'My chances are high': Canberran nears Paris Olympics call-up

The former Canberra Gunners standout is fresh off inking a three-year deal with NBL giants the Sydney Kings, and on Wednesday he was also named in South Sudan's 50-man training camp in June for the Paris Olympics.

It was just a few years ago that Kuol was fresh out of US college, then plugging away in the lower-tier domestic competition, the NBL1.

But since getting his shot with the Cairns Taipans, by 2022 he was the NBL's rookie of the year and has steadily been improving each season to be snapped up by the Kings and on the verge of a possible Olympics appearance.

"For Paris, I've got to earn it. If I'm healthy and in a position to prove myself I think my chances are high to make the Olympic team," Kuol told The Canberra Times.

"And with the Kings, I think it was just meant to be.

"With Kings coach Brian Goorjian I feel I can take another step ... I'm so far from what I'm capable of."

Kuol is proud to have the opportunity to not only represent the country he migrated from with his family at the age of nine, but also the Australian capital city where his basketball journey began.

It was in Canberra that Kuol first picked up a basketball as a young teenager, and the now-27-year-old hasn't looked back.

Kuol said he wants to "build a legacy" with Sydney and is confident his NBL success will be inspirational to friends, family and the rest of the basketball community back in Canberra.

"Canberra and Sydney are right next to each other. I've never won a championship so this is my best chance and I want to take it with both hands," the former Lake Ginninderra College student said.

"If we win here, it's going to be like Canberra winning as well.

"Canberra is where I grew up, where my family is - so it is a special place with a lot of memories. That's where I started my love for basketball, and every chance I get I always go home."

Kuol will benefit from having a familiar face to join at the Kings too, in fellow ACT product, 205-centimetre tall forward, Alex Toohey - unless the 19-year-old declares for the NBA draft in June that is.

"To share the court with him would be amazing for two Canberra locals playing on a big stage," Kuol said.

"It'd be incredible to play with someone as talented as him. His potential is out of this world. I didn't know how good he was until this year."

The Kings are eyeing a much-improved campaign under Goorjian following the sacking of former coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah when Sydney were eliminated by the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL finals play-in qualifier in February.

The 2023 NBL champions set a high standard and Goorjian - who is also the Australian Boomers coach - praised Kuol as one of the team's key pieces to regaining their dominance.

"Bul is one of those players you can build your team around, thanks to his ability on both sides of the ball as a premier three-and-D player," Goorjian said.

"With the group we now have, he's a vital piece in that and has all the tools to be the best defender in the league - as he can lock down multiple positions on the court."