Kwame to Kwame: Oduro’s culture runs through generations - United Multicultural Stories

Long before Josh Oduro was finishing around the basket at John Cain Arena, he was a kid in America speaking Twi better than he spoke English.

Before coming to the NBL, the Melbourne United import had spent his entire life in the United States. Even so, he has always carried a special connection to a nation close to 8,500 kilometres from his home in Virginia.

This Sunday, Oduro will proudly represent both the United States, his country of birth, and Ghana, his family’s cultural home, at Melbourne United’s annual Multicultural Game.

Ahead of the game, the big man spoke to Melbourne United Media about his Ghanaian heritage, a life-changing trip to his father’s homeland, and the tradition he’s now passing on to his own son.

Growing up, Oduro’s father made sure his son’s development was closely tied to his heritage.

“My dad was born in Kumasi, Ghana. He’s Ashanti, so that was something that was instilled in me from a young age – I was born into it,” Oduro said.

“It was definitely very different growing up in America, because African culture is a lot different from American, and I’m really proud of being both American and Ghanaian.”

Family was at the heart of everything. With 15 aunts and uncles, plus cousins spread between the United States and Ghana, Oduro was never short of company.

“Although it was kind of a transplant culture, I had a lot of family growing up,” he said.

A different way of life

Asked what sets Ghana apart from the US, Oduro starts with family, and then gets to the food pretty quickly.

“In Ghana, they’re much more family oriented,” he said.

“The food is way different. I’m a really big fan of all the different foods, from waakye to jollof, all the different soups and things you can eat with your hands. Then there’s a really big language difference.

“You kind of see it when you’re around it, and it’s something that I love. I love the difference.”

Walking in his father’s footsteps

Sitting just above the equator in West Africa and neighbouring Togo, the home of former United Next Star Ariel Hukporti, Ghana is one of the continent’s most populous nations, with around 35 million people.

Oduro has visited Ghana only once. In 2016 he travelled there and saw his father’s upbringing first-hand.

“I think it’s really cool having family that are continents away. It made for a really big, monumental trip,” he said.

“I got a chance to go see where my dad grew up and see what he did.

“My dad was a farmer. When he was coming up, going through school, he worked on the farm with my grandfather – he was a chicken farmer. He had to walk a mile to get fresh water, they didn’t grow up with AC.

“Seeing where my dad came from, and how hard he had to work to get to where he’s at today, really instilled a lot of values for me.”

A voice from across the world

Oduro only met his grandfather in person once, but distance never stopped them staying close.

“My dad made sure I was in close contact with him all the time,” he said.

“I’d call him and he would talk to me, he’d read me Bible verses. He actually spoke really good English, but he spoke a lot to me in Twi, which is the language of my dad and my grandfather.

“Growing up, I spoke Twi and I didn’t really know English that well.”

Passing it on

Now with a young family of his own, Oduro has made sure his Ghanaian culture is part of it.

“I’d say, number one, my culture has been the biggest influence for me having my own family so young. It was amazing growing up with a really big family,” he explained.

In Ashanti culture, a child’s first name comes from the day of the week they were born.

“My name is Kwame, it’s my middle name now. But then I also have a family name, which is Awuah,” he said.

“My son was born on the same day as me, and so he’s also Kwame Awuah. My dad is Kofi Awuah. My grandfather is Kwame Awuah. We kind of had that lineage coming down already, which is really cool, and now my son is part of it.

“I think it’s really important that all people know where they’re from, and all people can celebrate their heritage, no matter what it is.”

At just two years old, his son has already lived all over the United States and now calls Melbourne home.

“I think it’s really great that my son has seen so much of the world so far,” Oduro said. “Australia’s really diverse, so he gets to meet a lot of different cultures. I think it’s a really awesome thing.”

Celebrating what we share

For Oduro, the Multicultural Game is a chance to celebrate something Australia and America have in common.

“I think it’s a great thing to have as a league and a club,” he said.

“America’s very similar to Australia – very diverse – and being able to take time to celebrate that diversity, and the different types of people in your society, is really important. Not just from a cohesion standpoint, but because we all have a lot to give to each other.

“We all have really cool stories and backgrounds that we should tell. I’m really proud of my background, and I think this is an awesome thing.”

Melbourne United take on the Sydney Kings in the club’s Multicultural Game this Sunday 25 October. Get to John Cain Arena early to enjoy the Multicultural Festival before the game.

Who: Melbourne United vs Sydney Kings
Tip-off: 5pm AEDT, Sunday 25 October, 2026
Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne
Festival: Relocated inside John Cain Arena due to weather forecast

Tickets are available via AXS here. Can’t make it to JCA? Watch live on ESPN via Disney+ or Kayo.

To learn more about the Multicultural Game and the bespoke uniforms the team will be wearing, click here.