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L'Etoile de la Rue
The Star of the Street
In the streets of Dakar, a young basketball player dreams of a future beyond his surroundings. As he navigates the chaos of Senegal’s capital, his eyes remain fixed on one goal: making it to the NBA. Follow Saliou's journey as his dreams take him from the West African coast all the way to the United States of America.
This is the story behind the documentary.
![VOOR_DE_KUNST_BANNER_3_169[1].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6c8fb5_6041b4eff14c4cf98db524b85b1b5d87~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_979,h_515,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/VOOR_DE_KUNST_BANNER_3_169%5B1%5D.png)
I was visiting my father in Dakar. After nearly thirty years in the Netherlands, he returned to Senegal to enjoy his retirement. We stayed in Patte d’Oie, the neighborhood where he once grew up.
Patte d’Oie is home to a special basketball court that has welcomed players like NBA player Tacko Fall. As a hooper myself, it’s almost mandatory to step on that court and play a few pick-up games whenever I get the chance.
During Ramadan, the level of competition usually drops. After all, who’s crazy enough to hoop in the African heat while fasting? Well, kids like me... Having played at the highest level in the Netherlands for over seven years, I brought that experience with me. Together with my team, we managed to string together multiple wins in a row.
Word of our winning streak quickly reached Serigne Saliou Diagne, also known as The Star of the Street. The message was clear: “someone is claiming your court!”
Saliou didn’t take that lightly. He rushed to the court, shoes in hand, determined to defend his turf.
Saliou wasted no time, he called next and stepped onto the court. What followed was a fun but highly competitive match-up. Afterwards, we talked, and to my surprise, he revealed he was just 15 years old. Mind you, I was 22 at the time. The fact that I had struggled against a kid that young only underlined how exceptional Saliou already was.
I could see his potential right away and offered him a few words of encouragement, never imagining our paths would cross again. We didn’t exchange phone numbers or social media, it felt like an accidental connection. But two years later, that moment would turn out to be the start of something much bigger.
Two years later I went back to Senegal. Not just for a few weeks of vacation like I normally do. No, this time I wanted to really experience what life is like when I stay in my fatherland for an extended period of time.
Again, I stayed with my father in Patte d’Oie, and of course I made my mandatory trip to the court for some pick-up games. But after rupturing my achilles the year before, I decided to take it easy.
I was watching a game from the sideline when suddenly the other spectators — and even some of the players — turned their heads toward the entrance of the court. A local star had just pulled up.
A young kid stepped on the court, with a big smile on his face and oozing with confidence. He was dabbing people up, dancing and called ''I got next!'' His energy felt familiar but I couldn't piece it together just yet.
The kid stepped onto the court and the moment he touched the ball, it clicked. It was the 15-year-old kid from two years ago. I couldn’t recall his name, but he had grown; his Senegalese genes were kicking in. Taller, stronger and even a little goatee started to form.
He hadn’t only grown physically; watching the game unfold, it was clear he hadn’t been sitting still. His talent had sharpened, and his bag of skills had expanded dramatically.
After the game, we reconnected and this time we stayed in touch. Over the next few days, we linked up a couple of times. Through Saliou, who reminded me of my younger self, I caught a glimpse of what my life might have been like had I grown up on the other side of my roots.
I asked him if I could make a documentary about him and his life in the neighborhood my father once grew up in. He was more than willing, and over the span of a month we spent 11 days filming together.
Again, life took an unexpected turn. Just four months after filming, I ruptured my other achilles as well. It drained all my motivation to work on… pretty much anything. After rehab, and together with George Booij, we picked things up where we had left off. By then, however, the story had already evolved in unexpected ways.
Saliou, now 18, had moved to the United States a year earlier to chase his NBA dream. It was a testament to his hard work and dedication but above all, to his belief. His unwavering conviction that he is destined for a life of greatness.
No one but Saliou could have imagined that his gift would carry him across the Atlantic Ocean to Columbus, Ohio of all places. At just 17, he found himself a sophomore at Walnut Ridge High, trading the street courts of Dakar for the bright lights of American high school basketball. It was a world away, yet his dream felt closer than ever.
Instead of limiting the story to what we filmed in Senegal, I decided to seize this unique opportunity and travel to the US to document Saliou in his new environment. It was more than a continuation of the project, it was a chance to capture how far his dream had already taken him, and how much further it might still go.
In the following 11 days I got the chance to reconnect with Saliou and see how much he had grown as a basketball player but most importantly as a human being. It was special, being there in the big American gyms. Seeing the dream I once had being lived by the little kid I met four years ago was like looking at my little brother succeed in life.
I got to document his new life, his surroundings (which, to my surprise, were filled with Senegalese influences and familiar faces), friends, coaches, teammates, teachers, the American Dream itself and how a young kid from Dakar was learning to navigate it all.
Together with everything we filmed in Senegal, it added up to more than 70 hours of footage and over 8 hours of interviews. This marks the very first fully independent, in-house We Don’t Care documentary production and it’s now in post-production.
Fill out the contact form and stay up-to-date for further events, the premiere and screenings.
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