Career
Obinna Ekezie moved to the US when he was 18 years old to continue his education and play high school basketball at Worcester Academy in Massachusetts for two years (1993-1995). [2] A 6'10" 270 lb center, Ekezie was selected with the 37th overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft by the Vancouver Grizzlies after playing with the Maryland Terrapins from 1995–1999. Obinna prepared for college at Worcester Academy, graduating in 1995.
Ekezie played for five NBA teams (1999–2005), and also professionally with Red Star Belgrade (Serbia), Lottomatica Roma (Italy), [3] and Dynamo Moscow. [3] Ekezie was invited to Atlanta Hawks training camp where he was a leading scorer averaging 11.8 points on 48.8 field goal percentage. Ekezie then suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on October 13, 2005, in an exhibition game after landing awkwardly. [4]
Ekezie is the founder of ZeepTravel and Wakanow, online businesses allowing travel services for those going to and from America and Africa.
Gheorghe Dumitru Mureșan, also known as "Ghiță", is a Romanian former professional basketball player. He is arguably the tallest player to have ever played in the NBA, at 7 feet 7 inches (2.31 m).
Tariq Abdul-Wahad is a French basketball coach and former player. As Olivier Saint-Jean, he played college basketball at Michigan and San Jose State. In 1997, the Sacramento Kings selected Saint-Jean in the first round of the NBA draft as the 11th overall pick, and Saint-Jean converted to Islam and changed his name to Tariq Abdul-Wahad. From 1997 to 2003, Abdul-Wahad played in the NBA for the Kings, Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, and Dallas Mavericks. He was the first player to be raised in France and play in the NBA.
Worcester Academy is a private school in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is the oldest school founded in Worcester, Massachusetts, and one of the oldest day-boarding schools in the United States. A coeducational preparatory school, it belongs to the National Association of Independent Schools.
Michael Thomas Bradley is an American former professional basketball player and businessman. He is a 6 ft 10 in, 235 lb (107 kg), power forward/center born in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Arvydas Romas Sabonis is a Lithuanian former professional basketball player and businessman. Recognized as one of the best European players of all time and one of the best big man passers in the history of the game, he won the Euroscar six times and the Mr. Europa Award twice. He played in a variety of leagues, including the Spanish ACB League, and spent seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Playing the center position, Sabonis won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics, in South Korea, for the Soviet Union, and later earned bronze medals at the 1992 Olympic Games and 1996 Olympic Games representing Lithuania. He retired from professional basketball in 2005. Sabonis was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1986 NBA draft, but he did not play his first NBA game until 1995, at the age of 30.
Michael Olowokandi is a Nigerian former professional basketball player. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in London, he played collegiately for the Pacific Tigers in Stockton, California. Nicknamed "The Kandi Man," Olowokandi was selected as the first overall pick of the 1998 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. He played professionally until 2007, when he was forced to retire due to severe hernia and knee injuries.
Luis Felipe López is a Dominican former professional basketball player. He starred as a high school player and for the St. John's Red Storm in college basketball. López played for four seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has played for teams in a half dozen countries, as well as in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) in the U.S. Most recently, he has been a broadcaster with Spanish-language networks. His life story was the subject of an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary entitled The Dominican Dream.
Trajan Shaka Langdon is an American basketball executive and former professional player. He is the current general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) and 211 lb (96 kg) shooting guard, he first gained fame in the U.S. while playing college basketball at Duke University.
Roy James Tarpley was an American professional basketball player. He played the power forward and center positions in the National Basketball Association (NBA), earning an NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1988. In 1995, Tarpley was permanently banned by the NBA due to his drug and alcohol abuse. He played in Europe for Olympiacos, Aris, and Iraklis.
Isaac Edward "Ike" Austin is an American former professional basketball player who played for several different teams in the National Basketball Association between 1991 and 2002. He is the uncle of former Baylor University basketball player Isaiah Austin.
The Nigeria national basketball team represents Nigeria in men's international basketball and it is overseen by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).
Ademola Okulaja was a German professional basketball player. The last team he played for were the Brose Baskets of the Basketball Bundesliga. After his playing career, he became an agent for NBA player Dennis Schröder.
Obinna Julius Nwosu, is a Nigerian former professional basketball player. He played briefly for the American National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs during the 1994–95 NBA season. He also had a career in the Lebanese Basketball League and the Philippine Basketball Association.
Zmago Sagadin is widely considered as the most successful Slovenian and top European basketball coach with 25 championship titles both on a national and international level, recognized 9 times as Slovenian Top Coach of the Year and recipient of many other honorary awards.
Ikenna Nwankwo is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From Houston, Texas, he played college basketball with the UCLA Bruins, winning a national championship in 1995.
Obinna is an Igbo name, or sometimes surname. The name's origin is from the Igbo, located in south eastern Nigeria, and is usually male. Though people from other cultures may bear the name. The direct English translation is, "father's heart". The name also means "Father's throne" depending on the context. This further explains why it's usually a name for the first sons of Igbo families. Notable people with the name include:
Ugonna Nnamdi Onyekwe is a British-Nigerian former professional basketball player. He played professionally from September 2003 through April 2011 before retiring from the sport to enter the business world. Onyekwe played college basketball at the University of Pennsylvania where he became just the fourth Ivy League player ever to be named the Ivy League Player of the Year two times.
Christopher Ewaoche Obekpa is a Nigerian professional basketball player who plays for the ABC Fighters. He played college basketball for St. John's University in Jamaica, New York from 2012 to 2015. As a freshman in 2012–13 he led NCAA Division I in blocks per game with a 4.03 average. After three years at St. John's, Obekpa transferred to UNLV, redshirted 2015–16, but then declared for the 2016 NBA draft. On 23 April 2016, Obekpa hired an agent, which officially prohibited him from finishing his college career.
Jordan Ifeanyi Nwora is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals. He plays internationally for the Nigeria men's national basketball team. Nwora won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 before being traded to the Indiana Pacers in 2023.
