Precious Achiuwa facts for kids
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Achiuwa with the Toronto Raptors in 2021
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| Free agent | |
|---|---|
| Power forward / center | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 19, 1999 Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria |
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 243 lb (110 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Memphis (2019–2020) |
| NBA Draft | 2020 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20th overall |
| Selected by the Miami Heat | |
| Pro career | 2020–present |
| Career history | |
| 2020–2021 | Miami Heat |
| 2021–2023 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2023–2025 | New York Knicks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Precious Ezinna Achiuwa (born September 19, 1999) is a professional basketball player from Nigeria. He last played for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Precious moved to the United States for high school. He was a top player, chosen as a McDonald's All-American.
He played college basketball for the Memphis Tigers. In 2020, he was named the best player in his conference as a freshman. The Miami Heat picked him 20th overall in the 2020 NBA draft. After playing for the Heat, he joined the Toronto Raptors in 2021. Later, in 2023, he was traded to the New York Knicks.
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Precious Achiuwa's Early Life
Precious Achiuwa was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. His parents are from the Igbo group. Growing up, he mostly played soccer. When he was in eighth grade, he moved to the United States. That's when he started focusing on basketball.
Precious and his family settled in Queens, New York. For his first year of high school, he played basketball at Our Saviour Lutheran School in The Bronx, New York.
High School Basketball Journey
For his next two years, Precious went to St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey. This school had a very strong basketball team. He played alongside other talented players who would go on to play in college. In his junior year, Precious was amazing. He scored about 18.5 points and grabbed 10.5 rebounds per game. He also blocked nearly 3 shots and made over 2 steals per game. His team had a great record of 28 wins and only 2 losses.
Before his senior year, Precious moved to Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. This school also had a very successful basketball program. Precious led his team, scoring 14 points and getting 7.2 rebounds per game. He helped his team reach the semifinals of a big national high school tournament.
On March 27, 2019, Precious played in the McDonald's All-American Game. He was the top scorer in that game with 22 points. A few weeks later, on April 12, he also played in the Nike Hoop Summit.
Choosing a College Team
On May 17, 2019, Precious decided to play college basketball for the Memphis Tigers. He chose to play for coach Penny Hardaway. At Memphis, he joined his former teammate, Lester Quinones. He also played with James Wiseman, who was considered the best player in the 2019 class.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precious Achiuwa PF/ C |
The Bronx, New York | Montverde Academy (FL) | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | May 17, 2019 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 95 |
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| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 17 247Sports: 9 ESPN: 17 | ||||||
Sources: |
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College Basketball Career
In his very first game for Memphis, Precious Achiuwa scored 14 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. The Tigers won that game against South Carolina State 97–64. On November 23, he scored his highest points of the season, 25, in a close 87–86 win against Ole Miss. Because of his great play, he was named the American Athletic Conference player of the week.
He also earned the conference's freshman of the week award on December 23. This was after he scored 20 points and got 9 rebounds in a big win over Jackson State. At the end of the regular season, Precious was named both the AAC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. As a freshman, he averaged 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. After this amazing freshman year, he decided to enter the 2020 NBA draft.
Professional Basketball Journey
Miami Heat (2020–2021)
The Miami Heat chose Precious Achiuwa with the 20th pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He officially signed his first contract with the Heat on November 25, 2020.
Toronto Raptors (2021–2023)
On August 6, 2021, Precious Achiuwa was traded to the Toronto Raptors. He moved to Toronto as part of a deal that sent Kyle Lowry to the Heat. In his first game with the Raptors on October 20, Precious played for 39 minutes. He scored 8 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and had 2 assists.
On November 24, Precious made a career-high three 3-pointers. He finished that game with 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. The Raptors won that game against the Memphis Grizzlies 126–113.
New York Knicks (2023–2025)
On December 30, 2023, Precious Achiuwa was traded to the New York Knicks. He joined OG Anunoby and Malachi Flynn in the trade. In return, the Raptors received RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a draft pick.
Precious re-signed with the Knicks on July 30, 2024, for one year. On October 20, the Knicks announced that Precious had a strained left hamstring. This injury caused him to miss the start of the season for a few weeks.
Personal Life
Precious Achiuwa comes from a big family. His older brother, God'sgift Achiuwa, also played college basketball for St. John's from 2011 to 2014. His mother, Eunice, and father, Donatus, are both ministers. Besides God'sgift, Precious has two other brothers named God'swill and Promise. He also has two sisters named Grace and Peace.
See also
In Spanish: Precious Achiuwa para niños
