Who are D’Tigers Players proudly flying the Nigerian flag?
On the night of Saturday, July 10, the Nigerian men’s Basketball team, D’Tigers, had an exhibition match against the number one ranked team in the world, the US men’s basketball team. Many Nigerians did not look forward to the match partly because it was an exhibition match ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and also because Nigeria was at the receiving end of the US’ biggest win. At the 2012 Olympics hosted in London, the US defeated Nigeria, 156-73, in what is officially their biggest win. Thus, the Saturday match seemed more like a mismatch.
This time, it was the US team, and the rest of the world, that were left stunned when Nigeria beat the US team 90-87. Although an exhibition match, what made it even more significant was the fact that it was the first time the US had lost to a team from Africa. Since NBA players started playing for team USA in 1992, they have had 54 wins and 2 losses. The loss to Nigeria made it three. The last time Team USA lost an exhibition game was in 2019 against Australia at the FIBA World Cup.
Nigeria followed this victory with another impressive performance against Argentina on Monday, July 12. The Nigerian team defeated the fourth-ranked team 94-71. By this time, Nigerians and the rest of the world began to take the team seriously. Perhaps this double victory made the Australians more prepared because they defeated the Nigerian team in their last exhibition match ahead of the Olympics.
But the loss has not dampened the spirit of the team nor the interest of Nigerians in their newfound heroes. The team has also returned the love showered on them by raising the Nigerian flag high, promising to give their best at the coming Olympics.
Nigeria’s come a long way with their basketball,” USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said.
The 12-man Nigerian team that is doing the country proud is a peculiar one. Eight of them play in the NBA but one thing they all share in common is their expressive pride for the Nigerian flag.
Jahlil Obika Okafor
Jahlil was born on December 15, 1995, in Fort Smith, Arkansas in the United States. His father, Chukwudi Obika Okafor, also played basketball for the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith while his mother, Dacresha Lanett Benton, played college basketball.
His grandfather, Chicko Okafor, who hailed from Enugu state moved to the United States when he was 20.
When he was nine years old, his mother died after suffering from bronchitis for two weeks. Okafor was at home watching TV with his then 11-year-old sister, Jalen, when his mother went into a bout of coughing. He thought it was a joke because she had a penchant for comedy.
“When I finally realized she wasn’t, I called the ambulance, but it was too late,” he said.
Basketball became a form of therapy for Jahlil to manage the pain of his loss.
“It took my mind off things,” he said. “I really didn’t realize how bad it was until I went back into the house and stuff started coming back into my head.”
He went on to attend the Whitney Young Magnet High School where he distinguished himself and earned the National Player of the Year Award. He was also awarded the tournament MVP at the 2012 FIBA Under-17 World Cup after the USA team won gold. He then led his high school to the 2013 Chicago Public High School League (CPL) city championship.
Okafor played for one year at Duke where he won the NCAA championship, was named a Consensus first-team All-American, USBWA National Freshman of the Year, and ACC Player of the Year in 2015.
He represented the United States in international competitions and has won Gold Medals at the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, 2012 FIBA World U17 Championship, and 2013 FIBA World U19 Championship.
He plays for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA and has committed to represent Nigeria going forward.
Gabe Vincent
Gabe was born Gabriel Nnamdi Vincent on June 14, 1996, in Modesto, California. His mother is from Connecticut while his father is Nigerian. Both his parents have doctorates in psychology.
He attended St Mary’s High School in Stockton. Between 2014 to 2018, he played basketball for UC Santa Barbara and was named to the 2018 Second Team All-Big West.
He told Contemporary Approaches that he started playing football (soccer) at an early age before switching to basketball and then decided to make it his career.
“I played soccer because my dad and brothers played that and then at 11-years-old, I quit and then casually started getting into basketball at the YMCA. Then like in sixth grade, I thought let’s see if this can get me a scholarship. But then in high school, I started to take it more seriously and saw that it could be my career.”
