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 Star
Zeke began 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 in each game.
Zeke led Hopkins to win the Minnesota 4A state championship. They beat his old school, Lakeville North, in the final game. In that championship game, Zeke scored 14 points and had 12 rebounds. Many experts thought he was one of the top players in his age group. He chose to play college basketball for Arizona. He had offers from other big schools like Kansas and Kentucky.
College Journey at Arizona
Zeke Nnaji started his college basketball career on November 6, 2019. In his very first game, he scored 20 points in just 21 minutes. This helped Arizona win against Northern Arizona, 91-52. Just five days later, he was named the Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Week. He won this award again the next week!
He scored 26 points and had 11 rebounds in a big win against San Jose State. Zeke 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, he was named to the first-team All-Pac-12. He also won the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year award. As a freshman, Zeke averaged 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. After this great season, he decided to enter the 2020 NBA draft.
Playing in the NBA
Joining the Denver Nuggets
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.
Becoming an NBA Champion
Zeke Nnaji became an NBA champion in 2023. His team, the Denver Nuggets, won the 2023 NBA Finals. They defeated the Miami Heat in five games to claim the championship title.
On October 22, 2023, Zeke signed a new contract with the Nuggets. This contract was for four years and worth $32 million.
Career Statistics
Zeke Nnaji's statistics show how he has performed in his basketball career.
NBA Regular Season Stats
| 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 |
| 2024–25 | Denver | 57 | 4 | 10.7 | .496 | .327 | .614 | 1.6 | .4 | .4 | .7 | 3.2 |
| Career | 251 | 11 | 12.0 | .509 | .362 | .653 | 2.3 | .4 | .3 | .5 | 4.2 | |
NBA Playoff Stats
| 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 |
| 2025 | Denver | 6 | 0 | 5.7 | .125 | .167 | .571 | 1.2 | .3 | .2 | .3 | 1.2 |
| Career | 21 | 0 | 4.1 | .417 | .353 | .545 | .6 | .2 | .1 | .1 | 1.5 | |
College Stats
| 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's Family Life
Zeke Nnaji's father is from Nigeria, and his mother is from Minnesota. His younger sister, Maya, also played college basketball at Arizona for two years. She later decided to focus on her education. Zeke has an uncle, Obiora Nnaji, who played basketball for the University of Florida. His cousin, Elvis Nnaji, plays for the George Mason Patriots.
See also
In Spanish: Zeke Nnaji para niños
