Six Nigerians on NBA opening-night rosters as the league counts a record for Africa
Bassey, Achiuwa, Okogie, Bona, Onyenso and Okpara are on 2026-27 rosters, and more than 25 others have Nigerian roots. Here is who they are and where they play.
The NBA's 81st regular season tipped off on 20 October, and Nigeria has six players on opening-night rosters. That puts Nigeria level with Serbia in the league's count of international players, behind France (17), Canada (16), Australia (9) and Germany (7). The league also said a record number of players on its rosters were born in Africa or have at least one parent born there, more than 60 in all.
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| Charles Bassey | Golden State Warriors |
| Precious Achiuwa | Sacramento Kings |
| Josh Okogie | Utah Jazz |
| Adem Bona | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Ugonna Onyenso | Detroit Pistons |
| Felix Okpara | Washington Wizards |
Who the six are
The list mixes experience and youth. Precious Achiuwa and Josh Okogie have been in the league for several seasons with different teams. Charles Bassey, pictured above in a San Antonio Spurs jersey in 2024, is now with Golden State. Adem Bona, Ugonna Onyenso and Felix Okpara are at the start of their NBA careers, all of them big men, which says something about the kind of players Nigeria is producing.
The wider Nigerian family
The six are players the league lists as Nigerian. Many more have Nigerian roots. Vanguard reports that more than 25 players on opening-night rosters have Nigerian connections through birth or a Nigerian parent, including Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat and OG Anunoby of the New York Knicks. Giannis Antetokounmpo, born in Greece to Nigerian parents, is also counted among the African-rooted players.
Why it matters at home
For D'Tigers, a deeper pool of NBA players is good news, but only if the federation can bring them in for international windows. That has been a recurring problem, and Nigerian basketball has just been through a disputed election, which we covered in our report on the NBBF vote. The women's side has its own rebuild after Berlin, as we wrote here. The talent is clearly there. Getting it on the court in green and white is the job.
Sources
- Six Nigerians listed as NBA sets Africa-player record for 2026-27 · Vanguard (opens in a new tab)
- Meet 6 Nigerians who feature on 2026-27 NBA season opener · BusinessDay (opens in a new tab)
- Over 25 players with Nigerian roots on NBA rosters this season · The Guardian Nigeria (opens in a new tab)
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