Ndamukong means "house of spears" in the language of the Ngemba tribe of Cameroon, the small country in Africa where his dad grew up, writes Jeanne Marie Laskass in GQ magazine.
His mom is from Jamaica. His sister, Ngum—"giver of strength, giver of power"—came first, and four years later, Ndamukong, named after his great-grandfather who famously stood seven feet three.
They were different from other kids in middle-class Portland, Oregon.
Their parents, who divorced when the kids were still preschoolers, were strict rulers, demanding way more respect than other parents. Family tradition dictated that the older sibling make something of herself and then turn her attention to the younger, for whom she is responsible. At 29, Ngum is Suh's manager, scheduler, gatekeeper. He does nothing without consulting Ngum. No one gets to him without going through Ngum, who calls herself "my brother's keeper."
