Michael Olowokandi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Michael Olowokandi

Olowokandi with the Boston Celtics in 2006
Personal information
Born	(1975-04-03) 3 April 1975 (age 50) Lagos, Nigeria
Listed height	7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
Listed weight	270 lb (122 kg)
Career information
College	Pacific (1995–1998)
NBA Draft	1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers
Pro career	1998–2007
Career history
1998	Kinder Bologna
1999–2003	Los Angeles Clippers
2003–2006	Minnesota Timberwolves
2006–2007	Boston Celtics
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1999) Big West Player of the Year (1998) No. 55 retired by Pacific Tigers
Career NBA statistics
Points	4,135 (8.3 ppg)
Rebounds	3,414 (6.8 rpg)
Blocks	697 (1.4 bpg)

Michael Olowokandi (born 3 April 1975) is a former professional basketball player from Nigeria. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and grew up in London. He played college basketball for the Pacific Tigers in Stockton, California. People sometimes called him "the Kandi Man." In the 1998 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Clippers chose him as the very first player. He played basketball until 2007, when injuries to his knee and other areas made him stop playing.

Early Life and Basketball Start

Michael Olowokandi was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He was the oldest of five children. His father, Ezekiel, worked as a diplomat for Nigeria. When Michael was three years old, his family moved to London, where he spent his childhood. He still holds Nigerian citizenship.

Michael went to Newlands Manor School in Seaford, East Sussex. There, he was very good at sports. He set records in long jump and triple jump for his age group in Britain. He also played football (soccer) as a center midfield player. Michael was already 6 feet 8 inches tall by the time he was 16. He grew six inches in just two years! He first touched a basketball when he was 17 and started playing the sport at 18.

College Basketball Journey

On his 20th birthday, April 3, 1995, Michael Olowokandi opened a guide to American colleges. He randomly landed on the University of the Pacific (UOP). Michael called the UOP basketball office, hoping to play for the Pacific Tigers. The assistant coach, Tony Marcopulos, was amazed when Michael told him he was 7 feet 1 inch tall!

Michael learned that UOP had no more basketball scholarships. So, he offered to pay for his own schooling for two years. He also called other big universities like Georgetown University and Duke University. But they told him they couldn't offer scholarships without seeing him play first.

Michael and Coach Marcopulos worked hard to get his school credits transferred. They also made sure he met the rules for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It was decided that Michael could play college basketball for three more seasons. When Michael arrived in the United States in August 1995, he had never played organized basketball. He also hadn't met the UOP coaches. The head coach, Bob Thomason, even joked that if Michael wasn't 7 feet tall, he would send him back home!

When Michael started, he didn't understand basketball terms. He was also not in great physical shape. In his first games, he often made mistakes like backcourt violations. But he kept working hard and practiced a lot. He became a star player for the team in his junior year. He led the team with 12.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.

Michael helped his team reach the NCAA Tournament in 1997. As a senior, he led the Tigers to the 1998 National Invitation Tournament. In his senior year, he averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game. He was named the Big West Player of the Year for the 1997–98 season. The Associated Press also named him an Honorable Mention All-American in 1998. Michael graduated from Pacific with a degree in Economics. In 1998, the university honored him by retiring his No. 55 jersey.

Professional Basketball Career

Los Angeles Clippers (1998–2003)

Michael Olowokandi was seen as one of the top two players for the 1998 NBA draft. This was because he had a very long wingspan (7 feet 6 inches) and a lot of potential. He did very well in the NBA pre-draft events. He showed great quickness, speed, and strength. He even set records in some workouts, like for medicine ball dunks. He also ran the 40-yard dash in a very fast 4.55 seconds. Other NBA players noticed his quick feet.

The Los Angeles Clippers chose Michael as the first overall pick in the draft. Later in the same draft, future Hall of Fame players like Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, and Vince Carter were chosen. The Clippers had first thought about drafting Mike Bibby. But they decided on Michael because of his hard work and how much he improved.

The start of the 1998–99 NBA season was delayed because of a player lockout. During this time, the Clippers could not contact Michael. His agent, Bill Duffy, helped Michael train with basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Michael then signed with an Italian team, Kinder Bologna, in January 1999. This was just two days before the lockout ended. He played a few games in Italy. Bologna let him leave early to join the Clippers.

Michael signed with the Clippers on January 29, 1999. In his first season, he played 45 games. He averaged 8.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. In May 1999, Michael had surgery on his left knee. This was the first of several knee surgeries he would have.

In the 2001–02 season, Michael played the most minutes of his career. He averaged 11.1 points and 8.8 rebounds. He received coaching from Clippers assistant coach Igor Kokoskov. Michael got more playing time when another player, Elton Brand, was injured. Michael became a key player for the Clippers. He averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds in the last 20 games of that season.

Michael re-signed with the Clippers in September 2002. He hurt his left knee during his training that offseason. This caused him to miss most of the preseason games. His knee injury got worse in January 2003, and he had surgery in February. The Clippers later said he would miss the rest of that season.

Over five seasons with the Clippers, Michael played 323 games. He averaged 9.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2003–2006)

Olowokandi with the Timberwolves in 2005

Due to money issues with the L.A. Clippers, Michael Olowokandi signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He signed a three-year contract for $16.2 million. He was considered a valuable free agent that offseason. The Timberwolves general manager, Kevin McHale, worked with Michael before the season. Michael again had pain in his left knee. He had another procedure before the season started. This made him miss all of training camp. He also missed games in November and December because of tendinitis in his right knee. He had surgery in December 2003.

Boston Celtics (2006–2007)

On January 26, 2006, Michael Olowokandi was traded to the Boston Celtics. He went with Dwayne Jones and Wally Szczerbiak. In return, the Timberwolves received Justin Reed, Mark Blount, Ricky Davis, and Marcus Banks.

In his NBA career, Michael played 500 regular season games. He started 399 of those games. He averaged 8.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.39 blocked shots per game. In 15 playoff games, he averaged 2.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks. Some people consider him a "draft bust." This means he didn't quite reach the high potential that was expected of him.

Helping Others

In 2001, Michael Olowokandi and his Clippers teammates took part in a bowling event. It was called the BasketBowl Challenge. This event helped raise money for the Los Angeles Clippers Foundation. It also helped the Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

In November 2006, Michael volunteered his time at the Boston Children's Hospital. He also helped serve meals to over 200 homeless people at the Pine Street Inn in Boston. He has given money to many different charities and hospitals. This includes over $100,000 to the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. This money helped buy a new incubator for babies born too early. Michael often did his charity work privately. He did not always announce his donations or link them to his teams.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College

See also

In Spanish: Michael Olowokandi para niños