This 2005-born forward from London was selected 48th by the Dallas Mavericks after a sensational collegiate career at Virginia Tech, but his is one of the most interesting stories in this year’s draft class, as he did not touch a basketball before he was 16 years old. Lawal, who attended Lee Academy Prep, averaged 14.5…
Drafted 41st by the Miami Heat but traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he will join two of his former Kentucky teammates, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace, Otega Oweh comes from a Nigerian sports family, as his brother Odafe Oweh is a first-round pick of the Washington Commanders in this year’s NFL draft. Oweh,…
This 6’9” forward from Garland, Texas, was selected 23rd by the Atlanta Hawks and becomes the first St. John’s player to be drafted since Sir’Dominic Pointer in 2015 and the first St. John’s freshman to be chosen in the first round since Moe Harkless was selected 11th overall in 2012. Ejiofor, who enrolled at Kansas…
Raised in Nashua, New Hampshire, by his Nigerian parents, this 19-year-old point guard was chosen 17th by the Oklahoma City Thunder and then traded to the Detroit Pistons, where he will join compatriot Ugonna Onyenso. As a freshman, Okorie was the 2025 ACC Player of the Year and the 2025 ACC Freshman of the Year,…
This 2004-born 2.06 m (6’9”) and 102 kg (225 lb) center was selected 53rd by the Houston Rockets, but was sent to the New York Knicks before being claimed by the Detroit Pistons, where he will join fellow Nigerian rookie Ebuka Okorie. Ugonna Kingsley Onyenso grew up in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, but started playing…
This 2004-born 2.06 m (6’9”) and 107 kg (235 lb) center was selected 46th by the Orlando Magic, but was quickly traded to the Washington Wizards, where he will join rookie AJ Dybantsa. Felix Okpara grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, but started playing basketball only in 2018, when he decided to move to the United…
The 2006-born Ament, a 2.03 m (6’9”) forward from Woodbridge, Virginia, was selected 13th by the Miami Heat, but was immediately shipped to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the blockbuster 2026 draft-day trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Godelive, his mother, is a nurse from Rwanda, where she met Albert, his French teacher father, who had…
AJ Dybantsa is a 2007-born rookie center forward from Boston, Massachusetts. In 2026, he became the first overall pick in the history of the draft, chosen No. 1 by the Washington Wizards, after a prolific collegiate season at Brigham Young University (BYU). Ace, his father, is from the Republic of the Congo and moved to…
Angela Ken Tavares Rojas, professionally known as Angela Ken, is a Filipino social media personality whose rise began with a song that attracted significant attention on TikTok. Born on May 16, 2002, in Cavite, Philippines, Ken’s online popularity eventually opened a path into the country’s wider entertainment industry. Her story reflects the growing connection between…
Ashley Sofia Dansico Smith, popularly known as Fyang, is a Filipino social media personality who became widely known after appearing on the reality television programme Pinoy Big Brother: Gen 11. Born on May 13, 2006, in Metro Manila, Philippines, Fyang represents a different route into entertainment from creators who first become famous through TikTok or…