Jamal Olasewere

{{short description|Nigerian-American professional basketball player}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Jamal Olasewere

| image =

| caption =

| position = Small forward / power forward

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 7

| weight_lb = 225

| league = Serie A2

| team = Pistoia Basket 2000

| number =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1991|9|16}}

| birth_place = Silver Spring, Maryland

| nationality = American / Nigerian

| high_school = {{nowrap|Springbrook (Silver Spring, Maryland)}}

| college = LIU Brooklyn (2009–2013)

| draft_year = 2013

| career_start = 2014

| career_end =

| years1 = 2014–2015 | team1 = Wolves Verviers-Pepinster

| years2 = 2015–2016 | team2 = Virtus Roma

| years3 = 2016–2017 | team3 = Hapoel Ramat Gan

| years4 = 2017 | team4 = Orzi Basket

| years5 = 2017–2018 | team5 = NPC Rieti

| years6 = 2017–2018 | team6 = Blu Basket

| years7 = 2019–2020 | team7 = Grindavík

| years8 = 2020–2021 | team8 = Eurobasket Roma

| years9 = 2021–present | team9 = Pistoia Basket 2000

| highlights =

AP Honorable mention All-American (2013)
NEC Player of the Year (2013)
2× First-team All-NEC (2012, 2013)
NEC tournament MVP (2011)

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{NGA}}}}

}}

Jamal Olasewere (born September 16, 1991) is a Nigerian American professional basketball player for Pistoia Basket 2000 of the Italian Serie A2. He completed his college career at Long Island University, where he was an All-American and Conference Player of the Year.

College career

Olasewere, a 6'7" forward from Silver Spring, Maryland attended Springbrook High School and chose Long Island for college. There, he was a four-year starter and led the Blackbirds to three consecutive NCAA tournament bids from 2011 to 2013. As a senior, Olasewere averaged 18.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game and was named Northeast Conference player of the year{{cite web| last = Kussoy | first = Howie | title =LIU's Olasewere is NEC Player of Year | publisher = New York Post | date =March 6, 2013 | url =http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/liu_olasewere_is_nec_player_of_year_YWPfom7vkcUgiaQ9JgnwxL | accessdate = May 15, 2013}} and an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press. For his career, Olasewere scored a school-record 1,871 points and collected 964 rebounds.{{cite web | title = Olasewere Chosen for Prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament | publisher = LIU Athletics | date = April 8, 2013 | url = http://www.liuathletics.com/news/2013/4/8/MBB_0408131205.aspx?path=mbball | accessdate = May 15, 2013 | archive-date = March 29, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140329100704/http://www.liuathletics.com/news/2013/4/8/MBB_0408131205.aspx?path=mbball | url-status = dead }}

Professional career

In August 2013, Olasewere signed a one-year deal with the Italian League club Vanoli Cremona.{{cite web|url=http://www.sportando.net/m/eng/61825/vanoli-cremona-officially-signs-rookie-jamal-olasewere.html|title=Vanoli Cremona officially signs rookie Jamal Olasewere|publisher=Sportando.net|date=August 20, 2013}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In August 2019, he signed with Úrvalsdeild karla club Grindavík.{{cite news |author1=Davíð Eldur |title=Jamal Olasewere til Grindavíkur |url=https://www.karfan.is/2019/08/jamal-olasewere-til-grindavikur/ |accessdate=25 August 2019 |work=Karfan.is |date=25 August 2019 |language=Icelandic}} On January 9, 2020, the team released him from his contract due to injuries. In 10 games, he averaged 18 points and 7 rebounds per game.{{cite news |author1=Bjarni Þórarinn Hallfreðsson |title=Grindvíkingar að senda Jamal Olasewere heim |url=https://www.visir.is/g/2020200109098/grindvikingar-ad-senda-jamal-olasewere-heim- |accessdate=10 January 2020 |work=Vísir.is |date=9 January 2020 |language=Icelandic}}

On July 5, 2020, he has signed with Eurobasket Roma of the Italian Serie A2.{{Cite news|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/jamal-olasewere-joins-eurobasket-roma/|title=Jamal Olasewere joins Eurobasket Roma|last=|first=|date=July 5, 2020|website=|newspaper=Sportando|language=En|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=July 5, 2020 |last1=Skerletic |first1=Dario }} Olasewere averaged 15.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. On August 17, 2021, he signed with Pistoia Basket 2000.{{cite web |last1=Centenari |first1=Andrea |title=Jamal Olasewere joins Pistoia |url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Italy/news/700302/Jamal-Olasewere-joins-Pistoia |website=Eurobasket |access-date=August 17, 2021 |date=August 17, 2021}}

Nigerian national team

Olasewere has also been a member of the senior men's Nigerian national basketball team. He played at the 2015 FIBA Africa Championship where they won the championship.

References

External links

[http://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Jamal_Olasewere/Vanoli_Cremona/188106 Eurobasket.com Profile]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20170108190027/http://www.liuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1441&path=mbball LIU Athletic Profile]

{{Northeast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year navbox}}

Category:1991 births

Category:Living people

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Belgium

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Iceland

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Israel

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Italy

Category:American basketball players of Nigerian descent

Category:American people of Yoruba descent

Category:American men's basketball players

Category:Blu Basket 1971 players

Category:Grindavík (men's basketball) players