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
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
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
Charlotte Bobcats (2004–2009)
2004–05 season: Rookie of the Year
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. 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]
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
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
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
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
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)
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]
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)
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]
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 Ronnie Nunn.[43]
^Conner, Desmond (November 13, 2002). "Choice Is Easy For Okafor". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
^"울산 현대모비스피버스 VS KGC인삼공사". mobisphoebus.co.kr (in Korean). December 6, 2019. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
Регіон Атакама — Регіон — III Región de Atacama Герб Прапор Столиця Копіапо Найбільше місто Копіапо Країна Чилі Межує з: сусідні адмінодиниці II Регіон Антофаґаста, IV Регіон Кокімбо, Катамарка, Ла-Ріоха, Сан-Хуан ? Провінції ЧаньяралКопіапоУаско Офіці…
Koke Koke pada 2019Informasi pribadiNama lengkap Jorge Resurrección MerodioTanggal lahir 8 Januari 1992 (umur 31)Tempat lahir Madrid, SpanyolTinggi 1,76 m[1]Posisi bermain GelandangInformasi klubKlub saat ini Atlético MadridNomor 6Karier junior2000–2008 Atlético MadridKarier senior*Tahun Tim Tampil (Gol)2008–2011 Atlético B 66 (7)2009– Atlético Madrid 302 (32)Tim nasional‡2008 Spanyol U-16 3 (0)2008–2009 Spanyol U-17 21 (0)2010–2011 Spanyol U-19 9 (0)2011 Spanyol U-…
This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Law enforcement in Hong Kong – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Police vehicles in Hong Kong The main duties of law enforcement in Hong Kong are taken up by the Hong Kong Police Force. Other major law enfor…
City in Kentucky, United StatesCity of ShelbyvilleCityMain StreetNickname: American Saddlebred Capital of the World[1]Motto: The Gateway to the Bluegrass[2]Location of Shelbyville in Shelby County, Kentucky.Coordinates: 38°12′26″N 85°13′48″W / 38.20722°N 85.23000°W / 38.20722; -85.23000CountryUnited StatesStateKentuckyCountyShelbyEstablished1792[3]Incorporated1846[3]Named forGov. Isaac Shelby[4]Government …
يفتقر محتوى هذه المقالة إلى الاستشهاد بمصادر. فضلاً، ساهم في تطوير هذه المقالة من خلال إضافة مصادر موثوق بها. أي معلومات غير موثقة يمكن التشكيك بها وإزالتها. (ديسمبر 2018) لمعانٍ أخرى، طالع شيعان (توضيح). شيعان - قرية - تقسيم إداري البلد اليمن المحافظة محافظ
Sint-Jozefkapel De Sint-Jozefkapel is een kapel in het centrum van Horst in de Nederlands Noord-Limburgse gemeente Horst aan de Maas. De kapel staat aan de Herstraat aan de splitsing met de Sint Josephstraat. Op ongeveer 220 meter naar het noordoosten staat de Sint-Lambertuskerk. Ten noorden van het dorp is in het buitengebied de Bulthoevekapel gebouwd die gebaseerd is op deze kapel. De kapel is gewijd aan Jozef van Nazareth. Geschiedenis In 1901 werd de kapel gebouwd, waarschijnlijk ter vervang…
مهرجان كان السينمائي 1961 البلد فرنسا المكان كان، فرنسا الموقع الرسمي الموقع الرسمي تعديل مصدري - تعديل مهرجان كان السينمائي لعام 1961 هو الدورة الـ14 للمهرجان عُقد في 3 إلى 18مايو من عام 1961،[1] حصل فيلم «الغياب الطويل» للمخرج الفرنسي هنري كولبي وفيلم «فيريديانا» للمخرج…
Artikel ini sebatang kara, artinya tidak ada artikel lain yang memiliki pranala balik ke halaman ini.Bantulah menambah pranala ke artikel ini dari artikel yang berhubungan atau coba peralatan pencari pranala.Tag ini diberikan pada Februari 2023. Euphorbia milii Status konservasi Data Kurang (IUCN 3.1) Klasifikasi ilmiah Kerajaan: Plantae Divisi: Magnoliophyta Kelas: Magnoliopsida Ordo: Malpighiales Famili: Euphorbiaceae Genus: Euphorbia Spesies: E. milii Nama binomial Euphorbia miliiDe…
