Nigerians have made their presence known in the NBA over the years, producing some of the most talented players to play the game. There are around 19 Nigerian players on current NBA rosters and many more have played in the NBA since the 1946-1957 season. Many sports fans enjoy betting on NBA games and cheering on their favorite players throughout the season. Sportsbooks like Ladbrokes offer free bets to new customers, allowing them to get a feel for the websites before investing any money. Once they’ve placed a bet, basketball enthusiasts tune in to watch their favorite teams battle it out on the court.
The NBA’s relationship with Nigeria dates back to its first Basketball Without Borders outreach program on the African continent in 2003. However, Nigeria was producing top-tier basketball players long before 2003 with the most famous being the number one draft pick in 1984, Hall of Famer, Hakeem Olajuwon. The country of more than 200 million is known for its sporting prowess, producing elite athletes across the spectrum, including football, mixed martial arts, track and field, and boxing. So, it’s not surprising that the NBA made the country an outreach priority, seeking to develop its up-and-coming basketball players.
This article takes a look at some of the best Nigerians to ever play in the NBA.
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem “the dream” Olajuwon is the most successful African basketball player to ever play on an NBA court. Although some expect “the greek freak” Giannis Antetokounmp, whose parents are from Nigeria to possibly surpass him, Antetokounmp has a long way to go before he reaches Olajuwon’s status. The Nigerian ended up as one of the world’s greatest basketball players almost by accident. He started his sports career as a goalkeeper and later played handball. However, standing a towering 7 feet tall, his height attracted the attention of basketball scouts in Nigeria and he was recruited to lay in the country’s National Sports Festival.
After his performance at the festival, he was selected for the country’s junior national team where he caught the attention of an American scout. The scout recommended him to the University of Houston’s basketball coach, which jump-started his basketball career in the US.
During his college career as a Houston Cougar, Olajuwon led his team to the Final Four three times. Although his team lost two consecutive finals in 1983 and 1984, he was named the NCAA Tournament Player of the Year in 1983. It’s exceedingly rare for a player from a losing team to be given this honor, and Olajuwon remains the last player from a losing team to win the honor.
The Houston Rockets drafted him in 1984 as the number one overall pick in the NBA draft. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995 and was named the NBA Finals MVP twice. He was an NBA All-Star 12 times, Defense Player of the Year twice, named to the All-Defensive First Team five times, and the All-NBA First Team six times. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the FBIA Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2021, the NBA recognized Olajuwon as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history as part of its 75th-anniversary celebrations. Few players from any country have had such a lasting impact on the game.
Precious Achiuwa
Like Hakeem Olajuwon, Precious Achiuwa didn’t begin his career in sports as a basketball player. Instead, Achiuwa played soccer in his hometown of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. He didn’t change his focus to basketball until his family moved to the US, where he played high school basketball in the Bronx, New York his freshman year. His talent on the court attracted the attention of Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey’s nationally ranked program, where he played with several NCAA Division I recruits.
He led his school’s team his junior year and was named to the MaxPreps Junior All-American second team. He’d change schools once again his senior year, moving to Montverde Academy in Florida to play with the number one ranked team. He led his team to the GEICO High School Nationals and was named to the USA Today All-USA third team and the MaxPreps All-American fifth team, among other honors.
He was recruited to play college basketball for the University of Memphis Tigers under head coach Penny Hardaway where he was named AAC Player and Freshman of the Year. He entered the NBA draft in 2020 and was selected by the Miami Heat as the 20th overall pick in round one of the draft.
He was traded to the Toronto Raptors in 2021 where he helped his team make it to the first round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers. Although the Raptors fell to the 76ers 4-2 in the series, Achiuwa set career highs in his team’s two wins, scoring 17 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and blocking three shots in the 27 minutes he played coming off the bench. The future is bright for this young NBA player.
Michael Olowokandi
Former professional basketball player Olowokandi is another NBA legend that hails from Nigeria. He was born in Lagos and raised in East Sussex. He played college basketball for the University of Pacific in Stockton, California. The LA Clippers selected him as the number one overall draft pick in 1998. He trained with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the NBA lockout at the beginning of the 1998-1999 season. He spent the first several years of his NBA career with the Clippers before signing with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2003. He ended his career with the Boston Celtics in 2007. During his career, he averaged 8.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.39 blocked shots per game.
Jordan Nwora
Nwora is the only Nigerian on the list who plays for the current NBA Champions, the Milwaukee Bucks. He had an impressive college basketball career, averaging 18 points, and 7.7 rebounds with 44% shooting per game during his junior year at the University of Louisville Cardinals where he was named ACC Player of the Year. He entered the NBA draft in 2020. The Bucks selected him as the 45th pick overall in the second round. This year he’ll seek to have an impact in his position as a small forward as the Bucks seek to win a back-to-back championship in 2022.
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