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Emeka Okafor

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Emeka Okafor
Okafor with the Washington Wizards in 2012
Personal information
Born (1982-09-28) September 28, 1982 (age 42)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
High schoolBellaire (Bellaire, Texas)
CollegeUConn (2001–2004)
NBA draft2004: 1st round, 2nd overall pick
Selected by the Charlotte Bobcats
Playing career2004–2013; 2017–2020
PositionCenter / power forward
Number50
Career history
2004–2009Charlotte Bobcats
2009–2012New Orleans Hornets
2012–2013Washington Wizards
2017–2018Delaware 87ers
2018New Orleans Pelicans
2019–2020Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points7,370 (12.0 ppg)
Rebounds5,967 (9.7 rpg)
Blocks1,003 (1.6 bpg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Men's Basketball
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Athens United States

Chukwuemeka Ndubuisi "Emeka" Okafor // ⓘ (born September 28, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Okafor attended Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas and the University of Connecticut, where in 2004 he won a national championship. In his first season in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2004–05, Okafor played for the Charlotte Bobcats and was named Rookie of the Year. He was traded to the New Orleans Hornets in 2009 and was then dealt to the Washington Wizards in 2012. However, a herniated disc in his neck caused Okafor to miss four consecutive seasons from 2013 to 2017 before being medically cleared to play.

Early life

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Okafor was born in Houston, Texas. Both of his parents are natives of Nigeria, and Emeka was the first member of his family born in the United States.[1] His father, Pius Okafor, is a member of the Igbo ethnic group.[2]

Okafor's family moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, when he was young because his father worked for Phillips Petroleum Company, headquartered in Bartlesville. While in Bartlesville, Okafor's father took his son to the Bartlesville YMCA to learn basketball.[3]

High school career

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Okafor played at Bellaire High School with future Oklahoma State star John Lucas III. Okafor averaged 22 points, 16 rebounds and 7 blocks in his senior season. Bellaire was 26–5 in that season, losing 56–42 in the third round of the 2001 UIL state playoffs, to Willowridge High School and future Texas standout T. J. Ford. This game is particularly 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). All five of these players went on to play at least a season in the NBA.

Okafor flew under the recruiting radar for much of his high school career, but by the end of his senior year was receiving late interest from top programs and chose to accept a scholarship at the University of Connecticut, choosing the Huskies over Arkansas and Vanderbilt.[4][5]

College career

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Okafor in 2004

Okafor played for Connecticut from 2001 to 2004. He was teammates with Charlie Villanueva, Marcus Williams, Ben Gordon, Hilton Armstrong and Josh Boone, who all went on to play in the NBA. He majored in finance and graduated with honors after three years in May 2004 with a 3.8 GPA. Okafor was named the Academic All-American of the Year in 2004 for his work on and off the court.

Okafor is noted for his defensive ability, especially his shot-blocking. Although 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. Okafor graduated as Connecticut's leader in blocked shots with 441.[6] For his collegiate achievements, Okafor was made a member of the 2004 U.S. National Men's Basketball Team that represented the U.S. at the Olympics in Athens.

On February 5, 2007, he was inducted to the Husky Ring Of Honor at Gampel Pavilion on the UConn campus in Storrs during halftime of the men's basketball game against the Syracuse Orange as part of a ceremony that recognized the accomplishments of 13 former players and 3 coaches.[7]

Professional career

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Charlotte Bobcats (2004–2009)

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2004–05 season: Rookie of the Year

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On April 16, 2004, Okafor declared his eligibility for the 2004 NBA draft, giving up his one remaining year of college athletic eligibility. He did, however, receive his undergraduate degree in Accounting/Finance in three academic years at the University of Connecticut. On June 24, Okafor was selected second overall in the draft, becoming the first ever draft pick by the expansion Charlotte Bobcats.[8] 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.[9]

The 2004–05 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.[10]

Okafor tipping-off against Rasheed Wallace

On June 24, 2005, the Bobcats picked up the option for the fourth year on Okafor's contract, as he quickly established himself as the face of the franchise, and a solid player for years to come. Okafor finished his rookie season with 44.7% field goal percentage and per-game averages of 15.1 points, 10.9 rebounds (ranked 4th in the league[11]), and 1.7 blocks.

