Eight Nigerian basketballers playing in America’s NBA

By Adedamola Ogunbewon

Nigerian talents continue to shine on the global stage with basketballers either born in Nigeria or of Nigerian descent making waves in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the United States.

From explosive scorers to defensive powerhouses, these players are leaving their mark across the league.

As of the 2024–2025 NBA season, here are eight Nigerian basketball players currently active in the league:

1. Precious Achiuwa:

Precious Achiuwa, born on September 19, 1999, in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, is a basketballer in the NBA and he plays for the New York Knicks.

He attended high school in the United States, where he was a consensus five-star recruit and named a McDonald’s All-American.

Achiuwa was selected with the 20th pick in the 2020 NBA draft by the Miami Heat. On November 25, 2020, Achiuwa signed his rookie scale contract with the Heat.

In the 2024/2025 season, he averaged 6.85 points per game (PPG), 6.00 rebounds per game (RPG), and 1.07 assists per game (APG).

2. Adem Bona:

Adem Bona Okoro (born Ikechukwu Stanley Okoro; 28 March 2003) is a Nigerian-Turkish professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. and was named a McDonald’s All-American in high school.

On 21 July 2024, Bona was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft with the 41st overall pick. He made his NBA debut on October 23, 2024, in a 124-109 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

3. Josh Okogie:

Joshua Aloiye Okogie, born 1 September 1998, is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

He played college basketball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and was selected 20th overall in the 2018 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he spent his first 4 seasons before signing with the Phoenix Suns in 2022.

Okogie immigrated with his family to the United States when he was three years old. The family settled in Snellville, Georgia, where Okogie started playing basketball for Shiloh High School.

4. Charles Bassey:

Charles A. Bassey was born on October 28, 2000 and he is a Nigerian basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

He played college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. He was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2021 NBA draft.

Bassey was born in Lagos, Nigeria, where he played soccer until age 12, standing 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) at the time.

At age 14, Bassey was named most valuable player (MVP) of basketball camp Giants of Africa, a program established by Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri.

At age 14, Bassey stood 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) and moved to the United States to continue his basketball career at St. Anthony Catholic High School, a private school in San Antonio, Texas.

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo was born December 6, 1994, and is a Nigerian-Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

His size, speed, strength, and country of origin have earned him the nickname “Greek Freak”.

He is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time as well as one of the greatest players of all time.

Born and raised in Athens to Nigerian parents, Antetokounmpo began playing basketball for the youth teams of Filathlitikos in Athens.

In 2011, he began playing for the club’s senior team before entering the 2013 NBA draft, where he was selected 15th overall by the Bucks.

In 2016–17, he led the Bucks in all five major statistical categories and became the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season in the top 20 in all five statistics: total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.

He is a two-time MVP award winner and has received nine All-Star selections, he also won the NBA championship in 2021.

6. Gabe Vincent:

Gabriel Nnamdi Vincent (born June 14, 1996) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Nigerian national basketball team.

He played college basketball for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos.

Undrafted out of college, Vincent signed with the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League before joining the Miami Heat on a two-way contract.

With Miami, he reached the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023 before signing with the Lakers.

7. Jonathan Mogbo:

Jonathan Michael Mogbo was born October 29, 2001 and is an American basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

He played college basketball for the Independence CC Pirates, the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Golden Norsemen, the Missouri State Bears and the San Francisco Dons.

Mogbo was raised in Wellington, Florida, by his parents Chuck and Karen Mogbo.

His father is of Nigerian descent and his mother is Jamaican.

Mogbo has two older stepbrothers and one older brother.

On June 27, 2024, Mogbo was selected with the 31st overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 2024 NBA draft and on July 4, he signed with them.

Throughout his rookie season, he has been assigned several times to Raptors 905.

On April 9, 2025, Mogbo recorded his first career triple-double with 17 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 126–96 win over the Charlotte Hornets.

8. Monte Morris:

Monte Morris is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player currently playing as a point guard for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA.

Born on June 27, 1995, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he was raised in Flint, where he attended Flint Beecher High School.

During his high school career, Morris led his team in scoring, assists, and steals for four consecutive years and was honored as Michigan’s Mr. Basketball in 2013.

Over the years, Morris has played for several NBA teams, including the Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, and Minnesota Timberwolves.

In July 2024, he signed a one-year contract with the Phoenix Suns. As of the 2024–25 NBA season, Morris is averaging 5.2 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game, with a field goal percentage of 42.6%.

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