Moala Tautua: BIG man, BIG dream

The cliché question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” can produce interesting answers. A princess, doctor, and cowboy are among the many possible answers. When asked that question, the 6-foot-7-inch,  240 pound San Franciscan, Moala Tautua’a never thought his answer would be an international professional basketball player.

Tautua’a played for Chadron for his entire college career and brought many talents to the court for his team. With his charisma and talent, he was a key contributor to the Eagles’ basketball program as a whole. Last season, Tautua’a averaged 13 points per game, and had a field goal shooting percentage of 63.5. He played in every game, and brought more than just points to the court.

“We miss having the inside presence he brought. His passionate leadership was something that helped us tremendously. He gave the game, as well as his teammates, all his love,” redshirt-freshman point guard Justyn Anderson said. Anderson medical redshirted last year, but was still able to see the presence Moala had with the team.

Tautua’a was found by the KL Dragons, a team from the Asean Basketball League (ABL). After graduating, Moala put a video out on YouTube, where scouts from the ABL were able to watch it and decide that they needed his talent. After many conversations and exchange of much information, Tautua’a signed with the KL Dragons and prepared his trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Since then, Tautua’a has been living the life he has always dreamed about.

“I’ve always dreamed of being a professional basketball player, but being an undersized post, my dreams of playing in the NBA were a little far fetched. But, internationally, I did think I could sneak my way into there somewhere… I’m glad I did because I love playing basketball, and now I get to do it as my job,” Tautua’a said.

The ABL is made up of six teams, all located in Southeast Asia. Each team plays the other five teams four times, and then the playoffs start. Instead of having a Monday through Friday office schedule, Tautua’a has a game-by-game schedule. At the moment, Tautua’a is sitting out due to a back injury after being undercutted on a dunk and landing on his back. He has been in recovery mode for a few weeks, but is ecstatic to appear in the games this weekend. Not only have Tautua’a’s skills improved, he’s also learned life lessons. When asked about the difference of cultures, Tautua’a admits to being shocked.

“Yes, definite culture shock. I’m used to talking to everyone; here I kind of just get stared at because I am about two feet taller than most people here,” Tautua’a said.

There are also many different religions in Southeast Asia, which constitute that there are a lot of rules. One example is that walking around without a shirt is illegal, which Tautua’a had to find out the hard way. Another area of culture Tautua’a had to deal with was the language barrier. Fortunately, with Tautua’a’s background, he already knew some Philippine language and has been able to touch up on it.

For a bulky post player, diet is very important, especially with the intense workouts basketball players endure. The change in food options was a challenge that Tautua’a had to overcome, and is now a pretty renowned chef, which he prides himself on.

“I learned how to cook teriyaki chicken, fried chicken, chow mien, and chicken fried rice,” Tautua’a said.

Tautua’a did reveal that the poverty in Southeast Asia is more prevalent than here in America. There is no middle class, or happy medium, “…either everyone is really rich or really poor.” Seeing how fortunate American’s really are is a life lesson that Tuatua’a has really taken to heart.

“I’ve learned that I take a lot for granted living in America. I even appreciate cross walks and stop lights. No one really follows the rules out here, people here could make a two-lane highway four cars wide,” Tautua’a said.

In the words of Evander Holyfield, “It is not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters.” Moala Tautua’a may be a monster of a basketball player, but it’s his heart and determination that keeps him moving forward in the world of basketball.

“I see myself playing as long as the good Lord allows me to. It’s too much fun to let it pass, and it doesn’t feel like work at all,” Tautua’a said.