Nigeria produced its most significant showing at an NBA Draft in recent memory on Thursday, with six players of Nigerian heritage selected at the 2026 edition held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, led by Felix Okpara and Ugonna Onyenso who became only the second pair of Nigeria-born players to be drafted in the same year.
The first-round picks set the tone early. Ebuka Okorie, a Stanford University product with Nigerian ties, was selected 17th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder, with his draft rights subsequently bound for the Detroit Pistons as part of a planned trade involving the Memphis Grizzlies.
Zuby Ejiofor of St John’s University followed at 23rd overall, chosen by the Atlanta Hawks to complete a strong first-round showing for players of Nigerian heritage.
In the second round, Okpara, who hails from Nigeria and starred at the University of Tennessee, was picked 46th overall by the Orlando Magic. The centre established himself as one of the most dependable shot-blockers in the Southeastern Conference during his time at Tennessee, earning SEC All-Defensive Team honours in his senior season. He ranks second in programme history in blocks per game at 1.6 and is one of only four Tennessee players to record multiple 50-block seasons. Okpara grew up playing football before taking up basketball shortly before relocating to the United States in August 2018.
Otega Oweh, who holds Nigerian ties and starred at the University of Kentucky, went 41st overall to the Miami Heat, with his rights headed to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a planned trade.
The guard led the Wildcats in scoring (18.6 points per game) and steals (1.8 per game) in his senior season and finished with more points across his first two seasons at Kentucky than any player in the programme’s history, accumulating 1,255 points. He is also the brother of Washington Commanders defensive end Odafe Oweh, a first-round NFL Draft pick in 2021.
Tobi Lawal, a London-born forward of Nigerian descent who played his college basketball at Virginia Tech, was taken 48th overall by the Dallas Mavericks. Lawal did not pick up a basketball until he was 16, having grown up in London, but developed rapidly after crossing the Atlantic. He posted 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in his senior season at Virginia Tech, leading the Hokies in rebounding for a second consecutive year.
Onyenso, born in Owerri and a product of NBA Academy Africa in Saly, Senegal, rounded off the Nigerian contingent as the 53rd pick, selected by the Houston Rockets with his rights set to move to the Detroit Pistons via the New York Knicks in a planned trade. The centre spent three years at the NBA Academy Africa before moving to Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut, where he averaged 13.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game as the school went unbeaten in 20 matches.
He transferred through Kentucky and Kansas State before a breakout senior year at the University of Virginia, earning spots on the ACC All-Defensive Team and ACC All-Tournament First Team. At 17, he had become the youngest player ever to represent Nigeria’s senior national team, and his selection makes him the third NBA Academy Africa graduate and 15th NBA Academy alumnus overall to be drafted.
More than 10 players from Africa or with at least one African parent were selected across the full draft, underlining the continent’s growing influence on the global basketball pipeline.
