David Okeke
{{Short description|Italian basketball player}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = David Okeke
| image =
| caption =
| position = Small forward / power forward
| height_cm = 202
| weight_kg = 90
| league = Úrvalsdeild karla
| team = Álftanes
| number = 16
| nationality = Italian
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|9|15|df=y}}
| birth_place = Monza, Italy
| college =
| draft_year = 2019
| career_start = 2015
| career_end =
| years1 = 2015–2016 | team1 = Oleggio Magic
| years2 = 2016–2018 | team2 = Auxilium Torino
| years3 = 2021 | team3 = Rustavi
| years4 = 2021–2023 | team4 = Keflavík
| years5 = 2023–2024 | team5 = Haukar
| years6 = 2024–present | team6 = Álftanes
| highlights =
- Georgian Superliga champion (2021)
- Italian Cup winner (2018)
| medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport|Men's basketball}}
{{MedalCountry|{{bk|ITA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|FIBA Under-19 World Cup}}
{{MedalSilver|2017 Egypt|}}
}}
David Albright Okeke (born 15 September 1998) is an Italian professional basketball player of Nigerian descent who plays for Álftanes in the Icelandic Úrvalsdeild karla. In 2021, he won the Georgian Superliga championship with BC Rustavi.
Career
Born in Monza, Italy, Okeke grew up in Robbio and Novara. After playing football, he got his basketball career underway, playing at Mortara, Stella Azzurra Roma and Casale.{{cite web|url=http://www.lastampa.it/2016/11/02/edizioni/novara/okeke-porta-novara-in-serie-a-di-basket-ora-sogno-di-restarci-GyKy5BA2cN9h05p9bbwcyK/pagina.html |title=Okeke porta Novara in serie A1 di basket: "Ora sogno di restarci" - La Stampa |website=Lastampa.it |date=2016-01-01 |accessdate=2017-07-17}} In the 2014–15 season, Okeke averaged 8.5 points a game for Borgomanero Basket Giovane in Italy’s Serie C.{{cite web|url=https://www.playbasket.it/piemonte/profile.php?subj=1&exteid=4&season=2015&extobj=3777&obj=50420&action=view&eid=5 |title=David Albrigth Okeke - College Basketball A.D. |website=Playbasket.it |date= |accessdate=2017-07-17}}
Climbing the ranks, he competed in the national second-tier Serie B in the 2015–16 season, tallying 4.0 points a contest for Oleggio Magic Basket.{{cite web|url=https://www.playbasket.it/piemonte/profile.php?season=2016&subj=1&exteid=4&extobj=3780&obj=50420&action=view&eid=5 |title=David Albrigth Okeke - [A. Dil. Oleggio Magic Basket @ |website=Playbasket.it |date= |accessdate=2017-07-17}}
The 2016–17 season saw Okeke make his debut in Italy’s top-flight LBA after signing with Auxilium Torino, known as Fiat Torino for sponsorship reasons.{{Cite news|url=http://www.basketuniverso.it/torino-contrattualizza-il-giovane-okeke/|title=Torino ufficializza il giovane David Okeke|date=2016-07-25|work=BasketUniverso|access-date=2017-07-19|language=it-IT}} He averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds per contest in his first Serie A season.
In the 2017–18 season, Okeke won the Italian Basketball Cup with Torino. He also made his European debut with Torino, playing in the EuroCup, where he played 12.5 minutes per game. In these minutes, he managed to average 4 points on 72% field goal shooting.{{cite web | title=OKEKE, DAVID | website= 7DAYS EuroCup | url=https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/?seasoncode=U2017&pcode=007877 | access-date=6 September 2018}}
In 2019, he declared for the NBA draft.{{cite news |title=47 international early-entry candidates withdraw from Draft |url=https://www.nba.com/news/47-international-early-entry-candidates-withdraw-draft-official-release |access-date=11 December 2021 |work=NBA |date=12 June 2019}} He went undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft.
After almost three years without playing basketball for health reasons (Heart), Okeke made his comeback with Georgian side BC Rustavi in January 2021.{{Cite news|title=David Okeke torna in campo dopo 3 anni|language=it-IT|work=Sportando|url=https://sportando.basketball/david-okeke-torna-in-campo-dopo-3-anni/|access-date=2021-01-16}} In 18 games, he averaged 9.3 points and 6.8 rebounds, helping the team to the Georgian Superliga championship.
