Ejimofor Anosike earned his first cap for Nigeria recently as a member of the country’s senior men’s team to the Paris 2024 Pre-Olympic Games qualifiers in Lagos, during which he shined brilliantly with his on-court play. Despite the team’s failure to qualify for the Paris 2004 Games, plaudits and fans agreed that the qualifiers revealed a new basketball gem for Nigeria in Anosike from whom the country can expect a long, meritorious service in the game, OLALEKAN OKUSAN writes.
Basketball runs in the Anosike’s family, and it was inevitable for Ejimofor Anosike, 24, to pick it up.
Anosike’s elder sister, Nicky, played in the WNBA while his older brothers – Ifesinachi and Oderah – played at the collegiate and professional levels. Thus, a clear path to follow was laid before Anosike, the youngest member of the family, who took to it in his own unique way.
Rarely does the aptitude for academic excellence and prodigious talent in sports occur in individuals. However, this is the case with Anosike who is a graduate of Finance and Business Economics, with a minor in Accounting from Sacred Heart University in the United States.
As an undergraduate, Anosike was an embodiment of brain and brawn as he posted a 3.57 GPA to earn the 2020 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award, helping his college teams to excel in major tournaments across the U.S.
His college exploits were a continuation of his brilliance at the Paramus Catholic High School in New Jersey where Anosike was a 1,000-point scorer, averaging 18 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and three steals per game as a senior. These huge numbers on the courts and his cerebral accomplishments in his studies earned Anosike a number of scholarships to colleges.
From 2017 to 2020, Anosike was a regular face in the Sacred Heart University team. He also featured for the University of Tennessee (2020-2021) and the California State University Fullerton (2021-2022).
Professionally, Anosike has played in the NBA G League – the official minor league of the NBA – playing for the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks. Also, he has plied his trade in South Korea where he played for KT Sonicboom as well as CEBL and Winnipeg Sea Bears in Canada. Recently, Anosike signed for Chorale Roanne in the French Pro A for the upcoming season.
The inspirational Anosike recalled how his journey in basketball began: “I embraced basketball because to me it resembles life. My favourite quote is ‘Life is like a basketball, when you get to your lowest point you bounce right back up’. The game of basketball brought me an opportunity to have a better life, especially being the youngest child in a single-parent immigrant household. The game of basketball allowed me to make friends, get scholarships for university and travel all over the world,” the D’Tiger debutant revealed.
He continued: “The late NBA legend Kobe Bryant inspired me to play basketball, I remember watching him on television as a kid when he won a championship. He wore the number 8, and I am the 8th child. So to me it felt like it is destiny to be an NBA Player. Basketball taught me to never give up on my dreams. If you can believe in yourself and work hard, you can make your dreams come true. You have to be confident and believe in yourself and your dreams before anyone else does.”
Also, Anosike acknowledged the pull of family tradition in his love for basketball. “Yes, basketball runs in our family. My older sister, Nicky played in the WNBA and my older brothers, Ifesinachi and Oderah, played basketball at the collegiate and professional levels. Sports played a pivotal role for my family as it allowed us to attend university and receive scholarships,” he said.
To Anosike, the secret of combining educational pursuits and sports to excel in both lies in being highly organised as an individual. “I have always been a great student. I studied Finance, Business Economics, and Accounting at Sacred Heart. I was able to do this because I was very organized and I took classes all year, including during the summers when the school was on break. By doing this, I was able to get my bachelor’s degree in less than three years. Basketball never got in the way of school because I made sure I completed my school work weeks in advance, so I can focus on basketball,” he said.
Anosike spent most of his schooling years in the US. However, the new Nigerian discovery remains close to his roots and works hard at serving as a good role model to the youth. “My mother taught us at an early age that we are Nigerian before we are American. Nigerian kids from all over the world look up to me. It is my responsibility to showcase and represent our culture and people at the highest levels. My name is Ejimofor Azunwanne Anosike, I am a Nigerian man, whose family is from Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria. The youngest son of Ngozi Anosike, and I am proud to be Nigerian and play for the national team,” Anosike stressed.
Getting a call-up to the national team took some time for Anosike and demanded extra hard work from the youngster. He recalled: “In 2021, they (National Team) had a camp in the US to which I was not invited. I saw the names of the players on the list and I used it as motivation. So for the next two years, I worked hard and dominated in every league I was in. I made a name for myself in the basketball world and I got the attention of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF). Through this, I got an invitation to play on the national team. Many former players and coaches advocated for me to get an opportunity because I deserved it.”
Playing for Nigeria’s D’Tigers is an honour Anosike cherishes: “For me, it is an honour to wear the green, white, and green because it reflects who I am and the people I represent. My childhood was spent in Nigeria and being here built the foundation for the man I am today. Those experiences allowed me to rise and overcome many challenges abroad. Playing for my mother’s country is a blessing because it brought my family together and allowed me to inspire the next generation of kids who follow me,” he stated.
On the emotions he felt playing his debut match for Nigeria, Anosike said: “It was great seeing the love from the fans when I entered the game. I didn’t play much but I made the most of my opportunity. I was able to showcase a glimpse of what I can do, given the opportunity. It was a great feeling competing with my brothers.”
However, Anosike rued the inability of the team to advance to the next stage of the Olympic Games qualifiers and stressed that it was an outcome which would inspire him to work harder. “After playing in the pre-Olympic Games qualifiers, I am going to train and get so good that I cannot be denied the opportunity to step on the court. I used my first outing with the team as motivation to become the greatest player I can be so I can lead my country to the highest level of success. I know what needs to be done, so I will work hard and prepare for that opportunity,” he said.
Anosike noted the abundance of sporting talents in Nigeria and urged the country to tap these up for national greatness.
His words: “As a country, we have a lot of untapped potential in our youth. We need to create resources and focus on developing the youth to be prepared to be great players. Many of us had to leave Nigeria to take advantage of the resources and systems abroad to reach our potential as athletes. There are many talented kids, who just need a chance to play and get better. Infrastructure is the most important thing. That is why other countries in Africa are having success in this generation.
“We still have talented and highly driven kids who want to play the game, despite the lack of resources and opportunity. In the US, you can start basketball at five and play your whole life with a coach. In Nigeria, there is no such strong youth system in place to allow kids to grow and develop,” Anosike observed.
