Colombian Basketball Royalty - Tello’s Story - Episode 41

Juan "Tello" Palacios is one of the most accomplished Colombian
athletes in the world. However, chances are, you’ve probably never
heard of him - if you don’t follow basketball. He is one of the
three professional Colombian basketball players in history to make
it to his level. One could say that he put Colombia on the world
map for basketball. Today he plays in the Spanish basketball league
for the Movistar Estudiantes team.

While he was still in his mother’s womb, she moved from Choco to
Medellin to give him a better opportunity at life. When he was 11
years old, his mother met a basketball coach “Angel” on a bus ride
to work. This was a meeting that would change his life forever. At
16 years old he left his mother and went to the US on a high-school
basketball scholarship - not knowing a word of English.

Whether you’re a basketball fan or not, this podcast is without a
doubt one of the most inspiring and thought-provoking episodes
we’ve done to date. We talk about how he got to play in Europe,
work ethic, being black in Colombia, his extended family, giving
back to Medellin, and a whole lot more.