Nigeria enjoyed a landmark moment at the 2026 NBA Draft held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, as six players of Nigerian heritage were selected, marking one of the country’s strongest representations in recent memory.
The standout storyline saw Felix Okpara and Ugonna Onyenso become only the second pair of Nigeria-born players ever drafted in the same year, highlighting the growing depth of Nigerian talent in global basketball.
In the first round, Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie, who has Nigerian roots, was selected 17th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder before his rights were moved to the Detroit Pistons in a planned deal involving the Memphis Grizzlies.
Zuby Ejiofor of St John’s University followed shortly after, going 23rd overall to the Atlanta Hawks, rounding out a strong first-round showing for Nigerian-linked prospects.
The second round saw several more selections. Tennessee centre Felix Okpara was picked 46th overall by the Orlando Magic after establishing himself as one of the SEC’s top defensive anchors, finishing his college career ranked second in Tennessee history in blocks per game and earning All-Defensive honours.
Kentucky guard Otega Oweh went 41st overall to the Miami Heat, with his rights later set to be transferred to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He led Kentucky in scoring and steals in his senior year and finished as the programme’s all-time leading scorer across his first two seasons, while also being the brother of NFL first-round pick Odafe Oweh.
Tobi Lawal, a Nigerian-descent forward born in London who played at Virginia Tech, was selected 48th overall by the Dallas Mavericks after a strong senior season where he led his team in rebounding and averaged a double-double near production.
