The inspirational story of Hansel Enmanuel, the one-armed D1 college basketball player
Dominican Republic-born Enmanuel only moved to the U.S. three years ago speaking almost no English, and has excelled at his sport despite losing his left arm to an accident aged 6. Discover his story here.
Basketball
Hansel Enmanuel is many things. He's a viral Internet star, a college student, an immigrant to the United States, and a Division I college basketball player.
But, above all those things, Hansel Enmanuel is an inspiration. Why? He's doing all of that – and excelling at his sport – with only one arm.
See, despite standing 6-foot-6 (1.98m), Enmanuel is like no other basketball player even close to playing at the level he currently does.
The native of the Dominican Republic lost his left arm aged 6, and yet has overcome everything in his way to become a potential NBA prospect.
In an interview with the Associated Press in December, even Enmanuel himself said he would not have mapped this path out as a child. "A kid with one arm, it's hard," he admitted. "I didn't know I would be who I am right now."
While Enmanuel has so far spent his college career in the quiet surrounds of sleepy Natchitoches, Louisiana, things could be about to change. And, with that, the attention he already receives could be about to expand big time.
Against the odds
Enmanuel is thriving playing Division I college basketball despite not having the same sense of balance as his teammates – both literally as well as figuratively.
After all, he is someone who moved to the United States not even three years ago, aged 16, speaking almost no English at all.
Yet, having already been through the childhood trauma of losing his arm, that was just another challenge to overcome.
The loss of his left arm was the result of an accident during a game with friends. A wall collapsed while the young Hansel was climbing it, leaving the child's arm trapped and eventually requiring amputation below the shoulder.
"I was thinking like 'What am I going to do now?'," remembered Enmanuel. "'It's over for me.'"
But against the odds, Enmanuel found basketball, and while getting used to his new centre of balance took some time, and many falls and scars, the Dominican adapted to his new hobby.
Accomplished dunker
Tall for his age – 6 feet (1.83m) at 12 – he began going to basketball camps in the U.S. By the time he moved to the country permanently, he was already an accomplished dunker of the ball.
It was in high school, at the Life Christian Academy at Florida, where his Internet fame really took off, and the guard now has over 4 million followers on Instagram and TikTok combined.
His rapid development there was counteracted by lingering doubts about his ability. Not from him, but from college coaches. Rated a three-star recruit out of high school, Enmanuel eventually found himself in Natchitoches at Northwestern State University.
Things were slow to start, and Enmanuel didn't play enough to score until 10 December last year when he grabbed five points against the University of Louisiana Monroe.
In that game, he made a highlight-reel play when he grabbed the rebound off his own missed free throw, dunking the ball to send almost everyone in attendance into raptures.
Everyone except himself. "I was trying to get back to defence," he told AP. "I wasn't trying to (be) excited."
He might be missing an arm, but his work ethic in practices has impressed teammates and coaches.
Enmanuel has refused any special treatment, preferring to be treated the same as his teammates when it comes to team punishments.
Transfer portal
What does the future hold for Enmanuel?
Unlike many of his teammates, Enmanuel has huge endorsement deals, thanks to his Internet fame and reach. His deal with a major sportswear company lasts until the end of the 2025–26 season, for example. Those deals, unsurprisingly, are contingent on him seeing on-court action.
While he didn't get many minutes under coach Corey Gipson at Northwestern State, change is afoot. Gipson left his post at Northwestern earlier in March to take up a vacant head coach role at another university.
Enmanuel looks like he is about to switch up small-town Natchitoches for somewhere else, too. The 19-year-old has formally announced his intention to transfer to a different school next season.
"One important lesson that I have learned in my life as a student-athlete is the value of patience," Enmanuel wrote in a statement shared on his Instagram account.
"Success cannot be achieved overnight, and it is common to experience frustration and disappointment along the way. Sometimes, we may feel entitled to something we desire and have worked hard for, only to realize that we are not ready to receive it at the moment. However, through patience, we can persevere and reach our goals.
"As I enter the transfer portal, I am reminded of the power of patience. I am willing to wait and trust the process, even if it means waiting an entire season to achieve my goals."
A move to a bigger university will bring with it more eyes on him and his play. And that may suit Enmanuel just fine.
"We're going to make it to the NBA," he had confidently told AP. "That's the big goal.
"I can inspire some people and motivate a lot of people. Yeah, I can be a positive."