Emeka Okafor
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| Position | Power Forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Weight | 252 lb (115 kg) |
| Born | September 28, 1982 Houston, Texas |
| Pro career | 2004 – present |
| Olympic medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Basketball | |||
| Bronze | 2004 Athens | United States | |
Chukwuemeka Noubuisi Okafor (born September 28 1982, in Houston, Texas), widely abbreviated as Emeka Okafor, is a professional basketball player playing at power forward for the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association. Prior to the NBA, Okafor excelled athletically and academically at Houston's Bellaire High School, and the University of Connecticut.
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[edit] High school career
Okafor played at Bellaire High School, and played there with future Oklahoma State star John Lucas III. In the third round of the 2001 UIL State playoffs, Okafor and Bellaire played Willowridge High School and future University of Texas standout T.J. Ford, losing 56-42. This game is notable, however, because it featured five players who would go on to play in an NCAA Final Four (Bellaire had Lucas and Okafor, while Willowridge featured Ford, Oklahoma State's Ivan McFarlin and Duke's Daniel Ewing).
[edit] College career
He is notable for being a forward/center on the University of Connecticut men's basketball team from 2001-04 where he was teammates with Charlie Villanueva, Ben Gordon, and Josh Boone who all went to play in the NBA. Okafor, the son of Nigerian immigrants who are Igbo, is known for not only being a good basketball player but also for being an elite student. His major at UConn was finance, and he graduated with honors after three years in May 2004 with a 3.8 GPA. One of his last courses at UConn was an honors-level finance course where students were allowed to make investment decisions for a small portion of UConn's endowment. Okafor was named the Academic All-American of the Year in 2004 for his work on and off the court.
The 6'10" (2.08 m) Okafor is noted for his impressive defensive ability, especially his shot-blocking. Although he was plagued by back problems for most of the 2003-04 season, Okafor led UConn to the program's second national title in six seasons. He was crowned as the NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
In addition, Okafor led the nation in blocks that season and was also named National Defensive Player of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He also received the Big East Player of the Year award.
[edit] NBA career
[edit] Draft
On April 16, 2004, he declared his eligibility for the 2004 NBA Draft, giving up his one remaining year of college athletic eligibility. On June 24, Okafor was selected second overall in the draft, becoming the first ever draft pick by the expansion Charlotte Bobcats. <ref>http://www.nba.com/bobcats/news/draft_okafor_062404.html</ref> The following day, he accepted an invitation to join the United States team for the 2004 Summer Olympics, which finished with the bronze medal in Athens.
[edit] Rookie season
The 2004-2005 NBA season was a successful campaign as Okafor coped well with the pressures of being the star rookie on an expansion franchise. Highlights of the season included recording 19 straight double-doubles from November 21 through January 1, and finishing seventh among Eastern Conference forwards in NBA All-Star Game fan balloting with 408,082 votes, by far the highest number garnered by any rookie in 2005. At the end of the season, Okafor beat out his friend and former college teammate and roommate, Chicago Bulls guard Ben Gordon, to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. <ref>http://connecticut.scout.com/2/376674.html</ref> On June 24, 2005, the Bobcats picked up the option for the fourth year on Okafor's contract, as he has quickly established himself as the face of the franchise, and a solid player for years to come.
[edit] Second season
Okafor sat out most of the 2005-06 season with injuries to his ankle.
[edit] Third season
Early into the 2006-07 season, Emeka Okafor has established himself as one of the best young centers in the NBA. He is currently averaging 18.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. He is shooting 54.8% from the field and perhaps the most impressive stat is his 3.4 blocked shots per game. His overall game has seen a great deal of a improvement, most notably in his low post offense. Okafor has a very effective baby hook shot, a decent short to mid-range jumpshot, as well as very quick spin move to the basket. He leads the Bobcats in points per game, rebounds per game, blocks per game, and field goal percentage. However, Emeka Okafor, like most of the big men in the NBA, is plagued by free throw shooting problems. He is shooting a career low from the stripe at 48.5%. Despite Okafor's elevated play this season, the Charlotte Bobcats are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 3-10 record.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
<references/>
[edit] External links
Charlotte Bobcats BBB.net Message Board
| Preceded by: Carmelo Anthony | NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player (men's) 2004 | Succeeded by: Sean May |
| Preceded by: LeBron James | NBA Rookie of the Year 2005 | Succeeded by: Chris Paul |
| 2004 NBA Draft | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Round Dwight Howard | Emeka Okafor | Ben Gordon | Shaun Livingston | Devin Harris | Josh Childress | Luol Deng | Rafael Araújo | Andre Iguodala | Luke Jackson | Andris Biedriņš | Robert Swift | Sebastian Telfair | Kris Humphries | Al Jefferson | Kirk Snyder | Josh Smith | J.R. Smith | Dorell Wright | Jameer Nelson | Pavel Podkolzine | Viktor Khryapa | Sergei Monia | Delonte West | Tony Allen | Kevin Martin | Sasha Vujačić | Beno Udrih | David Harrison | ||
| Second Round Anderson Varejão | Jackson Vroman | Peter John Ramos | Lionel Chalmers | Donta Smith | Andre Emmett | Antonio Burks | Royal Ivey | Chris Duhon | Albert Miralles | Justin Reed | David Young | Viktor Sanikidze | Trevor Ariza | Tim Pickett | Bernard Robinson | Ha Seung-Jin | Pape Sow | Ricky Minard | Sergei Lishouk | Vassilis Spanoulis | Christian Drejer | Romain Sato | Matt Freije | Rickey Paulding | Luis Flores | Marcus Douthit | Sergei Karaulov | Blake Stepp | Rashad Wright | ||
de:Emeka Okafor fr:Emeka Okafor he:אמקה אוקפור ja:エメカ・オカフォー zh:埃米卡·奥卡福 pl:Emeka Okafor
Categories: Articles to be expanded | 1982 births | Living people | People from Houston | Igbo people | Nigerian Americans | Nigerian basketball players | Basketball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics | American basketball players | African American basketball players | Olympic competitors for the United States | UConn Huskies men's basketball players | Charlotte Bobcats players
