Top 5 African origin NBA players entering into the 2021-22 season
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The NBA is home to some of the best players in the world. The league has been open to talent throughout the world. Right from Hakeen Olajuwon to Dirk Nowitzki, many players have come from non-American countries and made a significant impact in the league.
Last season's Finals MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, hails from Greece. Players like Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo are a few other examples of players of African descent to have made a huge impact in the league.
Coming into a new country and competing against the best in the world is not easy. However, several NBA players have done that and etched their names in the history books. In today's article, we take a look at five players of African origin to make it big in the league
Top five active African origin NBA players
#5 Pascal Siakam
Pascal Siakam was born in Douala, Cameroon. He made his way into the NBA after being drafted 27th overall by the Toronto Raptors in 2016. After starting 38 games for the team in his rookie season, Siakam also played for the Raptors D-League team. He was terrific there and won the Finals MVP in the 2017 NBA season.
Siakam kept growing as a player and he eventually became a starter in the team. He was awarded as the Most Improved Player in the NBA for 2019. That year, he averaged 16.9PPG and played a big role in the Raptors championship-winning team.
He was a vital part of the Raptors during that playoffs, and averaged 19.0 PPG on 47.0 % shooting from the field. The Cameroon international has proven to be one of the best young talents in the league. His patented spin move has helped him score many points in the paint and he will be looking to use that to perfection this time around. After missing out on a playoff spot last year due to poor performances and with the exit of Kyle Lowry, the onus now lies on Pascal Siakam. He will have to put up great numbers if the Raptors want to have any chance of making it to the playoffs.
#4 OG Anunoby
OG Anunoby was born in London, however, his parents were Nigerian. His father was born and brought up in Nigeria, but shifted to London to become a professor. Anunoby was the 24th pick in the 2017 draft. He was picked by the Toronto Raptors and he went in and became an instant favorite there.
In his rookie season, OG started 62 games averaging a healthy 20 minutes per game. He managed only 5.9 PPG, but his impact on the team was never measured on the stats. In his second year and the Toronto Raptors' NBA championship-winning season, OG played only six games. His season was cut short due to medical reasons and he missed out on their playoff run.
However, he came back strong the following year. In the 2019-20 NBA season, Anunoby played 68 games and started in all the games. He was a stalwart in the team and made some pretty big shots throughout their campaign without Kawhi Leonard.
His defensive prowess was a key part of the Raptors team. They failed to make a deep run in the playoffs as they were knocked out by the Celtics in the conference semis. In the 2020-21 season, OG played tremendously well, and although the Raptors failed to make it to the playoffs, he averaged 15.9 PPG - the highest he has had in his career. His ability to make big shots and elite defensive abilities make him a vital part of the Raptors team.
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