The name Gabriel resonates across various fields in South Africa, representing individuals who have made significant contributions in sports, finance, arts, and more. This article explores the diverse profiles of notable figures named Gabriel in South Africa.
Let's delve into the stories of these individuals, highlighting their achievements and impact.
Wenyen Gabriel: A Basketball Star with South Sudanese Roots
Wenyen Gabriel 15 pts 10 rebs 6 blks vs Angola World Cup 2023
Wenyen Makuac Gabriel, born on March 26, 1997, is a South Sudanese-American professional basketball player. He currently plays for Bayern Munich of the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) and the EuroLeague. He was a 5-star prospect in 2016, ranked as high as #14 on ESPN's Top 100, before playing college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Gabriel attended Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, starting in 2014. Prior to that, he played at Trinity High School in Manchester, New Hampshire, for three years. As a senior in 2015-16, he averaged impressive stats: 22.0 points per game, 14.0 rebounds per game, 7.0 blocks per game, and 6.3 assists per game. In October 2015, he committed to the University of Kentucky, choosing it over Maryland, Duke, UConn, and Providence.
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College Career
He made his debut for the Kentucky Wildcats in an exhibition game on October 31, 2016, against Clarion University, contributing nine points, two rebounds, and one assist in 17 minutes off the bench. As a freshman, he played in 38 games, including 23 starts, averaging 4.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17.8 minutes. During his sophomore year, Gabriel became a key figure for Kentucky's success, tallying 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 37 games.
Professional Career
On November 30, 2020, Gabriel signed with the New Orleans Pelicans, where he averaged 11.5 minutes, 3.5 points, 2.69 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks per game in 21 games. On January 29, 2022, he signed a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans again. On March 8, 2024, he signed a 10-day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 16.2 minutes, 3.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks per game in five games.
International Career
Gabriel joined the South Sudan national team in August 2023 and was selected for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. South Sudan made their international debut at the tournament, and Gabriel and the team achieved a historic feat by finishing as the top African nation. He represented the USA Basketball Junior National Select Team at the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit, having become a US citizen in 2017 when his parents became citizens.
PJ Black: A Professional Wrestler's Journey
Wenyen Gabriel 15 pts 10 rebs 6 blks vs Angola World Cup 2023
Phillip Paul Lloyd (born March 3, 1981), known professionally as PJ Black and formerly as Justin Gabriel in WWE, is a South African professional wrestler. He is a second-generation wrestler, trained by his father, and debuted in 1997 at the age of 16.
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Lloyd began his career in the United Kingdom and South Africa. He was the inaugural winner of the WWP World Cruiserweight Championship in World Wrestling Professionals (WWP) as P. J. In 2008, Lloyd signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and was assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), where he won the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship with Kris Logan and the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship.
WWE Career
In February 2010, he competed in the first season of NXT, finishing third, before joining The Nexus on the main roster in June 2010. He joined The Corre in 2011. Teaming regularly with Heath Slater, the duo won the WWE Tag Team Championship three times in 2010 and 2011, which was the apex of Gabriel's success with WWE.
Early Career
Lloyd was originally trained by his father, a promoter and wrestler in South Africa, also known as The Pink Panther. He spent five years in the United Kingdom, training with Frontier Wrestling Alliance. In 2006, he returned to South Africa full-time and to WWP. On November 1, 2007, Black became the promotion's inaugural World Cruiserweight Champion, defeating The Playa. After holding the championship for 13 days, he lost it to Lizzard. Following the loss of the championship, Angel and Logan dissolved as a tag team, with Angel returning to singles competition.
Post-WWE Career
On 25 January 2015, it was announced that Lloyd would be making his first post-WWE appearance for Pro Wrestling Syndicate (PWS) on 31 January as "The Darewolf" P. J. On 6 May 2015, Global Force Wrestling (GFW) announced Black as part of their roster. Black has also competed in Lucha Underground and Ring of Honor (ROH).
Other Notable Gabriels in South Africa
Besides Wenyen Gabriel and PJ Black, several other individuals named Gabriel have made significant contributions in various fields in South Africa:
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- Neville Gabriel: The Executive Director at The Other Foundation. He has extensive experience in development finance, consumer credit, and civil society engagement. He is also the founding Executive Director of the Southern Africa Trust.
- Gabriel Swanepoel: The Country Manager at Mastercard, Southern Africa. He oversees performance, strategic direction, and brand development. Previously, he was the Vice President of Business Integration at Mastercard Southern Africa and consulted at MTN Mobile Money Holdings.
- Gabe: A queer South African filmmaker based between Cape Town and Los Angeles. He has penned feature films for Canada’s Fae Pictures and South Africa’s Nagvlug Films and his TV-writing experience spans Mother City, commissioned by MNET and Yash Raj Films’ The Mandala Murders for Netflix India. In 2021, Gabe made his directorial debut with South Africa’s first gay rom-com commissioned by Showmax.
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