Dreams become reality as NBA Academy Africa Baller and 53rd pick, Ugonna Onyenso, alongside five others, made the Nigerian 2026 NBA Draft class.
Ugonna Onyenso joins the Houston Rockets. Subsequently, he went to the Detroit Pistons, where he will join fellow Nigerian draftee, Okorie, as part of a trade.
The 53rd overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Ugonna Onyenso, who played for the D’tigers at the age of 16 as the youngest ever player. reflects on his basketball journey in a chat with the NBA.
“Being able to set a goal for myself and achieving that goal is an amazing thing. The NBA Academy is one of the reasons I am who I am mentally.”
Ebuka Okorie: Trading Harvard for Stanford and Then The NBA
Before Onyenso, 17-year-old Ebuka Okorie was the first Nigerian off the mark, after getting the nod from the Denver Nuggets. Subsequently, Okorie went to the Detroit Pistons in a direct trade.
Ebuka showed off his basketball journey in his Draft Night fit as the Stanford star traded College for the NBA.
Zuby Ejiofor followed Ebuka as the first round pick in 23, heading to the Atlanta Hawks from St. John’s University.
Nigerian 2026 NBA Draft class: The Second Rounders
Otega Oweh, whose brother, Odafe Oweh, plays for the Washington Commanders in the NFL, was selected in the second round of the NBA Draft with the 41st pick, heading to OKC on a trade from the Miami Heat.
With the No. 46 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic select Tennessee forward Felix Okpara, who moved to the Washington Wizards as part of a second-round deal.
Virginia Tech forward Tobi Lawal went 48th to the Dallas Mavericks to complete the Nigerian selection for the night.
The six selections, two in the first round and four in the second round, mark the second-highest total for Nigerian descent in a single class since nine players made the draft in 2020.
