New Orleans Pelicans center Jahlil Okafor has said he will play for the Nigerian men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Completesports.com reports.
Okafor told ESPN’s Marc J. Spears Sunday night about his intentions to dorn the green and white of Nigeria.
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The 22-year-old competed for the U.S. in the past where he won gold medals in the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship, ’12 FIBA U17 World Championships and ’11 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, according to USA Basketball’s official website.
Okafor’s NBA career was derailed by injury after the Philadelphia 76ers selected him third overall out of Duke in 2015. He suffered a season-ending meniscus tear during his rookie year.
The Sixers traded him to the Brooklyn Nets in December 2017, but he only played 26 games for the Nets. Overall in the 2017-18 campaign, Okafor played just 28 games.
Since signing with New Orleans in August 2018 as a free agent, Okafor has averaged 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in 15.8 minutes across 86 games (33 starts). So far this season, he has been limited to 27 games. He is averaging 7.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 15.6 minutes.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Josh Okogie, will join Okafor on Nigeria’s roster.
Tokyo will mark a third consecutive Olympic appearance for the Nigerian men’s basketball team.
By James Agberebi
1 Comment
Maybe the NFF should just take an evening stroll to the NBBF office to go learn how they manage to get these kids in diaspora to dorn our green and white, without much fuss around it.
Its not by eating dinners and taking selfies.