Emeka Okafor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Emeka Okafor

Okafor with the Washington Wizards in 2012
Center / power forward
Personal information
Born	(1982-09-28) September 28, 1982 (age 42) Houston, Texas, U.S.
High school	Bellaire (Bellaire, Texas)
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
College	UConn (2001–2004)
NBA Draft	2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the Charlotte Bobcats
Pro career	2004–2013; 2017–2020
Career history
2004–2009	Charlotte Bobcats
2009–2012	New Orleans Hornets
2012–2013	Washington Wizards
2017–2018	Delaware 87ers
2018	New Orleans Pelicans
2019–2020	Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus
Career highlights and awards
NBA Rookie of the Year (2005) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2005) NCAA champion (2004) NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (2004) NABC Co-Player of the Year (2004) Consensus first-team All-American (2004) Third-team All-American – NABC (2003) 2× NABC Defensive Player of the Year (2003, 2004) Chip Hilton Player of the Year (2004) Pete Newell Big Man Award (2004) Big East Player of the Year (2004) 2× First-team All-Big East (2003, 2004) 2× Big East Defensive Player of the Year (2003, 2004) NCAA blocks leader (2003)
Career NBA statistics
Points	7,370 (12.0 ppg)
Rebounds	5,967 (9.7 rpg)
Blocks	1,003 (1.6 bpg)
Medals Men's Basketball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Bronze 2004 Athens United States

Chukwuemeka Ndubuisi "Emeka" Okafor (born September 28, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. He played as a center or power forward.

Okafor went to Bellaire High School and the University of Connecticut. In 2004, he helped UConn win a national championship. In his first season in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2004–05, Okafor played for the Charlotte Bobcats. He was named the Rookie of the Year.

He later played for the New Orleans Hornets and Washington Wizards. A neck injury caused him to miss four seasons from 2013 to 2017. He returned to play briefly before ending his career.

Early Life and Family Background

Emeka Okafor was born in Houston, Texas. His parents are from Nigeria, making Emeka the first in his family born in the United States. His father, Pius Okafor, is part of the Igbo ethnic group.

When Emeka was young, his family moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma. This was because his father worked for Phillips Petroleum Company, which was based there. In Bartlesville, Emeka's father took him to the YMCA to learn basketball.

High School Basketball Journey

Okafor played basketball at Bellaire High School. In his senior year, he averaged 22 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 blocks per game. His team had a great season, winning 26 games and losing only 5.

One notable game was against Willowridge High School. This game featured five players who would later play in the NCAA Final Four. All five of these players also went on to play in the NBA.

Even though he was a great player, Okafor wasn't widely recruited at first. But by the end of his senior year, top college programs became interested. He chose to accept a scholarship to the University of Connecticut.

College Success at UConn

Okafor in 2004

Emeka Okafor played for Connecticut from 2001 to 2004. He played alongside several future NBA players. He studied finance and graduated with honors in May 2004, finishing in just three years with a high GPA. He was even named the Academic All-American of the Year in 2004.

Okafor was known for his strong defense, especially his shot-blocking. Even with back problems in the 2003–04 season, he led UConn to their second national championship. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament.

That season, Okafor also led the nation in blocks. He was named National Defensive Player of the Year and Big East Player of the Year. He finished his college career as Connecticut's all-time leader in blocked shots with 441. Because of his achievements, Okafor joined the 2004 U.S. National Men's Basketball Team for the Olympics in Athens.

In 2007, he was honored at UConn and became a member of the Husky Ring Of Honor.

Professional Basketball Career

Charlotte Bobcats (2004–2009)

Becoming Rookie of the Year

On April 16, 2004, Okafor decided to enter the 2004 NBA draft, giving up his final year of college eligibility. He was the second player chosen overall in the draft, becoming the very first draft pick for the new Charlotte Bobcats team. The next day, he joined the United States team for the 2004 Summer Olympics, where they won the bronze medal.

