- Slug: Sports–Kenyan Suns Fans. 740 words.
- 3 photos available.
By Anne-Marie Iemmolo
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – Devoted Phoenix Suns fan Hussein Siro was overcome with emotion when his package – which had traveled over 9,000 miles from Phoenix to Nairobi, Kenya – finally arrived.
Inside the box were a Devin Booker jersey and some Suns graphic tee shirts.
Mike Joseph, a graphic designer from the Valley and creator of the @SunsUniTracker account on X, had connected with Siro earlier in the year and arranged to send the package to Kenya.
“I’m so excited and grateful to this amazing Phoenix Suns community, and I’m privileged and honored to be part of it,” Siro said from Nairobi, where he lives. “It’s like family.”
Siro’s love for the team began in 2011 when his mom, Dolyne Mwango, bought him an oversized black T-shirt with the iconic purple and orange Suns logo printed on the front.
“I fell in love with the cloth. I used to wear it every other day,” Siro said.
Almost a decade later, the 20-year-old Kenyan got his first phone. He was able to begin streaming NBA games online, furthering his love for the Suns and the sport.
When the Suns are tipping off at 7 p.m. (MST) at Footprint Center, Siro wakes up at 5 a.m. (GMT+3) to stream the games.
“People think I’m crazy. They’re like, you wake up to watch people running with the ball in their hand,” Siro said. “It’s more than that.”
Siro’s phone also gave him access to social media platforms like X, formerly Twitter. He created his X account @KenyanSuns_Fan and entered the online world of Suns’ Twitter, which connected him to Joseph and other loyal fans.
One day, Siro sent a message to Joseph explaining his situation. He asked if the graphic designer had any old or used Suns merchandise that he could send.
“He’s (Siro) one of the only Suns fans in Kenya and Nairobi, and he didn’t really have any access to merchandise there,” Joseph said.
After the two spoke, Joseph further understood the young fan’s devotion to the Suns. He never questioned Siro’s honesty or genuineness. Instead, with permission from Siro, Joseph shared his story on social media and received an influx of support from fellow Phoenix fans.
“The Suns’ community is so generous. They just started sending me stuff and items, sending cash to donate to purchase him (Siro) things,” Joseph said.
Due to distance, customs duties and taxes levied by the Kenyan government, sending packages abroad can be complicated and costly. While researching potential solutions, Siro found Kentex Cargo, an air and sea cargo service that ships packages from the United States to Kenya.
Joseph sent the first package, which contained the Booker jersey and other shirts. He divided the rest of the merchandise into multiple smaller packages to mitigate shipping costs.
When Siro opened the package, he immediately threw on the jersey and sent a picture of himself donning purple and orange to Joseph, who posted the photo to X, notifying the community that after months of trying, Siro’s gear had finally arrived.
But it wasn’t just the Suns’ fandom who took notice. Booker, a shooting guard for Phoenix and Siro’s favorite player, reposted the photos to his Instagram story.
“I couldn’t believe it. My phone started blowing up with notifications,” Siro said.
Siro calls Booker an inspiration and admires the Valley hooper for his hard work and dedication to the game. Watching Booker and Suns power forward Kevin Durant compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics was a highlight for him.
“Paris is almost close to our (Kenya) time. They are two hours behind. So it was fantastic,” Siro said.
This season, the Suns are currently 9-5 under the team’s new coach Mike Budenholzer. Siro has continued to watch each game and live tweet his support as Phoenix battles against teams like the Utah Jazz and Brooklyn Nets.
“We have a point guard now in Tyus Jones. We have Jusuf Nurkić, who looks like he has improved,” Siro added.
Siro received his first package over two months ago. Since then, one jersey has turned into a multitude of Suns gear for Siro, from shoes to basketball balls.
Last month, Joseph sent a second package, which included a pair of Nike Book 1 Python sneakers and more Suns shirts, in hopes of it arriving before Christmas.
Siro received the package last Wednesday morning.
“I’m living a dream right now,” Siro said.
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