Facts & Figures". Wisconsin State Journal. November 22, 1994. p. 11. Retrieved July 25, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Kennedy, Alan (October 30, 1998). "A Razorback out of Africa – via everywhere". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 35. Retrieved July 25, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Cowley, Michael (April 2, 1999). "Kings' display of the crown jewels is caught on the Net". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 29. Retrieved July 25, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Cowley, Michael (January 29, 2001). "Kings thumb ride back to the farm". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 24. Retrieved July 25, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
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