When John Aryang was told he had made Australia’s FIBA U17 World Cup squad, he could barely contain his smile.
“It was exciting. I think as soon as we went into the room with the coaches and they said I made the team. It was just a smile, big grin, ear to ear,” Aryang recalls.
For the 17-year-old, the moment was the reward for years of hard work and the latest chapter in a family built on sacrifice, competition and opportunity. That sense of opportunity runs deep in the Aryang family.
John’s parents Clement and Ariet left Ethiopia in 2002, leaving behind a country affected by civil war in the hope of giving their children a better life in Western Australia.
For Aryang, the significance of that sacrifice was not lost on him.
“If they didn't sacrifice for us, we would just be another family in Africa, just going day by day,” he says.
Reflecting on what his parents gave up, Aryang praises their dedication to move across the world.
“To come to Australia to give us an education and help us be better. It means everything.”
More than two decades later, that sacrifice has helped give rise to a family making its own mark on Australian sport.
Two of his sisters, Sunday and Ruth, both represent the West Coast Fever in the Super Netball League, while Sunday is also an Australian Diamond and Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
For John, having elite athletes in the family means more than having impressive names beside his own. Their experiences at the highest level have given him a blueprint of what it takes to reach the top.
“I think them being such high-level athletes, it just pushes me every day to get better,” says Aryang.
“Them just harping on about all the little things they've done in their upbringing to get to the national level is just helping me along the way.”
His siblings can be credited for fuelling his competitive edge and hunger for success, having taught him to grow and adapt as a competitor.
“Challenging me, taking me down to the courts, bullying me, helping me get better at the game just helped me grow every day.”
That work ethic followed Aryang to the world stage in Türkiye, where he helped the Crocs claim a bronze medal at the FIBA U17 World Cup.
Aryang embraced the opportunity, but becoming a starter was something he hadn’t expected.
“Being a starter was even more of a shock to me because I didn’t think I was going to. I guess I proved my way by coming out there and doing everything I could,” he said.
After finishing third at the FIBA U17 World Cup, the experience has given the young Australian squad a new level of confidence heading into this tournament.
“I think after the World Cup. It shaped us and made a lot of us more confident.”
At the present, Aryang is already onto his second FIBA tournament of 2026, representing the Australian Emus at the FIBA U18 Asia Cup in Ahmedabad, India from August 13-23.
His next step has taken him to Basketball Australia's Centre of Excellence, which will give him the chance to continue his development alongside some of the country’s most promising young players.
It is an opportunity he sees as a chance to work on the parts of his game that still need development.
“It's great. It'll help me with all the little things that I've missed out on growing up. my skills, everything. It'll just prepare me for whatever's next.”
On court, Aryang describes himself as a “slasher that gets to the rim, plays above the rim… dunking the ball, being strong and physical.”
The dunks might be what catch the eye, but Aryang is focused on the parts of his game that don’t always make the highlight reel.
For all the attention that has come with his rise, Aryang’s ambitions remain grounded. When he looks back on his journey, he wants to be remembered for the hard work it took to get there.
“A kid that just worked hard all the way through, from U14’s all the way up to state level to nationals' level, just being that one kid that always tried his hardest.”
