Galen “Tolu” Smith III has been called a standout on the basketball court and a promising young talent, but to his biggest cheerleader, he remains one thing above all: her beloved son.
Shannel Tapusoa Smith has watched proudly as Tolu, who honed his athletic skills in his hometown of Bay St. Louis, signed an undrafted free-agent deal with the Detroit Pistons. As a unit director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of East Mississippi, Shannel has spent years nurturing the ambitions of young people — especially her own children. Tolu’s brother, Galen Smith Jr., also plays basketball professionally overseas.
“As a mother, I dreamt of my two sons living a healthy and successful life and pursuing their goals of being professional basketball players,” she says. To see them realize those dreams, she adds, “was rewarding to say the least.”
“As a mother, I dreamt of my two sons living a healthy and successful life and pursuing their goals of being professional basketball players. (To see them realize those dreams) was rewarding to say the least.”
MUAMUA LE ATUA
The hardest part of raising an athlete on the rise, Shannel says, was giving him room to make mistakes. She often has invoked a favorite phrase with Tolu and his older brother to keep their priorities in line: “Muamua le atua,” which translates to, “Samoa, God is first.”
She also emphasized kindness in dealings with others — a message that seems to have shaped Tolu.
“He’s a gentle giant, a social butterfly who loves his family,” Shannel says of her 6-foot, 11-inch-tall son. “He is a giver (and) always willing to help others.”
A self-described “country boy at heart,” Tolu has strived to show persistence, patience and poise on and off the court. The 24-year-old started his college basketball career with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers before returning to his home state and joining the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
During a visit to his alma mater, Bay St. Louis-Waveland Middle School, earlier this year, Tolu spoke to the students about adapting and coping with hardship.
“I think that is something that young kids don’t know about yet but will learn,” he said. “I just want to be the guy that tells them if you can overcome these types of adversities, it’ll only be better for you.”
GRIT AND GRATITUDE
Tolu knows better than most that success takes perseverance. After the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft ended, his hard work paid off this summer when his agent called with good news.
“What a blessing it was to hear he had an offer from the Detroit Pistons,” Shannel recalls. “My reaction was tears of joy, (being) overwhelmed with exceeding joy!”
Although Tolu sustained an injury in the last game of the preseason, Shannel says he’s expected to make a full recovery. His plan, she adds, is to perform well in the G League, the NBA’s minor-league organization, and continue pursuing his goal of a contract for next season.
Shannel believes her son’s upbringing has prepared him for the challenges he already has experienced and those still to come.
“I believe with God’s tremendous help, my husband and I have done a great job in raising our sons,” she says. “Being that Tolu was taught (well) and heeded our counsel is the reason he is the individual he is today.”