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

#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.