The Milwaukee Bucks were crowned NBA champions for the 2020/21 season and three Nigerians were part of that team.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (originally Adetokunbo) was the man of the moment with a 50-point performance to wrap up a dominant display throughout the series.
His brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo and 22-year old Jordan Nwora were the other Nigerians on the team.
However, it was Jordan Nwora who made history by becoming the first Nigerian representing Nigeria to win the NBA champion.
Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo have Nigerian parents and often claim their Nigerian roots but they both represent Greece in international matches.
Jordan Nwora has been representing Nigeria by playing for the D’Tigers since he was a teenager still in college.
The only other Nigerian to win the NBA championship was Hakeem Olajuwon, the former MVP is proudly Nigerian but also never played basketball for his country while Jordan did.
In fact, Jordan Nwora is part of the 12-man D’Tigers roster which will fly the Nigerian flag at the Olympics in Tokyo a few days from now.
The 6-foot-8 player won the NBA title in his rookie season so he didn’t play many parts in the triumph as the coach trusted more experienced players.
Nwora played just once in the final six games against the Phoenix Suns, brought on towards the end of game three as Milwaukee won 120-100, he scored three points with his only shot of the game.
Nwora played in five total games during the Bucks’ postseason run, making his playoff debut in round one of the Eastern Conference playoffs vs. the Miami heat.
In game two, he notched five points (2-6 FG, 1-3 3PT), as well as two rebounds and a block. He went 0-4 in game three, with no other stats logged.
As his career progresses and he gains more NBA experience, you can expect Jordan Nwora to be more involved in games.
However, he’s already a key player for Nigeria’s national team, the D’Tigers and will have a bigger platform to show his capabilities at the Olympics.Â