In August 2021, Okeke signed with Úrvalsdeild karla club Keflavík.{{cite news |author1=Valur Páll Eiríksson |title=Keflavík fær Ítala sem lék ekki í tæp þrjú ár vegna hjartavandamála |url=https://www.visir.is/g/20212139426d |access-date=11 December 2021 |work=Vísir.is |date=3 August 2021 |language=Icelandic}}{{cite news |author1=Davíð Eldur |title=David Okeke til Keflavíkur |url=https://www.karfan.is/2021/08/david-okeke-til-keflavikur/ |access-date=11 December 2021 |work=Karfan.is |date=3 August 2021 |language=Icelandic |archive-date=11 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211112458/https://www.karfan.is/2021/08/david-okeke-til-keflavikur/ |url-status=dead }} On 28 October 2021, Okeke scored a season high 31 points in a victory against Breiðablik. On 10 December 2021, he suffered an achilles injury in a game against Tindastóll. Prior to the injury he had grabbed a season high 17 rebounds in the game.{{cite news |author1=Davíð Eldur |title=Hjalti um meiðsli miðherja Keflavíkur David Okeke "Þeir halda að þetta sé hásinin" |url=https://www.karfan.is/2021/12/hjalti-um-meidsli-midherja-keflavikur-david-okeke-their-halda-ad-thetta-se-hasinin/ |access-date=11 December 2021 |work=Karfan.is |date=11 December 2021 |language=Icelandic |archive-date=11 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211112504/https://www.karfan.is/2021/12/hjalti-um-meidsli-midherja-keflavikur-david-okeke-their-halda-ad-thetta-se-hasinin/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |author1=Atli Arason |title=Umfjöllun og viðtöl: Keflavík - Tindastóll 93-84 - Keflvíkingar lyftu sér á toppinn á ný |url=https://www.visir.is/g/20212194516d/umfjollun-og-vidtol-keflavik-tindastoll-93-84-keflvikingar-lyftu-ser-a-toppinn-a-ny |access-date=11 December 2021 |work=Vísir.is |date=10 December 2021 |language=Icelandic}} In 9 games, he averaged 19.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. In April 2022, it was reported that he had signed with Keflavík for the following season.{{cite news |author1=Davíð Eldur |title=David Okeke með Keflavík á næsta tímabili |url=https://www.karfan.is/2022/04/david-okeke-med-keflavik-a-naesta-timabili/ |access-date=29 April 2022 |work=Karfan.is |date=29 April 2022 |language=Icelandic |archive-date=30 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430223841/https://www.karfan.is/2022/04/david-okeke-med-keflavik-a-naesta-timabili/ |url-status=dead }}
In June 2023, Okeke signed with Úrvalsdeild club Haukar.{{cite news |author1=Sindri Sverrisson |title=Okeke flytur í Ólafssal |url=https://www.visir.is/g/20232426904d/okeke-flytur-i-olafssal |access-date=12 June 2023 |work=Vísir.is |date=12 June 2023 |language=Icelandic}} On 24 November 2023, he collapsed in a game against Tindastóll.{{cite news |author1=Jón Þór Stefánsson |title=Leikmaður Hauka hneig niður í miðjum leik |url=https://www.visir.is/g/20232493887d/leikmadur-hauka-hneig-nidur-i-midjum-leik |access-date=24 November 2023 |work=Vísir.is |date=24 November 2023 |language=Icelandic}} Okeke, who has a pacemaker, regained consciousness a few seconds later and was transported to a local hospital and later to the National University Hospital of Iceland with an air ambulance, where he underwent tests.{{cite news |author1=Hjörtur Leó Guðjónsson |title=Yfirlýsing varðandi Okeke: "Gífurlega þakklát góðum viðbrögðum" |url=https://www.visir.is/g/20232494358d/yfirlysing-vardandi-okeke-gifurlega-thakklat-godum-vidbrogdum- |access-date=24 November 2023 |work=Vísir.is |date=24 November 2023 |language=Icelandic}} After having first been reported to have suffered a cardiac arrest, it was later clarified that he fainted due to an irregularity going on between his heart rate and blood pressure that causes him to go into atrial fibrillation. He returned to the court in January 2024.{{cite news |author1=Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson |title=David Okeke fór ekki í hjartastopp á Króknum |url=https://www.visir.is/g/20242513379d/david-okeke-for-ekki-i-hjartastopp-a-kroknum |access-date=12 January 2024 |work=Vísir.is |date=11 January 2024 |language=Icelandic}}
In September 2024, Okeke signed with Álftanes.{{cite news |author1=Sindri Sverrisson |title=Álftanes lét Frakkann fara og samdi við Okeke |url=https://www.visir.is/g/20242626982d/alftanes-let-frakkann-fara-og-samdi-vid-okeke |access-date=27 September 2024 |work=Vísir.is |date=27 September 2024 |language=Icelandic}}{{cite news |author1=Henry Birgir Gunnarsson |title=Risinn á Álftanesi nýtrúlofaður og borðar hunang á bekknum |url=https://www.visir.is/g/20252704333d/risinn-a-alftanesi-nytrulofadur-og-bordar-hunang-a-bekknum |access-date=25 March 2025 |work=Vísir.is |date=24 March 2025 |language=Icelandic}}
National team career
Okeke was a member of Italy’s team at the 2017 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Cairo, when the team won silver. Okeke saw action in seven games during the tournament, averaging 11 points and 6.3 rebounds per outing.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.fiba.basketball/world/u19/2017/player/David-Okeke David Okeke] at FIBA
- [https://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/David-Okeke/Iceland/Keflavik/371366 David Okeke] at Eurobasket.com
- {{Basketball-Reference.com international player|david-albright-okeke-1|David Albright Okeke}}
- [http://web.legabasket.it/player/OKE-DAV-98/ Serie A profile] {{in lang|it}}
- [http://www.auxiliumpallacanestro.com/player/david-okeke/ Auxilium Torino profile] {{in lang|it}}
- [https://kki.is/motamal/leikir-og-urslit/motayfirlit/Leikmadur?league_id=190&season_id=121197&player_id=6444977 David Okeke] at Icelandic Basketball Association {{in lang|iS}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okeke, David}}
Category:Auxilium Pallacanestro Torino players
Category:Italian men's basketball players
Category:Italian people of Nigerian descent
Category:Lega Basket Serie A players