The beauty of basketball is that anyone can learn to play it. Regardless of where you live, you don’t need anything but a ball and a hoop.
Kids all over the globe can put in the work and end up playing at the highest level of the sport.
While soccer and boxing are two of the most popular sports in Nigeria, basketball has gained steam over the last several decades. And the country has produced some elite talent in that time.
Here is a list of NBA players from Nigeria, according to Stathead and official league records.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo – PF/C
- Hakeem Olajuwon – C
- Michael Olowokandi – C
- Josh Okogie – SG
- Precious Achiuwa – PF/C
- Charles Bassey – C/PF
Giannis Antetokounmpo – PF/C
Before fans knew him as the “Greek Freak”, Giannis Antetokounmpo was a young boy selling trinkets to pay the bills.
His family moved from Nigeria to a cramped apartment in Sepolia, and often went days without full meals.
They struggled to make ends meet by selling different products to tourists on the street – sunglasses, watches, trinkets, and handbags.
“I was young. I was selling stuff probably since I could remember, like 6 or 7 years old,” Giannis said in 2018.
“I was always out there helping my mom and dad sell watches, glasses, CDs, DVDs, stuff like that. Whatever we could put our hands on. I did it until I was around 17. But I was just doing it because I had to. There was no other option. If we didn’t sell that night, we wouldn’t have food. Or if we sold, we’d have to think if we’re going to pay the rent or buy some food. It wasn’t easy.”
He didn’t even start playing basketball until he was 13.
Back then, the idea of becoming an NBA star was far-fetched.
Fast forward to today: Giannis is an 8-time NBA All-Star, 2-time MVP, and NBA Finals MVP.
It’s not about where you start, it’s how you finish. Never give up.
Hakeem Olajuwon – C
Hakeem “the Dream” Olajuwon was born in a working-class family in Lagos.
“They taught us to be honest, work hard, respect our elders, and believe in ourselves,” he said.
His last name translates to “always being on top,” but Hakeem didn’t start playing ball until he was 15 years old.
He originally only played handball at Muslim Teachers College before a fellow student asked him to join the school’s basketball team in a local tournament.
After struggling early, Hakeem eventually caught on and ended up becoming one of the greatest players in NBA history.
A 12-time All-Star, 2-time NBA Champion, and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, Olajuwon ditched the expensive Nike shoe deal for one with LA Gear – a line sold in retail outlets like PayLess.
“How can a poor working mother with three boys buy Nikes or Reeboks that cost $120? … She can’t. So kids steal these shoes from stores and from other kids. Sometimes they kill for them.”
Michael Olowokandi – C
Like Hakeem, Michael Olowokandi was born in Lagos as the oldest of five kids.
Unlike Hakeem, he was born to a Nigerian diplomat and relocated to London when he was three.
Olowokandi sprouted up to 6’8″ by the time he was 16 years old, but never touched a basketball until he turned 17.
It’s amazing, then, to think that within three years he landed at University of the Pacific without ever playing a game of organized basketball.
After a year of learning the game and basic basketball terminology, Olowokandi became a star player and guided the team to the 1997 NCAA Tournament.
In 1998, he was selected with the first overall pick of the NBA Draft.
Josh Okogie – SG
Similar to the others on this list, Josh Okogie was born in Lagos but moved to America with his family when he was three.
Raised in the state of Georgia, he was an unranked recruit coming out of high school. But after singing with Georgia Tech, he used his extra motivation to earn a nomination to the ACC All-Freshman Team.
Two years later, he was selected 20th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. The 6’4″ shooting guard has hung around the league for seven seasons now – winning the Suns’ hustle award in 2023.
He also represented the Nigerian national team in the Olympics.
Precious Achiuwa – PF/C
Precious Achiuwa grew up playing soccer in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
But after moving to Queens, New York when he was in eighth grade, he decided to shift his focus to basketball.
The next year, he enrolled at St. Benedict’s Prep, which boasts a long list of notable alums who became professional athletes.
Rated a five-star recruit, he committed to Memphis to play for coach Penny Hardaway in 2019. After a stellar freshman season, he declared for the draft and was picked 20th overall by the Heat.
Since then, he’s played for three different NBA franchises: the Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and New York Knicks.
Charles Bassey – C/PF
At 12 years old, Charles Bassey was already 6’1″. One day in Lagos, he was selling fried chicken on the side of the road when a youth basketball coach pulled up and told him to try the sport.
“I was a young kid, but once I tried basketball I loved the game immediately and wanted to get better,” Bassey said.
“I had never played before. I grew up playing soccer, but once I started basketball I stopped soccer.”
By age 14, he was 6 feet 10 inches tall.
The consensus five-star recruit signed with Western Kentucky before becoming the 53rd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
More NBA players from Nigeria:
- Udoka Azubuike – C
- Adem Bona – C/PF
- Obinna Ekezie – PF/C
- Yinka Dare – C
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo – SF/PF
- Eugene Omoruyi – SF
- Festus Ezeli – C
- Olumide Oyedeji – C
- Solomon Alabi – C
- Chima Moneke – SF
- Peter Aluma – C
- Julius Nwosu – C
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