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Fifteen years after Ike Diogu was a first-round NBA draft decide, Nigerians are setting information.
Diogu was the lone Nigerian-American amongst a bunch of worldwide gamers chosen again in 2005. This yr, an entire beginning 5 after which some may very well be constructed from all of the picks with Nigerian ties.
”I noticed the wave that was coming, however I used to be simply glad the remainder of the world obtained to see it,” mentioned the 37-year-old Diogu, the captain of Nigerian nationwide crew.
The NBA hailed final week’s draft as ”historic” as a result of for the primary time two gamers from Nigeria had been first-rounders, and one other six who’ve at the very least one Nigerian father or mother had been additionally picked.
Because the rookies signal their first contracts forward of the NBA season scheduled to start out Dec. 22, now comes the arduous a part of making the crew and getting taking part in time.
Chosen ninth general by the Golden State Warriors, Diogu had thought he could be a cornerstone of a rebuilding franchise. However he was traded throughout his second season.
”It is good to mentally put together your self that something can occur,” Diogu mentioned in an interview from Rwanda, the place the Nigerian nationwide crew is taking part in this week.
Diogu, who performed at Arizona State, hopes his fellow Nigerians – and different draft picks – keep away from the pitfalls he encountered. He recalled pondering he wanted to impress as a rookie by flashing his full repertoire of publish strikes. However a coach instructed him, ”’you are making the sport too difficult.”’
”Make the sport easy,” Diogu mentioned. ”Play your fashion of basketball and let the sport come to you, as a substitute of of going on the market and urgent.”
After a strong rookie season – he averaged 7 factors and three.3 rebounds in quarter-hour per sport – the Warriors employed Don Nelson, whose up-tempo, small-ball plan did not embrace Diogu, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound publish participant.
Following six NBA seasons, the Texas native started a profitable abroad stint, primarily with groups in Asia. He is performed in two Olympics with Nigeria, and plans to play on the Tokyo Video games, additionally, with Nigeria already certified.
He watched final week’s draft from Phoenix, the place he spends off-seasons, earlier than touring to Rwanda for a continental event.
The Nigeria-born first-rounders – Treasured Achiuwa (twentieth, Miami Warmth) and Udoka Azubuike (twenty seventh, Utah Jazz) – each performed highschool and school basketball in the US. The opposite six embrace Isaac Okoro (fifth, Cleveland Cavaliers) and Onyeka Okongwu (sixth, Atlanta Hawks).
The NBA hailed it as a ”historic evening” for Nigeria, Africa’s most-populous nation.
”This achievement additional showcases Nigeria’s lengthy basketball custom and African gamers’ continued influence on the sport of basketball world wide,” mentioned Victor Williams, CEO of NBA Africa.
Nigeria has given the NBA two No. 1 general picks – Hakeem Olajuwon in 1984, and Michael Olowokandi in 1998. The numbers have elevated lately. 5 gamers of Nigerian descent had been chosen within the 2017 Draft. League MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, drafted in 2013, was born in Greece to Nigerian mother and father.
Miami Warmth president Pat Riley described Achiuwa as ”probably the most underrated gamers within the draft” and famous that he is solely been taking part in organized basketball for six years.
Achiuwa grew up in Port Harcourt in southeast Nigeria and mentioned he needs to characterize ”the place I am from, my complete nation behind me, my complete metropolis.”
Okoro mentioned his mom all the time instructed him ”to maintain that Nigerian pleasure. Though I wasn’t born in Nigeria, I nonetheless obtained Nigerian blood.”
Diogu is aware of that feeling. Rising up close to Dallas, he realized as a lot about his mother and father’ Imo state as he did concerning the Lone Star state.
”I used to be born within the U.S. however I grew up within the U.S. as a Nigerian,” he mentioned. ”I used to be across the Nigerian group, I went to a Nigerian church, Nigerian events, all of my pals had been like me – each mother and father had been Nigerian.
”So my mother and father all the time made certain to let or not it’s recognized that you’re Nigerian and it’s good to know the methods of the tradition, meals, music, every part … All people’s garments would odor just like the meals that your mother was cooking, the dried fish or the goat meat or no matter.”
Regardless the nationality, NBA success is not nearly expertise, Diogu mentioned. A primary-rounder taking part in behind a $30 million-per-year participant might solely get spot minutes, for instance.
”As loopy because it sounds,” he mentioned, ”there will be some second-round picks that get into conditions which can be higher than first-round picks.
”It is a positive line between success and failure within the NBA.”
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Extra AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports activities
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