Six Nigerians Selected in 2026 NBA Draft

Nigeria had a big moment at the NBA Draft on Thursday. Six players with Nigerian roots were picked at the 2026 draft held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Felix Okpara and Ugonna Onyenso made history as only the second pair of Nigeria-born players drafted in the same year.

The first round got off to a strong start. Ebuka Okorie, who played at Stanford University, was chosen 17th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder. His draft rights will soon go to the Detroit Pistons as part of a trade deal with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Next, Zuby Ejiofor from St John’s University was picked 23rd overall by the Atlanta Hawks. This added to a strong showing for Nigerian players in the first round.

In the second round, Okpara, who is from Nigeria and played at the University of Tennessee, was selected 46th overall by the Orlando Magic. He became known as one of the best shot-blockers in the Southeastern Conference and made the SEC All-Defensive Team in his last season. He ranks second in his school’s history for blocks per game at 1.6 and is one of only four players from Tennessee to record multiple seasons with 50 blocks. Okpara started playing football before switching to basketball just before moving to the US in August 2018.

Otega Oweh, who has Nigerian ties and shone at the University of Kentucky, was chosen 41st overall by the Miami Heat. His rights will also go to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trade.

He led the Wildcats in scoring with 18.6 points per game and in steals with 1.8 per game during his senior season. He scored more points in his first two years at Kentucky than any other player, totaling 1,255 points. Oweh is the brother of Odafe Oweh, who was picked in the first round of the NFL Draft in 2021.

Tobi Lawal, a forward born in London with Nigerian roots, was selected 48th overall by the Dallas Mavericks. He only started playing basketball at 16 after growing up in London but improved quickly after moving to the US. In his senior year at Virginia Tech, he averaged 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game, leading the Hokies in rebounding for the second year in a row.

Onyenso, born in Owerri and trained at the NBA Academy Africa in Saly, Senegal, was the last Nigerian player picked at 53rd overall by the Houston Rockets. His rights will move to the Detroit Pistons through the New York Knicks in a planned trade. He spent three years at the NBA Academy Africa before going to Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut, where he averaged 13.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game while helping the team go unbeaten in 20 games.

He transferred from Kentucky and Kansas State before having a standout senior year at the University of Virginia. He earned spots on the ACC All-Defensive Team and ACC All-Tournament First Team. At just 17, he became the youngest player ever to represent Nigeria’s senior national team. His selection makes him the third graduate from NBA Academy Africa and the 15th overall alumnus from the academy to be drafted.

In total, more than 10 players from Africa or with at least one African parent were picked in the draft. This shows how the continent is gaining more influence in the global basketball scene.