Alaska Sports Hall of Fame

Pindo Drammeh

There were times when Anchorage’s Pindo Drammah doubted his dream of playing professional basketball would ever come true.

But whenever uncertainty crept into his mind, the 6-foot-9 center did what any good shot blocker would do: he swatted it away.

Boosted by obsession, optimism and a network of supporters, the Drammeh never gave up on his hoops dream and turned fantasy into reality after he signed a one-year deal with a pro team in Darmstadt, Germany.

“I didn’t always believe that I could go pro and that’s why I’m super thankful for my close friends and family,” he said. “They believed in me before anyone else did and pushed me to be my absolute best, which led to instilling more self-confidence and belief within myself.”

Drammeh joined Revision Sports International and his agent Ronald Howard set up several tryouts for his client in Germany. Drammeh was told he also piqued the interest of a team in Spain.

“This is truly a dream for me,” he said. “First and foremost, I would not have any of these opportunities or abilities without Allah, and for that I’m very grateful and humbled.”

The city of Darmstadt is located about an hour outside of Frankfurt, where Drammeh participated in tryouts for three different teams.

“I played a couple of games in front of coaches and got to meet other players, which helped me build connections in the Frankfurt leagues,” he said.

The 22-year-old rim protector felt like he played well in front of the Darmstadt coach and had a good feeling the team would sign him.

“He had been talking about how much they needed a big,” he said.

Drammeh is best known for his defensive ability under the basket, where he can best use his nearly 7-foot wingspan to block, change and alter shots. Twice in college he blocked four shots in a game.

“Blocking shots and rebounding has always been a big part of my game,” he said. “But I quickly realized that if I wanted to go pro, my offensive game needed a lot of work so that I could genuinely make an impact on both ends of the floor.”

Drammeh recorded 88 blocked shots in 95 college games.

Drammeh, of Service High fame, played 95 career college games from 2015 to 2020 for three different schools. His first two years were at Sierra College in California, his junior season at Clarke University in Iowa and his senior season at William Jessup University in California.

He shot a high percentage (.517) for his career and recorded 88 blocked shots, nearly one rejection per game. He averaged 3.9 points with a career high of 21 and 3.4 rebounds with a high of 13.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t have the best college career, but that only ended up strengthening my mental toughness,” he said. “I’m determined to persevere and overcome any obstacles thrown my way because that’s what a professional athlete does for the sport he loves.”

Off the court, Drammeh is working toward finishing his psychology and business degrees from William Jessup University.

“I’m actually continuing my education online while I play in Germany,” he said.

Drammeh also plans to explore his new surroundings and soak up the awesome experience of living in a different country.

He doesn’t yet speak German but is eager to learn the language and the local way of life.

“I’m most looking forward to learning about the culture here in Germany, trying the traditional foods and building special friendships with my teammates,” Drammeh said. “Besides basketball, traveling and experiencing different cultures is another huge passion of mine. I’m open to going almost anywhere in the European continent.”