2005–06 season

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In the 2005 offseason, Okafor's weight increased from 260 to 280 lbs. It was this weight gain which he felt caused him to have trouble rehabbing his early season ankle injury and forced him to sit out most of the 2005–06 season with injuries to his ankle.[12] Nonetheless, in the few games he played he was effective as he averaged a double-double for the second consecutive season. On November 4, 2005, Okafor scored a season high 24 points, alongside grabbing 11 rebounds, in a 110–93 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.[13] For the season he finished with averages of 13.2 points on 41.5% shooting, 10.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

2006–07 season

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Okafor playing for Charlotte in 2007

During the offseason he continued his tutorials with Hakeem Olajuwon, which he took up after his rookie season,[12] and lost the 20 pounds which he had gained for his second season. Okafor felt this weight loss gave him more energy and mobility. He led the Bobcats in rebounds per game, blocks per game, and field goal percentage. On December 29, 2006, in a home game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Emeka would record 22 points, 25 rebounds, and 4 blocks in over 51 minutes of play, in an epic 133–124 triple overtime victory. He also had eight blocks in games against the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics. On January 12, 2007, he would record an NBA season high ten blocks in a game against the New York Knicks. His ten blocks were the most ever recorded in a single game at Madison Square Garden. In that game, he was one rebound away from recording the first ever triple-double in franchise history, finishing with 20 pts, 10 blocks, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals. Later in the season, he suffered an ankle injury which caused him to miss fifteen games. He finished the season averaging 14.4 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 67 games.

2007–08 season

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Prior to the start of the 2007–08 season, Okafor turned down a contract extension with the Charlotte Bobcats worth an estimated US$60 million over five years. Despite turning down the contract, Okafor maintained that he indeed wanted to remain with the Bobcats. Despite feuding with head coach Sam Vincent throughout the season, Okafor still managed to average a double-double for the fourth consecutive season of his career. He also played in all 82 games of the regular season for the first time in his career. At the end of the season head coach Sam Vincent was fired by part-owner Michael Jordan saying in a statement: "The decision to remove Sam as head coach after just one season was difficult, but it was a decision that had to be made because my first obligation is to do what is in the best interest of our team."[14]

2008–09 season

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During the off-season, the Bobcats' top priority was to re-sign their face of the franchise. Through tough negotiations the Bobcats and Okafor eventually reached an agreement on a six-year, $72 million deal, the largest in franchise history. In a statement, Okafor voiced his pleasure with remaining in the organization now coached by the legendary Larry Brown: "The Bobcats and the entire Charlotte community embraced me from day one, and it's exciting to enter this season with a Hall of Fame coach and teammates who are committed to winning."

Okafor entered the 2008–09 season with active franchise-record streaks of 93 consecutive games played and 92 consecutive games started. That year Okafor played in all 82 regular season games for the second straight season (starting in all but one game) and averaged a double-double for a fifth straight season.[15]

In his final season for the Bobcats, Okafor averaged 13.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game.[15] But at the end of that 2008–2009 season, Bobcats head coach Larry Brown publicly questioned Okafor's passion. “I tease him that he’s got an A in stretching and pilates and yoga. I want him to have an A in basketball,” Brown said to reporters two days after Charlotte finished the season with a 35–47 record. “It makes older people feel great, but he’s got to work on his game.... There’s no better guy than him, I just want him to have a passion to play the sport because it ends so quickly.”[16]

New Orleans Hornets (2009–2012)

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On July 28, 2009, Okafor was traded to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for Tyson Chandler.[17] Charlotte head coach Larry Brown was reportedly willing jettison the franchise's first ever draft pick for another 26-year-old center who is three inches taller because it brought financial relief and because, at 6-foot-10, he felt Okafor had trouble guarding the NBA's top big men.[18]

During the 2009–10 season, Okafor played in all 82 games for the third season in a row but just missed extending his streak of five seasons averaging a double-double with 10.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.[15] Head coach Byron Scott was fired after a disappointing 3–6 start and replaced by GM Jeff Bower. The team finished last in the Southwest Division with a 37–45 record.[19] At the end of the season, Bower stepped down from his coaching duties and returned to his position as a general manager.[20] He was replaced by Monty Williams.

During the 2010–11 season, Okafor helped New Orleans make the playoffs and appeared in his first-ever NBA playoff series. The Hornets finished the regular season 46-36 good for third place in the Southwest Division. Facing the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the postseason, Okafor scored 15 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in a 100-86 Game 3 loss, both of which would end up being postseason career highs.[21] The Hornets lost the series 4–2.

