Top 5 African origin NBA players entering into the 2021-22 season

The NBA is home to some of the best players in the world. The league has been open to talent throughout the world. Right from Hakeen Olajuwon to Dirk Nowitzki, many players have come from non-American countries and made a significant impact in the league.

Last season's Finals MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, hails from Greece. Players like Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo are a few other examples of players of African descent to have made a huge impact in the league.

Coming into a new country and competing against the best in the world is not easy. However, several NBA players have done that and etched their names in the history books. In today's article, we take a look at five players of African origin to make it big in the league

Top five active African origin NBA players

#5 Pascal Siakam

Pascal Siakam was born in Douala, Cameroon. He made his way into the NBA after being drafted 27th overall by the Toronto Raptors in 2016. After starting 38 games for the team in his rookie season, Siakam also played for the Raptors D-League team. He was terrific there and won the Finals MVP in the 2017 NBA season.

Siakam kept growing as a player and he eventually became a starter in the team. He was awarded as the Most Improved Player in the NBA for 2019. That year, he averaged 16.9PPG and played a big role in the Raptors championship-winning team.

He was a vital part of the Raptors during that playoffs, and averaged 19.0 PPG on 47.0 % shooting from the field. The Cameroon international has proven to be one of the best young talents in the league. His patented spin move has helped him score many points in the paint and he will be looking to use that to perfection this time around. After missing out on a playoff spot last year due to poor performances and with the exit of Kyle Lowry, the onus now lies on Pascal Siakam. He will have to put up great numbers if the Raptors want to have any chance of making it to the playoffs.

#4 OG Anunoby

OG Anunoby was born in London, however, his parents were Nigerian. His father was born and brought up in Nigeria, but shifted to London to become a professor. Anunoby was the 24th pick in the 2017 draft. He was picked by the Toronto Raptors and he went in and became an instant favorite there.

In his rookie season, OG started 62 games averaging a healthy 20 minutes per game. He managed only 5.9 PPG, but his impact on the team was never measured on the stats. In his second year and the Toronto Raptors' NBA championship-winning season, OG played only six games. His season was cut short due to medical reasons and he missed out on their playoff run.

However, he came back strong the following year. In the 2019-20 NBA season, Anunoby played 68 games and started in all the games. He was a stalwart in the team and made some pretty big shots throughout their campaign without Kawhi Leonard.

His defensive prowess was a key part of the Raptors team. They failed to make a deep run in the playoffs as they were knocked out by the Celtics in the conference semis. In the 2020-21 season, OG played tremendously well, and although the Raptors failed to make it to the playoffs, he averaged 15.9 PPG - the highest he has had in his career. His ability to make big shots and elite defensive abilities make him a vital part of the Raptors team.

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#3 Bam Adebayo

Bam Adebayo during Miami Heat v Houston Rockets

Bam Adebayo was born to a Nigerian father and an African American mother. He was born in New Jersey and played basketball from a fairly young age. He was drafted 14th overall by the Miami Heat in 2017. In his first full season, Bam averaged a mere 6.9 PPG but promised to be a big player for the Heat in the future.

He won the hearts of Heat fans with his terrific performances in the 2019-20 season. That year, Bam was terrific as he averaged 15.9 PPG and 10.2 RPG. He was named in the NBA's first-team all-defense and was a vital cog in Miami's run to the NBA finals.

Bam continued dominating with another brilliant performance in the 2020-21 season. The center averaged 18.7 PPG and booked himself an all-star appearance for the first time last year. Bam has proven to be one of the main players for the Heat in the last two years and with the arrival of PJ Tucker and Kyle Lowry, the team has only gotten stronger.

He will be hoping to add another great season under his name and make this time count by winning the championship. Having already proven his defensive prowess to the fans last year, Bam will also be hoping to bag the defensive player of the year trophy, which he is believed to have truly deserved last season.

#2 Joel Embiid

Philadelphia 76ers v Atlanta Hawks - Game Three

Joel Embiid was born in Yaounade, Cameroon and was spotted in a basketball camp by a former NBA player. After terrorizing defenses in college, Embiid was drafted third overall by Philadelphia 76ers in 2014.

He had a terrific rookie season and averaged 20.2 PPG there on 46.6 % shooting from the field. Since then there has only been growth for Embiid, who has been named four times into the All-Star team. The center had a stunning campaign in the 2018-19 season, as he averaged 27.5 PPG and 13.6 RPG on 48.4 % shooting.

That year, Philly lost to the Toronto Raptors in the conference semis after a Kawhi dagger. For Joel Embiid, the most notable season has to be the 2020-21 season. He was in the running to be named the MVP, but injuries kept him out for a few games which led to Jokic being crowned as the MVP.

Embiid averaged 28.5 PPG all through last season and was the lone warrior for the team in the playoffs. He averaged 28.1 PPG in the few games he featured during the post-season, but a lack-luster performance from other teammates cost Philly a place in the conference finals.

Still aged 27, Embiid has a lot of basketball left in him. His dominance in the paint has helped him win praise from several NBA legends. If he continues dominating the paint, just like he has been doing throughout his career, there is no doubt that he is on track to become one of the best African centers to play in the league since Hakeem Olajuwon.

#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis shooting a shot during the 2021 NBA Finals - Game Six

Giannis Antetokounmpo was born to Nigerian immigrants in Greece. He faced a lot of hurdles on his way up, but got past all of them before being drafted 15th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013.

His physical transformation over the years caught the attention of fans. In just two seasons, Giannis became a starter on the Bucks team. He won the NBA Most Improved Player of the year award in 2017. Just two years after that he was announced the regular season MVP and he began dominating the league with his brilliant game in the paint.

He is called the Greek Freak owing to his domination on both ends. After missing out on several occasions, he finally made his first NBA Finals during the 2020-21 season. He had an injury right before the series, but the hunger to prove his worth on the biggest stage helped him comeback right in time.

Giannis stepped up during the finals as he helped the team come back from 2-0 down to defeat the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in the finals. He averaged 35.2 PPG and 13.2 RPG throughout the six games and completely dominated the finals to help the Bucks to their first championship in 50 years.

Aged just 26, Giannis still has a lot of quality basketball in him. He will be looking for another big performance next year and make another run at the championship with his Bucks team.