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Chuma Okeke
	Okeke with Auburn in 2019
No. 7 – Westchester Knicks
Position	Power forward
League	NBA G League
Personal information
Born	August 18, 1998 (age 26); Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	229 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school	Westlake (Atlanta, Georgia)
College	Auburn (2017–2019)
NBA draft	2019: 1st round, 16th overall pick
	Selected by the Orlando Magic
Playing career	2020–present
Career history
2020–2024	Orlando Magic
2023	→Lakeland Magic
2024–present	Westchester Knicks
Career highlights and awards
	NBA G League Winter Showcase champion (2024); Mr. Georgia Basketball (2017);
	Stats at NBA.com
	Stats at Basketball Reference

Chukwuma Julian "Chuma" Okeke (/ˈtʃuːmə oʊˈkeɪkeɪ/ CHOO-mə oh-KAY-kay;^[1] born August 18, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League. Okeke played college basketball for the Auburn Tigers before being drafted 16th overall in the 2019 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic.

High school career

Okeke attended Westlake High School in Atlanta. As a junior, he won the Georgia Class 6A state championship, scoring 13 points in a 68–58 win over Pebblebrook High School.^[2] Okeke was named Mr. Georgia Basketball after his senior season, after he averaged 24.4 points, 15 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game.^[3] He was a consensus four-star recruit and was ranked among the top 50 players in his class by some scouting services.^[4]

College career

Okeke played with the Tigers of Auburn University.^[5]

In his freshman season, Okeke averaged 7.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He grabbed 197 rebounds in the season, the most by an Auburn freshman since Jeff Moore in 1984–85.^[4]

As a sophomore, Okeke averaged 12 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while starting in all 38 games.^[6] On March 29, 2019, in a Sweet 16 win over top-seeded North Carolina at the 2019 NCAA tournament, he tore his ACL and was injured for the rest of the tournament. Despite his absence, Auburn advanced to its first Final Four appearance in program history.^[7]

Professional career

Orlando Magic (2020–2024)

On June 20, 2019, Okeke was selected with the 16th overall pick by the Orlando Magic in the 2019 NBA draft. Okeke was considered to be a lottery pick in the draft, but after suffering an ACL injury in the 2019 NCAA tournament, he fell to the 16th selection by the Magic, and was referred to by ESPN analyst Mike Schmitz as the "steal of the draft."^[8]

During his rehab, Okeke signed a one-year G League contract with the Magic's affiliate in Lakeland with the intent of starting his rookie-scale contract in 2020. At the time, the Magic faced a salary cap crunch that prevented them from adding Okeke's rookie salary to their books.^[9] He reported to Lakeland's training camp as a draft rights player on October 28, 2019.^[10] However, Okeke never played a game with Lakeland.

On November 16, 2020, the Orlando Magic signed Okeke.^[11] In a preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks, Okeke recorded 9 points with 2 three-pointers. On March 26, 2021, he scored a career-high 22 points on 60 percent shooting from the field in a 105–112 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Okeke averaged over 12 points after the trade deadline before suffering a season-ending minor ankle injury against the Cleveland Cavaliers. On February 25, 2022, he scored a career-high 26 points in a 119–111 win over the Houston Rockets, surpassing his previous career-high mark set during the 2020–21 season.

Westchester Knicks (2024–present)

On August 1, 2024, Okeke signed with the New York Knicks,^[12] but was waived on September 28.^[13] On October 2, he re-signed with the Knicks,^[14] but was waived again on October 19.^[15] On October 28, he joined the Westchester Knicks.^[16]

Career statistics

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

NBA

Regular season


Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2020–21	Orlando	45	19	25.2	.417	.348	.750	4.0	2.2	1.1	.5	7.8
2021–22	Orlando	70	20	25.0	.376	.318	.846	5.0	1.7	1.4	.6	8.6
2022–23	Orlando	27	8	19.2	.352	.302	.762	3.6	1.4	.7	.4	4.7
2023–24	Orlando	47	8	9.2	.357	.280	.571	1.7	.4	.2	.1	2.3
Career		189	55	20.3	.383	.318	.789	3.7	1.5	.9	.4	6.3

Playoffs


Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2024	Orlando	2	0	4.9	.667	.500	1.000	.0	.5	.0	.0	3.0
Career		2	0	4.9	.667	.500	1.000	.0	.5	.0	.0	3.0

College


Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2017–18	Auburn	34	0	21.6	.458	.391	.673	5.8	1.1	.7	.7	7.5
2018–19	Auburn	38	38	29.1	.496	.387	.722	6.8	1.9	1.8	1.2	12.0
Career		72	38	25.5	.481	.389	.703	6.3	1.5	1.3	1.0	9.9