It’s amazing how the influence of African-American players in the league continues to grow despite having a clear cut dominance in the numbers. The NBA in 2023 was composed of 70.4%black players, 17.5% white players, 2.2% Latino players of any race, and 0.2% Asian players. The league has the highest percentage of black players of any major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. And one of those players is Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro.

Okoro prides himself on being the last ever Woj bomb in the NBA. But if there’s anything higher on the list, it’s his African-American culture and heritage. We dive deeper into this topic and more about his early life and upbringing.

Where is Isaac Okoro from? What is the Cavs star’s nationality?

The ‘American’ in his lineage comes from being born and brought up in Atlanta, Georgia. Growing up in Powder Springs, Georgia, Okoro was the youngest of three siblings. While his parents weren’t athletic, they instilled a strong work ethic, often recounting their own journey from Nigeria to the U.S. in the 1980s—a story that motivated Isaac to pursue basketball despite initial family unfamiliarity with the sport. Attending the McEachern High School in Georgia for four years, he somewhat became a legend in the school.

At McEachern, coach Mike Thompson became a pivotal figure, honing Okoro’s defensive skills and nicknaming him ‘Ice’ for his cool-headedness under pressure. This early mentorship laid the foundation for his NBA-ready defense.

He helped them win a state championship in his senior year, which earned him national plaudits and got him considered as a five-star recruit by Rivals and a four-star recruit by 247Sports and ESPN.

But the ‘African’ in his lineage comes from the country of Nigeria. While being an Atlanta born and bred, he’s the son of Godwin and Gloria Okoro, who emigrated from Nigeria in the 1980s. He grew up as a proud Okoro Christian, with his religion explicitly listed as Christianity in player profiles and biographical information. “I wouldn’t say that we’re an athletic family. My parents both came from Nigeria, so they really didn’t know a lot about sports and things like that,” said Okoro to NBA on his parents’ influence on his sportsman career. He said his mother always told him “to keep that Nigerian pride. Even though I wasn’t born in Nigeria, I still got Nigerian blood.”

Despite being introducted to soccer, he knew basketball was his true calling from early on. “My parents also got me into basketball and football – and I just fell in love with basketball. My other siblings really didn’t have the taste for sports, but I really stuck to playing basketball and continued to do that.” And just like that, he killed it at the high school scene, after which he opted to play for the Auburn Tigers.

Which college did Isaac Okoro attend?

Isaac Okoro chose the Tigers over offers from the Gators, Seminoles, Ducks and Longhorns of Division I. His collegiate career was cut short due to covid, but man did he impress the living hell out of the NBA scouts in that year. He scored 12 points in his debut against the Georgia Southern Eagles, was named Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Week on November 18, 2019, and was named to the All-SEC Second Team, the SEC All-Freshman Team and the SEC All-Defensive Team after the regular season ended.

Ice started 28 games, averaging 12.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game over 31.5 minutes. The Cavs wasted no time in snapping up the youngster, being picked as the the fifth pick overall in the 2020 draft. The problem is, his defensive brilliance won’t bring in the numbers required to make the headlines. But Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson rates him highly, considering he’s already played 320 games for them at the age of 24. A hamstring injury sidelined him for 12 games in the 2023-2024 season, but his return in 2024-2025 showcased his Nigerian-rooted resilience, averaging a career-best 28 minutes per game. ‘I play for my family and my heritage,’ he told ESPN in February 2025.

Isaac Okoro is the perfect example of African-American dominion done right. His defensive capabilities have the Cavs on the road to win their second ever ring. Despite his injury problems, the Nigerian pride in his blood will not stop him at any cost.