“I had that mindset and once I started, I tried to fight for every opportunity to show that I’m really that guy and I could play really hard.” James Nnaji had expressed his thoughts with clarity when asked if the NBA could be a realistic option for him. Hooping was a slightly late discovery for Nnaji, he only began properly pursuing it in 2016. But the FC Barcelona hooper puts in immense energy every time he steps onto the floor. In the past, the Nigerian-born star had shared with The Rookie Wire, “I want to win Most Improved Player and after I go to the All-Star Game, we’ll see if we can go for championships.”

Nnaji’s presence is hard to miss when on the court. He is yet to appear in his rookie NBA season. Inspired by the likes of Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Patrick Ewing, and Hakeem Olajuwon, the hooper who’s always prioritized ‘family first’ has one key mantra, “Put 100% effort into what you do,” while consistently doing the right thing, regardless of the result.

From Nigeria to Spain to the NBA- Who is James Nnaji?

James Nnaji started his journey on the courts of Makurdi, the capital city of the Benue State in central Nigeria. His family owns a shop in the local marketplace called Modern Market. His talent was spotted by the Ratgeber Basketball Academy in Hungary when a Facebook reel of his camp went viral and from there, his heartening journey took a long leap.

Nnaji’s professional career started with Pecsi VSK, a Hungarian league team, where he showcased his exceptional potential. In 2020, he transitioned to Spain, joining FC Barcelona’s junior team. He then became the youngest hooper to ever appear in the EuroLeague, on Jan 9, 2022, and he finished with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 blocks while going 3 of 3 from the field. He’s been with the senior team since then and has come out as one of the top young players on a roster that features players like Nikola Mirotic, and Jan Vesely.

James Nnaji’s life wouldn’t have been this exciting if an older gentleman, a former soccer player who eventually paved the way for his pro hoops career, hadn’t come to the family market that day. Nnaji recalled, “This man was like, ‘Oh, you’re really tall.’ I was like, ‘I know’ and he was surprised to see a [12-year-old] this tall. He started telling me that playing basketball would be a good idea… I said, ‘Okay, if that’s what you say, I’m going to give it a try.’”

James Nnaji continued. “At first, I didn’t like it…. It’s a lot of running up and down, but nobody was passing the ball. Everybody was shooting the ball for themselves. You just have to run coast to coast. Bit by bit, I started feeling like I was part of the team. When I started blocking shots, dunking, I remember thinking ‘I think I like the game now.’”

That’s how James Nnaji got fascinated with the game, and now he is considered one of the most promising young players for the upcoming NBA season!

Why did the trade of James Nnaji to the New York Knicks happen?

James Nnaji was picked 31st overall in the 2023 NBA draft by the Pistons, after which his draft rights were traded to the Hornets. Now recently, his rights were again traded to the Knicks along with Karl-Anthony Towns in a three-team trade. Charlotte was the 3rd team in the trade alongside Minnesota and New York.

As per Shams Charania, “The Hornets are receiving three second-round picks (two via Knicks, one via Minnesota), along with DaQuan Jeffries, Charlie Brown and Duane Washington Jr., to complete the Karl-Anthony Towns-Julius Randle-Donte DiVincenzo trade, sources tell me, @JonKrawczynski and @FredKats.”

Then he again wrote on X, “Charlotte is also trading James Nnaji – the No. 31 pick in the 2023 NBA draft – to New York to finalize the trade, sources tell me, @JonKrawczynski and @FredKatz.”

James Nnaji currently playing for Girona (on loan from FC Barcelona) of the Spanish Liga ACB. He never wore the Hornets uniform. In 26 regular-season games for Barcelona in the 2023-24 season, the hooper averaged 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds while shooting 64.9% from the field, across 8.3 minutes per game.

In an interview when James Nnaji was asked about his improvements in the game, he replied, “Right now, I’m working on my shot, which I work on every single day after practice. I stay more and shoot more and improve my techniques and I think it is looking quite good right now…. I personally think, with time, you start getting used to the game and it comes to you.”

Nnaji is a phenomenal pick-and-roll runner and brilliant in rim protection with decent mobility and lateral quickness. He has to now prove that his skills are truly unparalleled and can be of use to an NY side that is gearing up to go all the way. What’s you read on the Nigerian hooper?

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.