Olumide Oyedeji

Professional career

Oyedeji played at the 1999 and 2000 Nike Hoop Summits. He was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics, in the 2nd round (42nd overall) of the 2000 NBA Draft. He played a total of 93 games during 3 seasons in the NBA, and had career averages of 1.4 points per game, 2.1 rebounds per game, 0.1 assists per game, and 0.2 steals per game. He also played in the Spanish League with Granada. Olumide signed on with the London Lions 2015.London Lions is a professional basketball team based in London, who compete in the British Basketball League – the top level men's basketball league in the United Kingdom.

Oyedeji played with Shanxi Zhongyu in the Chinese Basketball Association. He played with Changwon LG Sakers of the Korean Basketball League in 2011. However, he was released from the team, despite averaging 10.8 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game.

National team

Oyedeji has been a member of the senior men's Nigerian national basketball team since 1997. He contributed immensely to the his national team's participation at the FIBA Africa Nations Cup in 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013 and 2015. He Led Nigeria to first ever AfroBasket trophy in Tunisia 2015. He won silver medals in 1997, 1999 and 2003 respectively during the FIBA Africa Nations Cup.He won the bronze medal at the 2005 FIBA Africa Championship and 2011 FIBA Africa Championship.He has represented his home country in the All Africa Games winning bronze in 1999, 2007 and 2015, Silver in 2003 and Gold in 2011. He played at the FIBA World Cup in 1999 and was also at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. He is the only African Player to ever featured in all major basketball tournaments on the global stage, Olympics Games, World Cup, Commonwealth Games, All Africa Games, NBA, Euro-League, Asia Championships and South America Basketball league.He is also the first African player ever to be drafted outside America to the NBA.

He featured in the invitational tournament in South Africa where he captained the team and lead them to victory in the finals.Nigeria's basketball team, D'Tigers, emerged overall winners of the 2015 Four Nations' invitational basketball tournament hosted by South Africa on Sunday March 22, 2015. Oyedeji, the long serving captain of the Nigerian Men's national team emerged the MVP of the tournament.

D'Tigers beat Mozambique 72-59 in their final game to win the inaugural tournament held at the Wembley Indoor Arena in Johannesburg.

FIBA

The International Basketball Federation, FIBA, Central Board appointed the D’Tigers Captain, Olumide Oyedeji, to the FIBA Player’s commission for the 2014-2019 term of office last year. Oyedeji’s appointment resulted from his nomination by the Nigerian Basketball Federation in line with the criteria provided by the world governing body of basketball on his achievement on the court as well as his tireless work ethic in developing the game not only in his home country but beyond its borders in Africa and across the globe. He is expected to serve in the newly inaugurated FIBA Player’s commission under the chairmanship of former Serbian International and NBA great, Vlade Divac. Olumide is also a member of the board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation.

Off the court

Olumide is a philanthropist and is committed to empowering youths using the tool of basketball as the medium for change. He is founder and CEO of his initiative Olumide Oyedeji Youth Foundation (OOYF) was established in 2000 as a Nonprofit /Charity Corporation in U.S.A, United Kingdom and Nigeria. The focus of the organization is to help underprivileged, troubled and at risk teens make better choice and create a brighter future including encouraging each one to be a better person. OOYF has produced over 300 scholarships to youths since inception in 2000 and over 40,000 youths from all over the world have participated in the programs from when the foundation was established. It has touched more than 30 cities in Nigeria and over 20 different cities all over the world includes South Africa, Nigeria, China, Spain, Mali, Germany, South Korea, Puerto Rico and United Kingdom. In November 2013, he hosted a charity basketball clinic for youths to fight against Gun and Knife Crimesd and keep our street clean at the Damilola Taylor Centre in Peckham, South London.

For well over a decade, Mr.Oyedeji has planned and implemented numerous Youth basketball camps, helped troubled and risk teens throughout the world some of which are the United States, United Kingdom, Nigeria, Germany, China, South Korea, South Africa, Ghana, Benin republic and Togo. His basketball camps and various programs have been met with the extreme success and over the years he has personally supported the academic and athletic advancement of hundreds of teenagers.

Awards and Honours

Olumide Oyedeji has won different awards for his humanitarian efforts and philanthropy, which includes Leadership and Sports Awareness Award, Sport Personality award, Role Model Award, Grassroots Development Award, Sports award of Excellence, Youth Ambassador award and Youth Empowerment and Mentor award, Finalist THIS DAY Award (2006,2007) Sports and Grassroots Development Award. He is also a Laureus Global Ambassador (the Prestigious Sports Award, where he became the first Nigerian and third African to be awarded).For his efforts to stop Guns and Knives crimes among the youths and campaign to stay away from gangs, Olumide Oyedeji was awarded as a Honorary London Metropolitans Police in United Kingdom.