The following 2011–12 season, Okafor averaged 9.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. But the Hornets struggled and traded away their star point guard Chris Paul plus two second-round draft picks mid-season to the Los Angeles Clippers for Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman, and an unprotected first-round draft pick. On December 28, 2011, Okafor scored 13 points to go with a season-high 6 blocks in a 97–78 win over the Boston Celtics.[22]

Okafor with a headset while playing with the Wizards in 2013

Washington Wizards (2012–2013)

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On June 20, 2012, Okafor was traded, along with Trevor Ariza, to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Rashard Lewis and the 46th pick of the 2012 NBA draft.[23] Okafor went on to be named a finalist for the inaugural Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award for his contributions with the team on and off the court.[24]

On October 25, 2013, days before the start of the 2013–14 season, Okafor was traded, along with a 2014 protected first-round draft pick, to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Marcin Gortat, Shannon Brown, Kendall Marshall and Malcolm Lee.[25] However, he missed the entire season due to a herniated disc in his neck that was discovered in September 2013, and remained unsigned throughout the 2014–15 season,[26] the 2015–16 season, and the 2016–17 season. On May 30, 2017, Okafor was medically cleared to play.[27]

Delaware 87ers (2017–2018)

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Okafor during his tenure with the Delaware 87ers

On September 25, 2017, Okafor signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.[28] However, he was waived on October 14 after appearing in five preseason games.[29] Later that month, he joined the Delaware 87ers of the NBA G League.[30]

Return to New Orleans (2018)

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On February 3, 2018, Okafor signed a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans.[31] He made his Pelicans debut two days later, playing in the NBA for the first time since 2013. He played nine minutes and had three points and two rebounds in a 133–109 loss to the Utah Jazz.[32] He signed a second 10-day contract on February 14,[33] and a rest-of-season contract on February 26.[34] Filling in for the injured DeMarcus Cousins, Okafor averaged 4.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1 block in 26 regular-season games, including 19 starts.[35][30] He was waived by the Pelicans on September 19, 2018, just before the start of training camp.[36]

Okafor signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on September 21, 2018,[37] before being waived on October 13.[38]

Because Okafor was waived by Philadelphia before the season started, the end of the 2017–18 season with the Pelicans ended up being his final playing time in the NBA. His final game was Game 3 of the 2018 Western Conference First Round against the Portland Trail Blazers on April 19, 2018. The Pelicans won the game 119–102 with Okafor playing 3+1⁄2 minutes and only recording 1 foul as a stat.

Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus (2019–2020)

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On November 22, 2019, Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus reported that they had added Okafor to their roster.[39] Okafor made his debut for them on December 4, 2019, coming off from bench with a double-double of 11 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in a 60–65 loss to the Anyang KGC.[40][41]

NBA career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 *  Led the league

Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2004–05 Charlotte 73 73 35.6 .447 .000 .609 10.9 .9 .8 1.7 15.1
2005–06 Charlotte 26 25 33.6 .415 — .656 10.0 1.2 .8 1.9 13.2
2006–07 Charlotte 67 65 34.8 .532 — .593 11.3 1.2 .9 2.6 14.4
2007–08 Charlotte 82* 82* 33.1 .535 — .570 10.7 .9 .8 1.7 13.8
2008–09 Charlotte 82* 81 32.8 .561 — .593 10.1 .6 .6 1.7 13.2
2009–10 New Orleans 82* 82* 28.9 .530 — .562 9.0 .7 .7 1.5 10.4
2010–11 New Orleans 72 72 31.8 .573 .000 .562 9.5 .6 .6 1.8 10.3
2011–12 New Orleans 27 27 28.9 .533 — .514 7.9 .9 .6 1.0 9.9
2012–13 Washington 79 77 26.0 .477 — .571 8.8 1.2 .6 1.0 9.7
2017–18 New Orleans 26 19 13.6 .505 — .818 4.6 .3 .3 1.0 4.4
Career 616 603 30.9 .512 .000 .586 9.7 .8 .7 1.6 12.0

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2011 New Orleans 6 6 31.3 .645 — .364 5.5 .0 1.0 1.0 7.3
2018 New Orleans 1 0 4.0 .000 — — .0 .0 .0 .0 .0
Career 7 6 27.4 .625 — .364 4.7 .0 .9 .9 6.3

Personal life

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Okafor's first name, Chukwuemeka, means "God has done well" in the Igbo language.[1] He appeared on the cover of NCAA March Madness 2005 video game. Okafor appeared as himself in the second season of the TV show One Tree Hill. Okafor also appeared as himself in the second season of the TV show Power Book II: Ghost.

