Nigeria is one country that is blessed with talented basketball stars who have made the country a tough nut to crack in Africa and outside the continent.
Among the talented stars who have made sure the country is a force to reckon with are the likes of Olumide Oyedeji, Ike Diogo, Jordan Nwora, Chimezie Metu, Aminu Al-Farouq, Ike Iroegbu, Talib Zanna amongst others.
And one player who is looking to follow in the footsteps of these stars is 19-year-old fast rising NBA Academy product Efe Abogidi.
Currently a freshman at the Washington State University, Abogidi grew up in Ughelli in Delta State, Nigeria.
Before eventually settling for basketball, Abogidi competed in track and field, including sprinting, long jump and high jump.
In 2015 and 2016, he was voted Most Valuable Player at the Olumide Oyedeji basketball camp in Lagos and joined Hoops and Read, a program created by Oyedeji’s foundation.
Efe Abogidi video: https://fb.watch/49APYxqOPc/
During his time at Hoops and Read, Abogidi played a major role as he helped his team secure promotion into the Nigerian Premier League in 2016.
In 2017 and just 15-years-old, Abogidi made international headlines by dunking from the free throw line at Seed Project’s Hoops Forum.
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Following his impressive performances, in 2017 he was awarded a scholarship to be a part of the NBA Academy Africa which is an elite basketball training center in Saly, Senegal created for the top prospects from throughout Africa and the first of its kind on the continent.
The NBA Academy is an elite basketball development initiative that provides top high school-age prospects from outside the U.S. with a holistic approach to player development.
And the NBA Academy program includes six academies across Australia, China, India, Mexico and Senegal for top male and female prospects from their respective countries and continents.
From the NBA Academy Africa, he proceeded to NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, which is the hub for top prospects from across the league’s academies.
This made Abogidi the first player from Nigeria to join the academy.
While at NBA Academy program, Abogidi developed under world-renowned coaches including former St. Mary’s associate head coach and Australia Men’s National Team assistant coach Marty Clarke.
If properly nurtured, Abogidi can follow in the footsteps of great Nigerians who made their marks in the NBA and one of such names is Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon.
Also, he can help Nigeria compete and win laurels at major tournaments like the World Basketball Championship and the Olympics.
Source: NBA on ESPN
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