Aduragbemi Omiyale
Nigeria has quietly churned out some of the world’s best basketball talent for nearly four decades.
Some of the nation’s hardcourt claims-to-fame are homegrown while others are connected through family heritage. Either way, Nigeria’s influence on global basketball and the National Basketball Association (NBA), North America’s top tier in the sport, is at an all-time high.
Nigerian Dominance Begins with a Dream
The history of Nigerians in the NBA traces back to one superstar—Hakeem Olajuwon. The mighty seven-footer from Lagos debuted as the league’s first native African with the Houston Rockets in 1984.
Olajuwon started his athletic career as a soccer goalkeeper, eventually transitioning to basketball at the age of 17.
Despite his relative obscurity, he received an invitation to play basketball in the US with the University of Houston Cougars. Olajuwon’s skills rapidly developed in the American college ranks. By his third season with the Cougars, he had earned the nickname Hakeem “The Dream” for a seemingly effortless style of slam dunking. Fans and the basketball press considered him the best amateur player in the nation.
Olajuwon’s call to turn pro was answered when the Houston Rockets chose him with their first pick in the 1984 draft. That year, future NBA Hall-of-Famers Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton were drafted behind Olajuwon.
The Dream spent 17 seasons in the NBA between 1984 and 2002. He was awarded the league MVP in 1994 and led the Rockets to consecutive championships in 1994 and 1995. One of the greatest centres of all time, Olajuwon was enshrined in the NBA Hall-of-Fame in 2008.
Nigerians and sports fans across Africa followed The Dream’s career. He grew basketball’s popularity throughout the continent to new heights.
Naturally, Nigeria was the first country targeted by the NBA when its Basketball Without Borders (BWB) program launched in Africa in 2003. BWB is responsible for cultivating the NBA and FIBA brands while developing international talent.
Today, Nigeria’s impact is felt at the very top of basketball. Take Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, for example. Antetokounmpo was born to a Nigerian family that emigrated to Greece from Lagos. Antetokounmpo looms large as one of the NBA’s brightest stars. He is greatly responsible for fueling Milwaukee’s rise to the top of American NBA betting odds and his team’s push into the playoffs in each of the last four seasons.
Nigeria Celebrated at 2020 NBA Draft
If the signals weren’t already clear, November 28, 2020, proved Nigeria’s influence on the league once and for all. The date marked last year’s NBA draft, an occasion that saw pro teams select eight players of Nigerian heritage.
The Cleveland Cavaliers started the action by selecting Isaac Okoro in the first round with the fifth overall pick. Okoro, a six-foot-six-inch deft ball handler out of Auburn University, was born in the US to Nigerian parents.
Following Okoro, Onyeka Okongwu was chosen by the Atlanta Hawks as the draft’s sixth pick. Okongwu, another US-born prospect of Nigerian heritage, previously played at the University of Southern California.
The Miami Heat plucked University of Memphis standout Precious Achiuwa with the 20th overall pick. He joins four other players of Nigerian heritage on the Heat: Bam Adebayo, Andre Iguodala, Kezie Okpala, and Gabe Vincent.
Zeke Nnaji (22nd overall), Udoka Azubuike (27th overall), and Desmond Bane (30th overall) completed the first round of Nigeria-connected talent. Nnaji went to the Denver Nuggets, Azubuike was picked up by the Utah Jazz, while Bane currently dons a Memphis Grizzlies uniform.
The selections of Achiuwa and Azubuike mark the first time two Nigerian-born players were taken in the first round.
Nigerians selected in the second round included Daniel Oturu (33rd overall, Los Angeles Clippers) and Jordan Nwora (45th overall, Milwaukee Bucks).
Thirty-seven years after Olajuwon opened the door for Africans to enter the NBA, Nigeria’s sway in basketball’s golden league is stronger than ever.
Efforts such as the BWB program are also responsible for Nigerians developing a love for the game. Current US college basketball players such as Efe Abogidi (Washington State) and Abdul Ado (Mississippi State) ensure Nigeria’s influence will be felt for years to come.
