Chukwuemeka Noubuisi Okafor (born September 28, 1982 in Houston, Texas), widely abbreviated to Emeka Okafor, is a professional basketball player for the Charlotte Bobcats of the NBA. He is most famous for being a forward/center on the University of Connecticut men's basketball team from the 2001-2002 season through the 2003-2004 season. Prior to attending UConn, he graduated from Houston's Bellaire High School.
Okafor, the son of Nigerian immigrants, is known for not only being a good basketball player but also for achieving success in academics. His major at UConn was finance, and he graduated with honors after three years in May 2004 with a 3.8 GPA. One of his last courses at UConn was an honors-level finance course where students were allowed to make investment decisions for a small portion of UConn's endowment. Okafor was named the Academic All-American of the Year in 2004 for his work off the court.
The 6'10" (2.08 m) Okafor is noted for his ability to block shots. Although he was plagued by back problems for most of the 2003-2004 season, Okafor led UConn to victory in the 2004 NCAA championship, where he was crowned the Most Outstanding Player for the 2004 NCAA Tournament. A powerful defender, he led the nation in blocks that season and was also named National Defensive Player of the Year by the NABC .
On April 16, 2004, he declared his eligibility for the 2004 NBA Draft, giving up his one remaining year of college athletic eligibility. On June 24, Okafor was selected second overall in the draft, becoming the first ever draft pick by the expansion Charlotte Bobcats. The following day, he accepted an invitation to join the United States team for the 2004 Summer Olympics.
With the Bobcats so far this season, Okafor has played very finely, coping well with the pressure of being a star rookie on a new team. Highlights of the season have included recording 19 straight double-doubles from November 21 through January 1, and finishing seventh among Eastern Conference forwards in NBA All-Star Game fan balloting with 408,082 votes, by far the highest number garnered by any rookie in 2005.
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Last updated: 10-29-2005 02:13:46