Okafor is a distant cousin of fellow NBA player Jahlil Okafor.[42] He has two children with his wife Ilana Nunn,[30] the daughter of former NBA referee and director of officiating - hall of famer Ronnie Nunn.[43]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Emeka Okafor Profile". NBA.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  2. ^ Longman, Jere (March 26, 2003). "2003 N.C.A.A. TOURNAMENT: TRUE STUDENT ATHLETE; Academics, And a Game To Back It Up". New York Times. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  3. ^ "Okafor Exemplifies Concept of 'Student-Athlete'". CSTV.com. April 6, 2004. Archived from the original on November 13, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  4. ^ "Bellaire's Okafor to sign with Connecticut". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Archived from the original on September 16, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  5. ^ Conner, Desmond (November 13, 2002). "Choice Is Easy For Okafor". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  6. ^ "HoopsHype Players – 50 Emeka Okafor". HoopsHype. Archived from the original on November 7, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  7. ^ "Huskies of Honor". Depth of Field Photo. WordPress. July 23, 2008. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  8. ^ "Bobcats Select Emeka Okafor As First-Ever Rookie Draft Pick". NBA.com. June 24, 2004. Archived from the original on June 6, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  9. ^ "Games of the XXVIIIth Olympiad -- 2004". USA Basketball. September 14, 2012. Archived from the original on March 19, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  10. ^ "Okafor named Rookie of Year". ESPN. May 5, 2005. Archived from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  11. ^ "2004-05 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on August 30, 2008. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
  12. ^ a b "SPECIAL WEEKEND EDITION: Passing some hefty judgments". ESPN. November 26, 2006. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  13. ^ "Charlotte Bobcats at Philadelphia 76ers Box Score, November 4, 2005". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  14. ^ "Bobcats fire Coach Sam Vincent". United Press International. Charlotte. April 26, 2008. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  15. ^ a b c "Emeka Okafor Stats". Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  16. ^ "Source: Bobcats close to trading Okafor to Hornets". Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  17. ^ "Sources: Hornets, Cats agree on deal". ESPN. July 28, 2009. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  18. ^ "Bobcats, Hornets finish Okafor-Chandler trade". July 28, 2009. Archived from the original on January 7, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  19. ^ "2009-10 New Orleans Hornets Roster and Stats". Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  20. ^ Hornets Bower NBA 2010 Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ "Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Hornets Box Score, April 22, 2011". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  22. ^ "Boston Celtics at New Orleans Hornets Box Score, December 28, 2011". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  23. ^ "Hornets trade Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza to Wizards for Rashard Lewis". Inside Hoops. June 20, 2012. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  24. ^ "Billups wins first Twyman-Stokes Award". NBA. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  25. ^ "Suns Acquire Okafor, First-Round Pick". NBA. October 25, 2013. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  26. ^ Stein, Marc (January 2, 2015). "Okafor likely to wait on decision". ESPN. Archived from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  27. ^ Hann, Lucas (May 30, 2017). "Report: Emeka Okafor Cleared to Play, Attempting NBA Comeback". clipsnation.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  28. ^ "Sixers Sign Humphries, Okafor; Set Training Camp Roster". NBA. September 25, 2017. Archived from the original on September 26, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  29. ^ "Sixers Waive Three Players". NBA.com. October 14, 2017. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  30. ^ a b c Spears, Marc J. (May 8, 2018). "Emeka Okafor: 'I want to play as long as I can'". Andscape. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  31. ^ "Pelicans sign Emeka Okafor to 10-day contract". NBA.com. February 3, 2018. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  32. ^ "Hood scores 30, Jazz win 6th straight, 133-109 over Pelicans". ESPN.com. February 5, 2018. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  33. ^ "Pelicans Sign Emeka Okafor to Second 10-Day Contract". NBA.com. February 14, 2018. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  34. ^ "Pelicans Sign Emeka Okafor". NBA.com. February 26, 2018. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  35. ^ Jim Eichenhofer (April 16, 2018). "2018 Pelicans Playoff Profile: Emeka Okafor". NBA.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  36. ^ "Pelicans Waive Emeka Okafor". NBA.com. September 19, 2018. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  37. ^ "Team Announces 2018 Training Camp Roster". NBA.com. September 21, 2018. Archived from the original on September 22, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  38. ^ "Team Waives Three Players, Roster Stands at 17". NBA.com. October 13, 2018. Archived from the original on October 14, 2018. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  39. ^ "속초에 왔던 훈련상대 오카포, 모비스 유니폼 다시 입는다". Naver Sports (in Korean). November 22, 2019. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  40. ^ "울산 현대모비스피버스 VS KGC인삼공사". mobisphoebus.co.kr (in Korean). December 6, 2019. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  41. ^ "Regular Season Round 15: Anyang KGC - Mobis Phoebus 65-60". eurobasket.com. December 6, 2019. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  42. ^ McLaughlin, Brian (March 14, 2014). "Jahlil Okafor of Chicago Is Parade's 2014 Boys Basketball Player of the Year". Parade. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  43. ^ Andrews, Adena (February 18, 2011). "Ilana Nunn, NBA power player". ESPN. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
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