This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (January 2023) A gutter that connect to the odona drainage is choked with plastic waste in Ghana African environmental issues are caused by human impacts on the natural environment and affect humans and nearly all forms of life. Issues include deforestation, soil degradation, air pollution, water polluti…
French physicist Marguerite Marie Charlotte Rouvière (27 June 1889 – 30 January 1966) was a French physicist, teacher and translator, a pioneer for women in French science as student, teacher and union member. Biography She was born in Pertuis, Vaucluse, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region and was known as Magali to her family. She was the eldest of three daughters of Lucie Marie Joséphine Maurizot and Émile Rouvière, an army administrator with the rank of artillery lieutenant, a for…
Estrutura tridimensional da Ku70 Ku70 é uma proteína que em humanos é codificada pelo gene XRCC6.[1]Ku70 junto com Ku80, conformam um heterodimero denominado proteína Ku, que se liga as extremidades da dupla fita de DNA que foi cortado, e é requerida para o processo de recombinação não homóloga durante a reparação do DNA. Também é necessária para o processo de recombinação V(D)J, que consegue aumentar a diversidade antigênica do sistema imune de mamíferos utilizando o processo …
Malaysian educational institution This article relies excessively on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources. Find sources: President College – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) President CollegeMottoFast Forward Your DreamTypePrivateEstablished2007LocationKuala Lumpur, MalaysiaWebsitewww.president.edu.my President Colleg…
This article relies excessively on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources. Find sources: Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Philippine Institute of Certified Public AccountantsLogo of PICPAAbbreviationPICPAFormationNovember 1, 1929; 94 years ago (1…
JambiNama lengkapTim sepak bola Provinsi JambiStadionStadion Tri Lomba Juang KONI(Kapasitas: 15.000)LigaPONPra PON 2024Peringkat 3 di Grup A Porwil Sumatera XI/2023 Kostum kandang Kostum tandang Tim sepak bola Provinsi Jambi atau Tim sepak bola Jambi adalah tim provinsial yang mewakili Jambi dalam cabang olahraga sepak bola pada Pekan Olahraga Wilayah Sumatera dan Pekan Olahraga Nasional. Tim ini dikendalikan oleh Asosiasi Provinsi Persatuan Sepak bola Seluruh Indonesia Jambi (Asprov PSSI Jambi)…
For Whitworth Fever Hospital, see Drumcondra Hospital. For the hospital in Matlock, see Whitworth Hospital, Matlock. Hospital in Dublin, IrelandWhitworth HospitalWhitworth HospitalShown in DublinGeographyLocationGrangegorman, Dublin, IrelandCoordinates53°21′06″N 6°16′35″W / 53.35158°N 6.27636°W / 53.35158; -6.27636OrganisationTypeGeneral hospitalHistoryOpened1816; 207 years ago (1816)Closed1987; 36 years ago (1987) The Whitw…
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: The Italian Flag – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this t…
The Stanley Kubrick Archive is held by the University of the Arts London in their Archives and Special Collection Centre at the London College of Communication.[1] The Archive opened in October 2007 and contains material collected and owned by the film director Stanley Kubrick (1928–1999).[2] It was transferred from his home in 2007 through a gift by his family. It contains much of Kubrick's working material that was accumulated during his lifetime. The collection spans Kubrick…
Este artículo o sección necesita referencias que aparezcan en una publicación acreditada.Este aviso fue puesto el 13 de agosto de 2017. Gran Sinagoga de Sídney Heritage Act — State Heritage Register Vista de la sinagoga en 2009.LocalizaciónPaís AustraliaDivisión Nueva Gales del SurDirección Sídney, AustraliaCoordenadas 33°52′22″S 151°12′34″E / -33.87265, 151.20947Información religiosaCulto JudaísmoHistoria del edificioFundación 1874Arquitecto Thomas RoeDat…