The NBA season is on and the games are coming thick and fast, the Warriors are doing their thing, while King James and his troops are still finding their feet, the Bucks, led by the Greek Freak are the only undefeated team. But guess what, the Greek Freak is connected to Nigeria, his name, Giannis Adetokunbo. With so many NBA players (past and present) with Nigerian origin, one would wonder why we are not doing so well in the sport.
Below is a list of NPA players with Nigerian origin…
- Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon
https://www.instagram.com/p/p4EMmOuMi5/?taken-by=thedr34m
Hakeem Olajuwon was so good in his days that He was referred to as the “The Dream”. The 7 feet tall machine played for Houston Rockets and the Toronto Raptors between 1984 to 2002 winning the NBA championship twice and 21 individual awards. He was elected into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2008. With over 100k followers on Instagram, the Dream Olajuwon is one of the greatest ever.
- Emeka Okafor
https://www.instagram.com/p/XvstUEoK4J/?taken-by=bigmek50
Chukwuemeka Ndubuisi Okafor is another NBA player with Nigerian roots. Emeka was so good in college that he was the second pick in the 2004 NBA draft while also making the 2004 U.S. National Men’s Basketball Team which represented the U.S. at the Olympics in Athens. Emeka featured for 5 NBA teams between 2004 to 2018 winning the NBA Rookie of the year in 2005. Emeka was so prominent He met Obama.
- Festus Ezeli
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkGIWzTFpc1/?taken-by=fezzyfel
Festus Ezeli was a member of the Golden State Warriors team that won the 2015 NBA Championship. The 6.11ft Center is prominent for his blocking ability. Playing alongside Stephen Curry and Kelvin Durant, Festus grew to become one of the most featured foreign players in the Warriors team and He his always repping Naija.
- Al-Farouq Aminu
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Al-Farouq Aminu is a Nigerian Power Forward playing for Portland Trail Blazers. Al-Farouq was drafted into the NBA in 2010, the 8th pick of his set and he has been able to remain relevant in a competitive NBA League. A dive into his social media life will give you a glimpse of his other side.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpfxdMjBWGd/?taken-by=giannis_an34
Born in Athens Greece, Giannis Atetetokounmpo(Adetokunbo) is one of the hottest players in the NBA. The Milwaukee Bucks Power Forward is called the Greek Freak due to his athleticism and ball playing ability. Giannis is a 2 time NBA All-Star(2017, 2018) and He was also judged to be the most improved NBA player in 2017. To celebrate the Halloween holiday, Giannis post this picture on Instagram.
Our boys are balling! (pun intended)