“It took a lot of years of hard work and it was a roller coaster ride. You have to have perseverance and believe in yourself. There are good days and bad days. We all doubt ourselves at times but then we have to snap out of it and say we got this far, so let’s continue the journey and continue to work hard and move forward. Always remember the big picture and not get distracted. It takes a lot of things to go right to get this far, so I’m very grateful that I made it here. ”
It was in high school that he started to consider the prospect of playing for Nigeria. When he got to college, he started reaching out to Nigerian coaches to foster a connection.
“It was a grind, to be honest. It wasn’t easy to make the team. I didn’t necessarily show well early on in the Training Camp process. And then as I continued to play better, as we went to Nigeria, we were able to interact with our people and be back home as we would call it, and it was just an eye-opening experience.”
He had a pre-draft workout with Sacramento King after graduating in 2018, In 2020, he was signed by the Miami Heat.
He has credited his familial relationship with his growth and acknowledged the role his cultural root has played in his mentality.
“There’s the saying, ‘It takes a village to raise a child, and that kind of mindset and mentality, I think with his upbringing, rang very true.
“And the saying is almost very literal, so just taking care of your own and being there for family and obviously all the other pieces of hard work and honesty and integrity and all that comes into play as well.”
Chikezie ‘KZ’ Okpala
Chikezie Okpala was born on April 28, 1999, in Orange County, California to the Martin and Mary Okapala family. According to his father, he started playing basketball when he was 4 but refused to play in a youth league.
His mother who is a nurse, said: “The kids were just carrying the ball without dribbling, or double-dribbling
“He said, ‘If they’re not going to play by the rules, I don’t want to play.’” And he didn’t, that year.”
KZ as he liked to be called, attended Esperanza High School where he was soon recognised as one of the top high school players in California. Due to his exceptional performance, he was named Register’s Orange County boys basketball player of the year for 2017.
Shortly after that he received collegiate offers from Utah Dartmouth and Stamford but ultimately committed to the latter.
At the end of his second year in college, he declared for the 2019 NBA draft.
In July 2019, he was signed by Miami Heat and represents Nigeria at the 2020 Olympics.
Precious Achiuwa
Precious Ezinna Achiuwa was born on September 19, 1999, in Port Harcourt. He started off playing football but switched to basketball when he moved to the US.
He began playing basketball for Our Saviour Lutheran School in The Bronx, New York For his next two years, he attended St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey. He was named to the MaxPreps Junior All-American second team.
He transferred to Montverde Academy and helped his team reach the semifinals at GEICO High School Nationals.
In May 2019, he committed to the University of Memphis where he played for a year. In 2020, he declared for the NBA draft and was signed by the Miami Heat.
The power forward was discovered while playing basketball on the streets in Nigeria.
“Some coaches saw me on the street and recommended basketball,” he said. “That’s how I started. After some months, I started going to the basketball court to watch people play. As soon as I started playing, I found it a fun game.
“Immediately, I think I fell for the game. I took it like the best thing I’ve ever done. I put my whole time into basketball. I think that is one of the things that made me successful.”
After joining the Nigerian junior national team for a tournament, Achiuwa decided that he wanted to pursue a future in the sport.
“When we went to the tournament, I realized this game can open up opportunities, not just to go to school, but to make money with the game
“I think that was one of the first places I had an eye-opener of how this game can help you. That even motivated me more to put everything I have into basketball.”
Alex Nwora, the coach at Erie Community College in Buffalo, established a basketball camp in Nigeria three years later which Achiuwa attended. It was there his talent was spotted.
Nwora said he was convinced that the young boy had the skills to raise his game.
“He was the MVP of my camp. I decided it was time for him to come to the States to work on his basketball skills and use that platform to get an education. It’s worked out for him.”
Since then, he has raised his game and is part of the Nigerian team at the Olympics.
Miye Oni
Olumiye Oni was born on August 4, 1997, to Opeyemi ad Oludotun Oni in Northridge, California. His father, who is an engineer, is also a professor at the University of Phoenix.
Oni started playing basketball at the age of two. At the age of five, he joined the YMCA youth league at the age of five with his older sister
He began playing high school basketball at Viewpoint school. An injury ruled him out for the season. This affected his college recruitment as he did not have any film to show his basketball prowess.
He decided to commit to Division III Williams College, the only school that recruited him including in the BTI AAU Program, which is a basketball club in southern California that prepares student-athletes for top schools.
