The National Basketball Association (NBA) 2020 draft in November selected young and talented players in the US as well as eligible players from Nigeria and other parts of the world.
The draft was initially scheduled to take place in Brooklyn at Barclays Center in June following a lottery in May. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the lottery was successfully carried out on August 20, 2020 with the event conducted virtually via videoconferencing at ESPN’s facilities in Bristol, Connecticut on November 18, 2020.
With eight exceptional Nigerian and American-Nigerian basketball players: Zeke Nnaji, Isaac Okoro, Udoka Azubuike, Precious Achiuwa, Desmond Bane, Jordan Nwora, Onyeka Okongwu, and Daniel Oturu, these players stand a chance to make NBA history writing their names in gold selected by the following teams:
Zeke Nnaji (Denver Nuggets; Power Forward; 19; 6’11) 
Isaac Okoro (Cleveland Cavaliers; Small Forward; 19; 6’6) 
Udoka Azubuike (Utah Jazz; Center/PF; 21; 7’0) 
Precious Achuiwa (Miami Heat; Power Forward; 21; 6’9) 
Desmond Bane (Boston Celtics; Point Guard/SG; 22; 6’6) 
Jordan Nwora (Milwaukee Bucks; Small Forward; 22; 6’7) 
Onyeka Okongwu (Atlanta Hawks; Power Forward; 19; 6’9) 
Daniel Oturu (Minnesota Timberwolves; Center; 22; 6’10)
They all wear different jerseys but have one thing in common, supporting their team tirelessly in every game to win. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ youngster, Isaac Okoro, shared the support he is getting from his mother to keep the Nigerian Pride.
Despite the negative effect of the coronavirus pandemic to the global economy, NBA players remain the world’s best paid athletes by average annual salary per player which promise a bright financial future for the newly signed youngsters.
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By Elijah Christopher
Elijah Christopher, a journalist at A New Touch Of Africa, is also a creative writer, a poet, and an IoT enthusiast. He contributed to the collaborative poem written in celebration of Edwin Morgan Centenary, the first Glasgow poet laureate and Scottish national poet from the University of Glasgow. He loves meeting people and learning about new places, cultures, events, and lifestyles.
