Zeke Nnaji facts for kids
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Nnaji with Arizona in 2020
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| No. 22 – Denver Nuggets | |
|---|---|
| Power forward / center | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 9, 2001 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Arizona (2019–2020) |
| NBA Draft | 2020 / Round: 1 / Pick: 22nd overall |
| Selected by the Denver Nuggets | |
| Pro career | 2020–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| 2020–present | Denver Nuggets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Ezekiel Tobechukwu "Zeke" Nnaji (born January 9, 2001) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats. The Nuggets chose him as the 22nd pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
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Zeke Nnaji's Early Life
Zeke Nnaji was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When he was younger, he played baseball and soccer. He started playing basketball because he was very tall. Zeke has also played the piano since he was in first grade. He even writes his own music!
High School Basketball Career
Zeke started his high school basketball journey at Lakeville North High School. Later, he moved to Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota. In his final year of high school, he was amazing on the court. He scored about 24 points and grabbed 9 rebounds per game.
Zeke led Hopkins to win the Minnesota 4A state title. They beat his old school, Lakeville North, in the championship game. In that big game, Zeke scored 14 points and got 12 rebounds. Many experts thought he was one of the best players in his class. He decided to play college basketball for Arizona.
College Basketball Journey
On November 6, 2019, Zeke played his first college game. He scored 20 points in just 21 minutes! This helped Arizona win against Northern Arizona. A few days later, he was named the best freshman player of the week in the Pac-12 Conference.
Zeke won this award again the next week. He scored 26 points and got 11 rebounds in a big win against San Jose State. He was the first Arizona player in a long time to score 20 points and get 10 rebounds in his first three games.
At the end of the season, Zeke was named to the first-team All-Pac-12. He was also named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. As a freshman, he averaged 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. After this great season, he decided to enter the 2020 NBA draft.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Denver Nuggets (2020–Present)
The Denver Nuggets picked Zeke Nnaji as the 22nd player in the 2020 NBA draft. On December 1, 2020, he officially signed his first contract with the Nuggets.
In 2023, Zeke became an NBA champion! His team, the Denver Nuggets, won the 2023 NBA Finals. They beat the Miami Heat in five games to win the championship.
Career Statistics
Here are Zeke Nnaji's basketball statistics from his time in the NBA and college. These numbers show how well he has played in games.
NBA Statistics
Regular Season Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Denver | 42 | 1 | 9.5 | .481 | .407 | .800 | 1.5 | .2 | .2 | .1 | 3.2 |
| 2021–22 | Denver | 41 | 1 | 17.0 | .516 | .463 | .631 | 3.6 | .4 | .4 | .3 | 6.6 |
| 2022–23† | Denver | 53 | 5 | 13.7 | .561 | .262 | .645 | 2.6 | .3 | .3 | .4 | 5.2 |
| 2023–24 | Denver | 58 | 0 | 9.9 | .463 | .261 | .677 | 2.2 | .6 | .3 | .7 | 3.2 |
| Career | 194 | 7 | 12.4 | .512 | .370 | .662 | 2.5 | .4 | .3 | .4 | 4.5 | |
Playoff Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Denver | 5 | 0 | 3.5 | .500 | .429 | .500 | .4 | .4 | .2 | .0 | 2.4 |
| 2022 | Denver | 2 | 0 | 4.3 | 1.000 | 1.000 | — | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 1.5 |
| 2023† | Denver | 5 | 0 | 2.4 | .500 | .333 | — | .4 | .0 | .2 | .0 | 1.0 |
| 2024 | Denver | 3 | 0 | 4.7 | .667 | — | .500 | .7 | .0 | .0 | .3 | 1.7 |
| Career | 15 | 0 | 3.5 | .563 | .455 | .500 | .4 | .1 | .1 | .1 | 1.7 | |
College Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Arizona | 32 | 32 | 30.7 | .570 | .294 | .760 | 8.4 | .8 | .7 | .9 | 16.1 |
Zeke Nnaji's Family Life
Zeke Nnaji's father is from Nigeria, and his mother is from Minnesota. His younger sister, Maya, also played college basketball for two years at Arizona. She later decided to focus on her studies. Zeke has other family members who play basketball too. His uncle, Obiora Nnaji, played for the University of Florida. His cousin, Elvis Nnaji, plays for the George Mason Patriots.
See also
In Spanish: Zeke Nnaji para niños