Matt Kingsey, who is the assistant coach of Yale University, came to scout another player when he saw Oni play. He was convinced by what he saw. Ultimately, Oni was offered a scholarship to Yale.
At Yale, he was named Ivy League player of the year. He was considered a top-50 prospect for the 2019 NBA draft and became the first Ivy League player to be drafted since 1995.
In 2019, Oni was selected as the 58th pick of the 2019 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. His draft rights were traded to the Utah Jazz. He is representing Nigeria at the Olympics.
Josh Okogie
Joshua Aloiye Okogie was born on September 1, 1998, in Lagos. When he was three, his family moved to the United States. The family settled in Snellville in Georgia where Josh began playing basketball at Shiloh High School.
At Georgia Tech, his impressive performance led to him being named to the ACC All-Freshman Team.
The Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Okogie with the 20th overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft.
He represented Nigeria in the 2019 FIBA world cup and is doing the same at the Olympics.
Metu Chimezie
Chimezie Chukwudum Metu was born on March 22, 1997 in Los Angeles. When he was aged six, he and his father moved to Nigeria where he was introduced to football. Every year, he would return to the US to visit his mother.
“Living in the area I did in Nigeria, [I saw] a lot of poverty and people struggling. It kind of pushed me. I didn’t want to be in that situation.”
After six years of living in Nigeria, he returned to the US. There, he attended Lawndale High School where his love for basketball grew. He ultimately committed to the University of Southern California in 2014.
In 2018, Metu was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs with the 49th pick in the 2018 NBA draft. He was later included in the 2018 NBA Summer League roster of the San Antonio Spurs. In 202, he signed with the Sacramento Kings.
He is flying the Nigerian flag at the Olympics in Tokyo.
Jordan Nwora
Jordan Ifeanyi Nwora was born on September 9, 1998, in Buffalo, New York to Amy and Alexander Nwora. His father is a basketball coach for the Nigerian team and the Erie Community College. Thus, his father played a huge role in helping him discover and nurture his basketball abilities.
Nwora started playing basketball at Amherst Central High School in the 2013–2014 season. He later transferred to The Park School of Buffalo for two seasons.
In 2018, he joined the Louisville Cardinals and became a permanent starter in the second season. Due to his impressive performance, he was voted second in the player of the year voting.
In 2020, Nwora was selected with the 45th overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2020 NBA draft.
He became the second Nigerian to win the NBA championship after the Bucks defeated Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA final after Hakeem Olajuwon.
Nwora was first called up by D’Tigers for the FIBA world cup qualifiers in 2018 by his father. He is Nigeria’s highest scorer in a single match which was achieved with 36 points in the match against Mali in 2019. This record was held by Chamberlain Oguchi who finished with a game-high 35 points in a 79-73 defeat to France at the 2012 London Olympics.
He described his first appearance for Nigeria as a unique one especially being coached by his dad.
“It’s a new experience playing for my dad. I haven’t had the experience to play under him as my coach. I am happy I got the opportunity to play,” he said.
Obi Emegano
Obi Emegano was born in Lagos, Nigeria on April 29, 1993. He attended Edmond Memorial High School. For college, he attended Western Illinois in 2011 before transferring to Oral Roberts after a year.
He graduated with a degree in psychology after three years in 2016 before signing his first professional contract in Italy with Novipiù Casale Monferrato. He was released after five months and joined Kutno in 2017.
Between 2017 and 2018, he played for Rouen before moving to JDA Dijon in France.
He joined Le Mans Sarthe in 2019 and played for a year before moving to Fuenlabrada in 2020.
He missed out on the 2019 World Cup but will be representing Nigeria in the Olympics.
Caleb Agada
Caleb Apochi Agada was born on August 31, 1994, in Nigeria before moving to Burlington, Ontario. From 2012 to 2017, he played college basketball for the University of Ottawa.
He signed his first professional career with the Spanish side Prat Joventut in the 2017/2018 season before he moved to the Melilla Baloncesto in the 2018–19 season.
He subsequently played for the Canadian side Hamilton Honey Badgers before he signed with Hapoel Be’er Sheva in Israel in 2020.