His first NBA season (2004–05) was very successful. Okafor had 19 straight games where he scored a double-double (at least 10 points and 10 rebounds). He was also the most popular rookie in fan voting for the NBA All-Star Game. At the end of the season, Okafor won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, beating his former college teammate Ben Gordon.

Okafor tipping-off against Rasheed Wallace

The Bobcats quickly saw Okafor as a key player for their team. He finished his rookie season averaging 15.1 points, 10.9 rebounds (4th in the league), and 1.7 blocks per game.

Dealing with Injuries and Strong Defense

In the 2005 offseason, Okafor gained some weight, which he felt caused him to miss most of the 2005–06 season due to an ankle injury. However, in the games he did play, he still averaged a double-double.

Before the 2006–07 season, he worked with NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon and lost the weight he had gained. This made him feel more energetic. He led the Bobcats in rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentage. In one game against the Los Angeles Lakers, he had 22 points, 25 rebounds, and 4 blocks. He also recorded 10 blocks in a game against the New York Knicks, which was the most ever at Madison Square Garden. He finished the season averaging 14.4 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks.

Consistent Performance and New Contract

Before the 2007–08 season, Okafor turned down a large contract extension but said he wanted to stay with the Bobcats. He continued to average a double-double for his fourth straight season and played in all 82 games for the first time.

In the 2008 offseason, the Bobcats signed Okafor to a six-year, $72 million deal. This was the biggest contract in the team's history. He was happy to stay with the team, now coached by the famous Larry Brown. Okafor played in all 82 games again in the 2008–09 season, averaging a double-double for his fifth straight season. He averaged 13.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game.

New Orleans Hornets (2009–2012)

On July 28, 2009, Okafor was traded to the New Orleans Hornets. In the 2009–10 season, he played in all 82 games for the third season in a row. He just missed averaging a double-double, with 10.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.

In the 2010–11 season, Okafor helped New Orleans reach the playoffs for the first time in his career. The Hornets played against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. Okafor scored 15 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in one game, which were his playoff career highs. The Hornets lost the series.

During the 2011–12 season, Okafor averaged 9.9 points and 7.9 rebounds. He also had a season-high 6 blocks in a game against the Boston Celtics.

Okafor with a headset while playing with the Wizards in 2013

Washington Wizards (2012–2013)

On June 20, 2012, Okafor was traded to the Washington Wizards. He played well with the team and was even nominated for an award that recognizes good teammates.

However, on October 25, 2013, a neck injury was discovered. This injury caused him to miss the entire 2013–14 season and the next three seasons. He was finally cleared to play again on May 30, 2017.

Delaware 87ers (2017–2018)

Okafor during his time with the Delaware 87ers

After his long break due to injury, Okafor signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in September 2017 but was later waived. He then joined the Delaware 87ers in the NBA G League that same month.

Return to New Orleans (2018)

On February 3, 2018, Okafor signed a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans. He played his first NBA game since 2013 two days later. He signed two more contracts with the Pelicans that season. He averaged 4.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1 block in 26 games. He was waived by the Pelicans in September 2018.

He briefly signed with the Philadelphia 76ers again but was waived before the season started. His last NBA game was in the 2018 playoffs with the Pelicans.

Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus (2019–2020)

On November 22, 2019, Okafor joined the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus team in South Korea. He made his debut on December 4, 2019, scoring 11 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Personal Life and Interests

Emeka Okafor's first name, Chukwuemeka, means "God has done well" in the Igbo language. He appeared on the cover of the NCAA March Madness 2005 video game.

Okafor also appeared as himself in the TV shows One Tree Hill and Power Book II: Ghost.

He is a distant cousin of another NBA player, Jahlil Okafor. Emeka has two children with his wife, Ilana Nunn. Ilana's father, Ronnie Nunn, was a famous NBA referee.

See also

In Spanish: Emeka Okafor para niños

• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career blocks leaders
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season blocks leaders
• List of NBA single-game blocks leaders
• U.S. men's basketball team at the 2004 Olympics