Onyeka Okongwu is a professional basketball player who plays in the National Basketball Association. He is currently playing for the Atlanta Hawks as the team’s power forward and center.
Player Profile and Personal Life
Onyeka Okongwu was born on December 11, 2000, in Los Angeles, California in the United States of America. His family later transferred to Chino Hills, California.
He stands 208 cm tall and his weight was last listed at 109 kg. He is right-handed and he is a power forward and a center.
| Team |
Atlanta Hawks
|
| Position | Power Forward |
| Height / weight | 2.08 m / 109 kg |
| Born | 11 Dec 2000 |
| Nationality |
United States
|
| Playing Style | Right Handed |
| Team History | |
|
Atlanta
|
2020 - present |
| College Park Skyhawks | 2021 |
His parents are Nigerian immigrants. His father died in 2021.
High School and College Career
He attended Chino Hills High School where he played for the varsity basketball team. There, he played alongside the Ball brothers – Lonzo Ball, LiAngelo Ball, and LaMelo Ball. Together, they helped lead the team to play in the national basketball tournaments.
His team also ranked number 1 in the country and achieved the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division state title. As a great contributor to the team, he was named MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year. During his sophomore year, he led Chino Hills to reach the CIF Southern Section Open Division semifinals and Regional semifinals.
Later, he committed to play college basketball for the University of Southern California. In 2020, he was named to the First-team All-Pac 12.
Professional Career
He declared for the NBA in 2020 and joined the 2020 NBA Draft where he was selected 6th overall by the Atlanta Hawks.
He signed his rookie contract with the team in November 2020. In July 2021, the team announced that Okongwu had surgery to repair an injury on his right shoulder. In October 2023, he signed a four-year contract extension with the Hawks.
Career Highlights
- 2020 - First-team All-Pac-12
- 2018, 2019 - California Mr. Basketball