He is reportedly set to represent the Denver Nuggets in the 2021 Summer League in Las Vegas
He described his journey in Basketball as similar to a lot of others in the sport.
“To be honest, I consider my basketball journey similar to a lot of players, in the sense that I grew up in an impoverished neighbourhood and used basketball at first for fun, but later as an instrument to better mine and my family’s lives.
“My journey is unique in the sense that I was raised by a single mother who prioritized education and was completely against all my basketball aspirations. Despite all the medals and achievements I had received in my throughout my early unprofessional career, my mom only got on board in my last years of university where I had proven to be one of the best players in the country and capable of pursuing basketball professionally.
“My mom’s attempts to suppress basketball was one of my motivating factors and I consider it a significant reason why I am able to play at a high level. Getting my mom on board was the hardest challenge I faced in my basketball journey, I don’t recall anything else being as difficult.”
In 2018, he was called up for the FIBA qualifier. He described it as an experience he would never forget and very proud of.
He said: “Playing for Nigeria in the 2018 World cup qualifiers in Nigeria is one of my greatest accomplishments. I was proud to represent my country and the experience allowed me to confront my curiosities.
“I was born in Nigeria and moved to Canada in 2000 when I was 6. I did return in 2008 but hadn’t returned since then until basketball gave me an opportunity to return 10 years later, expense-free. On the trip, I was able to reconnect with family and old friends and was able to see and understand Nigeria through a much more mature lens. The combination of these things transformed my curiosity into a passion and I began my journey for more knowledge on the identity and struggle of our African descendants.
“The 2018 qualifiers is an experience I will always hold dear, as a great accomplishment and an event that changed my life.”
Ekpe Udoh
Ekpedeme Friday Udoh was born on May 20, 1987, in Edmond, Oklahoma to Alice and Sam Udoh. He had his high school education at Edmond Santa Fe. He played two seasons of college basketball at Michigan between 2006 and 2008 Before transferring to Baylor where he spent a year. In 2010, he declared for the NBA draft.
In 2010, he was signed by the Golden State Warriors. Due to a wrist injury, he was unable to play until December. In 2011, he signed with Bnei Herzliya of Israel and spent one month before returning to the Warriors.
Between 2012 and 2014, he was with Milwaukee Bucks before moving to Los Angeles Clippers for a season.
In 2014, he moved to the Turkish club Fenerbahçe. There, he had a resurgence where he helped his team win the Turkish Cup. Fenerbahçe also reached the final game of the 2016 EuroLeague Final Four but lost to CSKA Moscow. The team however won the Turkish league Championship.
In 2016, he was named the EuroLeague Final Four MVP, after his performance in the Final Four. His high-flying performance drew interest from the NBA and he made a return in 2017 to Utah Jazz. He left in 2019 for Beijing Ducks and in March 2021, joined Beijing Royal Fighters.
In July 2021, he signed a two-year deal with Virtus Bologna. He is one of the players selected to represent Nigeria during the Olympics in Tokyo.
Ike Nwamu
Ikechukwu Nwamu was born on June 3, 1993, in Los Angeles, California. He attended Westchester Country Day High School before moving to Cleveland State for his college education between 2011 and 2012. He spent a season there before moving to Mercer where he spent two seasons. He later transferred to the University of Nevada
He began his professional career in 2016 when he was selected by the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the first round in the 2016 NBA Development League Draft. He ultimately set a then Skyforce franchise record for most three-pointers made in a season with 144 three-point field goals.
In 2018, he joined the Lavrio Megabolt in the Greek Basketball league. He spent a year at Wisconsin Herd and another at Fort Wayne Mad Ants before leaving in 2020.
He moved to Northern Arizona Suns where he had nine 20+ point games in his 20 games. He has also tied the most career 20+ point games off the bench in team history.
Nwamu signed with Samara of the Russian Basketball Super League 1 in March 2021. Within two months, he was named the Import Player of the Year, All-Russian Super League 1 1st Team 2021, and Most Spectacular Player of the Russian Super League 1 despite only playing 14 games.
He is representing Nigeria in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo
