These 8 African Basketball Players Are In the Running To Be Drafted Into the NBA
Get to know these names ahead of the 2019 NBA Draft.
The 2019 NBA Draft goes down Thursday evening—where top athletes from college basketball and from around the world anxiously wait to see which of the 30 professional teams deem them worthy of a jersey.
After seeing the serious African representation with the new champs, the Toronto Raptors, we couldn't help but peruse the NBA's Draft Notes to learn about the African players who are in the running of being drafted.
Below are a handful of names you should know ahead of tonight's draft.
Mfiondu Kabengele | Democratic Republic of Congo
Kabengele played for Florida State is also the nephew of NBA vet and Hall of Fame inductee Dikembe Mutumbo.
Simisola Shittu | Nigeria
Shittu is a potential draft pick who played for Vanderbilt.
Sekou Doumbouya | Guinea
Doumbouya is also a French professional basketball player coming from team Limoges CSP of the LNB Pro A league. He's in the running to become the highest pick ever from France.
Bol Bol | Sudan
Bol played for Oregon and is the son of the late center Manute Bol, who had a 10-season career in the NBA.
Olumiye Oni | Nigeria
Oni, who is coming from Yale, may be the first player from the Ivy League to be drafted since Jerome Allen was selected in the second round from University of Pennsylvania in 1995.
Bruno Fernando | Angola
Fernando, who is coming from University of Maryland College Park, announced that he will be entering the draft in May.
Rui Hachimura | Benin + Japan
Hachimura is of Japanese and Beninese descent. Coming from Gonzaga University, he could be the first Japanese-born player to be drafted into the NBA.
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