Sunday Dech

Sunday Dech (born 1 January 1994) is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player for the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He is a two-time NBL champion with the Perth Wildcats, having won in 2014 and 2019. Dech played NCAA Division II college basketball for the Metro State Roadrunners and Barry Buccaneers. Early life Dech was born in Gambela, Ethiopia, as one of seven children to South Sudanese parents Abraham Dech and Aret Ochala. His family are members of the Anuak tribe. Dech moved from Gambela to Perth, Western Australia, at the age of six when his father was able to secure immigration forms for his family. He participated in a variety of sports growing up – including Australian rules football, soccer and skateboarding – that he credits as helping him to acclimatise to Australian life. Dech began playing basketball at the age of 16. He attended Churchlands Senior High School and graduated in 2012. Basketball career Early years Dech debuted in the State Basketball League (SBL) with the East Perth Eagles in 2013. For the 2013–14 NBL season, he joined the Perth Wildcats as a development player and was a member of the championship-winning team in April 2014. That year, he was named the SBL's Most Improved Player and helped the Eagles win the championship. He then continued on with the Wildcats as a development player in 2014–15 before playing a third season with East Perth in 2015.