James Nnaji
 | |
| No. 23 – FC Barcelona | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | Liga ACB EuroLeague |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 14 August 2004 Makurdi, Nigeria |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA draft | 2023:2nd round, 31st overall pick |
| Selected by theDetroit Pistons | |
| Playing career | 2019–present |
| Career history | |
| 2019–2020 | Rátgéber Akadémia |
| 2020–present | FC Barcelona |
| 2020–2021 | →FC Barcelona B |
| Statsat NBA.com | |
| Statsat Basketball-Reference.com | |
James Nnaji(/ˈnɑːdʒi/NAH-jee;born 14 August 2004) is aNigerianprofessionalbasketballplayer forFC Barcelonaof the SpanishLiga ACBand theEuroLeague.He was selected 31st overall in the2023 NBA draftby theDetroit Pistons,but his rights were subsequently traded to theCharlotte Hornets.
Early life and youth career[edit]
Nnaji grew up inMakurdi,Nigeriawhere he started playing basketball. He is from the middle belt (central) region of Nigeria. In 2018, Nnaji moved to Ratgeber Basketball Academy in Hungary.[1]
Professional career[edit]
Nnaji started his career withRátgéber Akadémia,a team in the Hungarian league. He moved from Hungary to Barcelona in 2020, joiningFC Barcelona Bin 2020. From there, he would move up to the A team ofFC Barcelonain 2021, making thirteen appearances in the 2021–22 season.[1]
Nnaji declared for the2023 NBA draft,where he was ranked as the 24th-best prospect in the ESPN Top 100.[2]On June 22, 2023, Nnaji was selected 31st overall in the 2023 NBA draft by theDetroit Pistons,which then traded him to theCharlotte Hornets.[3]
Career statistics[edit]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goalpercentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goalpercentage | FT% | Free-throwpercentage |
| RPG | Reboundsper game | APG | Assistsper game | SPG | Stealsper game |
| BPG | Blocksper game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance Index Rating |
| Bold | Career high |
EuroLeague[edit]
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Barcelona | 13 | 2 | 5.8 | .750 | — | .000 | 1.7 | .2 | — | .4 | 1.8 | 2.5 |
| 2022–23 | 19 | 0 | 6.4 | .762 | — | .462 | 1.3 | .4 | — | .5 | 2.0 | 2.7 | |
| 2023–24 | 19 | 0 | 5.6 | .720 | — | .419 | 1.4 | .2 | .2 | .3 | 2.6 | 3.0 | |
| Career | 51 | 2 | 6.0 | .742 | — | .396 | 1.5 | .2 | .1 | .4 | 2.2 | 2.8 | |
References[edit]
- ^ab"Barcelona locks up teenage center Nnaji".euroleaguebasketball.net.23 September 2022.Retrieved2 May2023.
- ^Givony, Jonathan (20 April 2023)."EuroLeague prospect James Nnaji, 18, submits paperwork to enter NBA draft".ESPN.com.Retrieved2 May2023.
- ^Yeager, Jon (22 June 2023)."BREAKING: Hornets Draft James Nnaji".SI.com.Retrieved22 June2023.