New Hampshire’s Ebuka Okorie is officially in the NBA. He was formally welcomed to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.Okorie will wear No. 23 with the Pistons, the same number as his favorite player growing up: LeBron James.Okorie said he’s blessed to join a team that won 60 games last season, adding he’ll do whatever he can to contribute.”Just trying to control what I can control. I mean, I can’t control rankings, how much recruitment I’m getting, but I can control things like how much I’m in the gym, how much I’m working hard, and just try to get better as a player, and those are the things I’m focused on and it’s gotten me this far, so I’m just going to keep focusing on that,” Okorie said Thursday. Before he was an NBA player, he played ball in Nashua, playing with the Nashua Police Athletic League at St. Patrick’s Gym.The 19-year-old graduated from Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro. After one year at Stanford University, Okorie this week became the highest drafted player from New Hampshire in league history when he was selected with the 17th pick in the first round.His family said they left New York on Wednesday to head to Okorie’s new home: Detroit.His parents said since Okorie was a boy, the NBA was his dream.He always had a basketball in his hand, truly making the sport his life, which is why his father said he isn’t surprised he’s headed to the NBA.“I’m just very proud. I would use the word proud. I’ll just say, it’s really surreal and humbling. It’s kind of a huge lesson for me, even at my age, that dreams come true,” Charles Okorie, his father, said.His parents said they hope his early success is a message to all the kids in New Hampshire that no matter where you are from, you can achieve big things if you work hard enough.
NASHUA, N.H. —
New Hampshire’s Ebuka Okorie is officially in the NBA. He was formally welcomed to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.
Okorie will wear No. 23 with the Pistons, the same number as his favorite player growing up: LeBron James.
Okorie said he’s blessed to join a team that won 60 games last season, adding he’ll do whatever he can to contribute.
“Just trying to control what I can control. I mean, I can’t control rankings, how much recruitment I’m getting, but I can control things like how much I’m in the gym, how much I’m working hard, and just try to get better as a player, and those are the things I’m focused on and it’s gotten me this far, so I’m just going to keep focusing on that,” Okorie said Thursday.
Before he was an NBA player, he played ball in Nashua, playing with the Nashua Police Athletic League at St. Patrick’s Gym.
The 19-year-old graduated from Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro. After one year at Stanford University, Okorie this week became the highest drafted player from New Hampshire in league history when he was selected with the 17th pick in the first round.
His family said they left New York on Wednesday to head to Okorie’s new home: Detroit.
His parents said since Okorie was a boy, the NBA was his dream.
He always had a basketball in his hand, truly making the sport his life, which is why his father said he isn’t surprised he’s headed to the NBA.
“I’m just very proud. I would use the word proud. I’ll just say, it’s really surreal and humbling. It’s kind of a huge lesson for me, even at my age, that dreams come true,” Charles Okorie, his father, said.
His parents said they hope his early success is a message to all the kids in New Hampshire that no matter where you are from, you can achieve big things if you work hard enough.