Daniel Oturu facts for kids
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Oturu with Anadolu Efes in 2024
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| No. 25 – Anadolu Efes | |
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| Personal information | |
| Born | September 20, 1999 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American / Nigerian |
| High school | Cretin-Derham Hall (Saint Paul, Minnesota) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Minnesota (2018–2020) |
| NBA Draft | 2020 / Round: 2 / Pick: 33rd overall |
| Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves | |
| Pro career | 2020–present |
| League | Basketbol Süper Ligi EuroLeague |
| Career history | |
| 2020–2021 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2021–2023 | Windy City Bulls |
| 2021–2022 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2023 | Yukatel Merkezefendi |
| 2023–present | Anadolu Efes |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Akinfayoshe Daniel Oturu (born September 20, 1999) is a professional basketball player. He is from Nigeria and America. Daniel plays for Anadolu Efes in Turkey. This team is part of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) and the EuroLeague. He is currently on loan from Yukatel Merkezefendi. Before turning pro, he played college basketball for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Contents
Daniel Oturu's High School Basketball Journey
Daniel Oturu played basketball for four years at Cretin-Derham Hall High School. This school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He grew a lot during these years, from 6 feet 6 inches to 6 feet 9 inches. He also became very good at moving around the court.
In his final year, Daniel was amazing. He scored 18.8 points and grabbed 11.5 rebounds per game. He also blocked 6.1 shots per game. He became the school's all-time leader in all three areas.
Daniel led his team to win the Class 4A state championship. They beat Apple Valley High School. He scored the winning dunk with only 0.5 seconds left! Even with his great play, he was not picked for the all-tournament team. This was because he received a technical foul for a sportsmanship reason.
He was also invited to play for the World Select team. He represented Nigeria, his parents' home country, at the Nike Hoop Summit. Many colleges wanted him to play for them. He chose to play for Minnesota.
Daniel Oturu's College Basketball Career
Before his first year in college, Daniel Oturu had shoulder surgery. On December 24, 2018, he was named Big Ten freshman of the week. He scored 20 points and got 11 rebounds in a win.
He tied his highest score of 20 points in a game against Rutgers. Even though he played well, he was not named to the Big Ten Freshman Team. This made him want to work even harder.
As a freshman, Daniel averaged 10.8 points per game. He led all Big Ten freshmen in rebounds (7.0 per game). He also led in blocked shots (46) and field goal percentage (55 percent). During the summer, he worked to get stronger.
In his second year, he was named Big Ten player of the week. This was after he scored 21 points and got a career-high 20 rebounds. On January 12, 2020, Daniel scored a career-high 30 points. This was in a big win against Michigan. He played that game even with a shoulder injury.
He was again named Big Ten Player of the Week on January 13. At the end of the season, coaches and media chose him for the Second Team All-Big Ten. He was also named to the All-Defensive Team.
Daniel Oturu's Professional Basketball Journey
Starting in the NBA: Los Angeles Clippers (2020–2021)
Daniel Oturu was chosen as the 33rd pick in the 2020 NBA draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves picked him first. This made him the first player from the University of Minnesota to be drafted since 2004. Soon after, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. On November 28, 2020, the Clippers officially signed Daniel.
Playing for the Windy City Bulls (2021)
On August 16, 2021, Daniel was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. However, they let him go on September 23. A few days later, he signed with the Chicago Bulls, but they also let him go on October 11. Daniel then joined the Windy City Bulls as an affiliate player.
Short Time with the Toronto Raptors (2021–2022)
On December 26, 2021, Daniel Oturu signed a short 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors.
Back to the Windy City Bulls (2022–2023)
After his time with the Raptors, Daniel Oturu returned to the Windy City Bulls. He was reacquired by the NBA G League team on January 3, 2022.
Playing in Turkey: Yukatel Merkezefendi (2023–present)
On July 26, 2023, Daniel Oturu signed a contract to play in Turkey. He joined Yukatel Merkezefendi in the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi.
Loan to Anadolu Efes (2023–present)
On December 4, 2023, Daniel Oturu was loaned to Anadolu Efes. This team also plays in the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). They also play in the EuroLeague, a top European competition.
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance Index Rating |
| Bold | Career high |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | L.A. Clippers | 30 | 0 | 5.4 | .423 | .200 | .750 | 1.6 | .3 | .1 | .2 | 1.8 |
| 2021–22 | Toronto | 3 | 0 | 9.0 | .500 | .000 | .600 | 1.7 | .0 | .0 | .7 | 3.0 |
| Career | 33 | 0 | 5.7 | .431 | .167 | .706 | 1.6 | .3 | .1 | .3 | 1.9 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | L.A. Clippers | 8 | 0 | 1.9 | .400 | .000 | .500 | .5 | — | — | .1 | .6 |
| Career | 8 | 0 | 1.9 | .400 | .000 | .500 | .5 | — | — | .1 | .6 | |
EuroLeague
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Anadolu Efes | 22 | 3 | 15.5 | .684 | — | .585 | 3.9 | .5 | .3 | .9 | 7.2 | 8.8 |
| Career | 22 | 3 | 15.5 | .684 | — | .585 | 3.9 | .5 | .3 | .9 | 7.2 | 8.8 | |
Domestic leagues
| Year | Team | League | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 |  Windy City Bulls |
G League | 29 | 22.2 | .573 | .237 | .570 | 7.0 | .9 | .5 | .5 | 13.3 |
| 2022–23 | Windy City Bulls |
G League | 24 | 17.5 | .612 | .125 | .524 | 5.8 | .5 | .5 | .5 | 11.2 |
| 2023–24 |  M. B. Denizli |
TBSL | 10 | 32.9 | .652 | — | .631 | 9.6 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 20.3 |
| 2023–24 | Anadolu Efes |
TBSL | 21 | 25.7 | .644 | .000 | .631 | 5.8 | 1.5 | .5 | 1.1 | 15.0 |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Minnesota | 35 | 31 | 23.8 | .551 | .500 | .615 | 7.0 | .5 | .5 | 1.3 | 10.8 |
| 2019–20 | Minnesota | 31 | 31 | 33.9 | .563 | .365 | .707 | 11.3 | 1.1 | .5 | 2.5 | 20.1 |
| Career | 66 | 62 | 28.5 | .558 | .370 | .671 | 9.0 | .8 | .5 | 1.8 | 15.2 | |
Daniel Oturu's Personal Life and Family
Both of Daniel Oturu's parents are from Nigeria. His mother, Deborah, is from Ife. His father, Francis, is from Fadeyi, a part of Lagos. Francis used to play table tennis for the Nigerian national team. He moved to the United States because of his table tennis career.
Daniel has an older sister named Eunice. He also has two younger siblings, David and Priscilla.
His mother gave him the middle name Daniel. She thought it was a strong name from the Bible. His first name, Akinfayoshe, comes from the Yoruba words "Akin" (meaning hero) and "fayoshe" (meaning joy and happiness).
Daniel's family is Christian. Both of his parents are ministers. They work at a church called Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Daniel's favorite NBA player was Kobe Bryant. He also looks up to Joel Embiid as a role model.
See also
In Spanish: Daniel Oturu para niños
