Michael Olalekan Ojo (January 5, 1993 – August 7, 2020) was a Nigerian-American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player. After competing in
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
Florida State Seminoles, he played professionally for three seasons with Serbian clubs
FMP and
Crvena zvezda
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional Association football, foot ...
. Ojo died of a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
at the age of 27.
Early life
Born in
Lagos
Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, Ojo is the son of Olayinminu Ojo.
Ojo attended
Tennessee Temple Academy in
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...
. In 2012, he earned All-American Honors as a senior from the National Association of Christian Athletes and named to the All-Tournament Team at the National Association of Christian Athletes Tournament. As a senior, he averaged 15.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 5.0 blocks per game.
College career
Ojo attended
Florida State University
Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...
. He selected Florida State over
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
and the
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UT-Chattanooga, UTC, or Chattanooga) is a public university in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1886 and is one of four universities and two other affiliated institutions in the ...
.
He played four seasons of
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
Florida State Seminoles under
Leonard Hamilton
James Leonard Hamilton (born August 4, 1948) is an American basketball coach and the current men's basketball head coach at Florida State University. He is a former head coach at Oklahoma State University, the University of Miami, and for the Nat ...
, from 2012 to 2017. He missed the
2015–16 season but remained enrolled at the school as a medical
redshirt
Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi
* Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after ...
.
Afterward, as a senior, Ojo averaged 4.9 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
Professional career
FMP (2017–2018)
On August 17, 2017, Ojo signed a multi-year contract with Serbian club
FMP. Ojo made his ABA League debut on September 19, recording 8 points and 2 rebounds, in a 74–67 loss to
Cedevita
Cedevita d.o.o. is a Croatian company which produces a wide range of teas, instant drinks, and dietetic products. A notable owner of the company was the Croatian pharmaceutical company Pliva d.d. Since 2001 Cedevita has been part of the Atlantic ...
. On October 20, he recorded 11 points and 12 rebounds in a 91–76 win over
Zadar
Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar serv ...
. On March 3, 2018, he scored 19 points and recorded 9 rebounds in an 86–81 loss to
Petrol Olimpija. Ojo averaged 11.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks over 21 games with FMP in the
ABA League
The ABA League, renamed to the ABA League First Division in 2017, is the 1st-tier regional men's professional basketball league that originally featured clubs from the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Mace ...
. He also appeared in the
2018 Serbian SuperLeague season. On May 3, 2018, he scored season-high 21 points and recorded season-high 17 rebounds in an 87–82 win over
Partizan NIS. Ojo averaged 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds over 14 games in the SuperLeague.
Crvena zvezda (2018–2020)
On July 18, 2018, Ojo inked a two-year deal with another Serbian club,
Crvena zvezda
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional Association football, foot ...
. In the beginning of the season, he won
2018 ABA League Supercup with Crvena zvezda. In the
2018–19 season, his first with the club, he averaged 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds over 16
EuroCup games. He won the
ABA League
The ABA League, renamed to the ABA League First Division in 2017, is the 1st-tier regional men's professional basketball league that originally featured clubs from the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Mace ...
in the same season, as well as
Serbian League
The Serbian League () is the third level football league in Serbia. It consists of four groups, namely Belgrade, East, Vojvodina, and West. The winner of each group earns promotion to the Serbian First League.
History
1992–1995
In the summer of ...
championship.
During the
2019–20 season, Ojo appeared in 22
EuroLeague games with Crvena zvezda, averaging 4.1 points and 3 rebounds per game. On March 9, 2020, against FMP, Ojo recorded 10 points and 2 rebounds in what would be his final game. The season was temporarily suspended three days later and canceled definitely in May 2020 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
in all competitions the Zvezda has played.
During two seasons he played with Crvena zvezda, Ojo
appeared in 108 games in domestic, regional and European competitions.
Career statistics
EuroLeague
''Source''
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2019–20
, style="text-align:left;",
Crvena zvezda
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional Association football, foot ...
, 22 , , 3 , , 11.4 , , .622 , , .000 , , .761 , , 3.0 , , .3 , , .8 , , .2 , , 4.1 , , 5.0
EuroCup
''Source''
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2018–19
, style="text-align:left;",
Crvena zvezda
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional Association football, foot ...
, 16 , , 2 , , 15:09 , , .707 , , .000 , , .647 , , 4.5 , , .4 , , .5 , , 0.9 , , 6.5 , , 10.4
College
''Source''
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2012–13
, style="text-align:left;",
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
, 27 , , 9 , , 5.0 , , .292 , , .000 , , .364 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , .1 , , .3 , , .7
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2013–14
, style="text-align:left;",
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
, 36 , , 14 , , 11.9, , .547 , , .000 , , .426 , , 3.0 , , .3 , , .1 , , .7 , , 2.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2014–15
, style="text-align:left;",
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
, 33 , , 21 , , 8.8 , , .529 , , .000 , , .386 , , 2.4 , , .2 , , .2 , , .5 , , 2.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2015–16
, style="text-align:left;",
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
, style="text-align:center;" colspan=11, ''
Redshirt season''
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2016–17
, style="text-align:left;",
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
, 35 , , 34 , , 12.2 , , .564 , , .000 , , .806 , , 3.2 , , .2 , , .3 , , .9 , , 4.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;", Career
, style="text-align:left;",
, 131 , , 78 , , 9.8 , , .525 , , .000 , , .569 , , 2.5 , , .2 , , .2 , , .6 , , 2.7
Personal life
Ojo wore a
shoe size
A shoe size is an indication of the fitting size of a shoe for a person.
There are a number of different shoe-size systems used worldwide. While all shoe sizes use a number to indicate the length of the shoe, they differ in exactly what they me ...
21 (US sizing systems).
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
invested in a US$15,000 machine to create a shoe to properly fit Ojo.
Death
On August 7, 2020, he unexpectedly died from a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
during training in
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, Serbia, at the age of 27. He was conducting an individual training session at the
Partizan Stadium
The Partizan Stadium (Serbian language, Serbian: Стадион Партизанa / ''Stadion Partizana'') is a association football, football and track-and-field Multi-purpose stadium, stadium in Autokomanda, Belgrade, Serbia. The home ground of ...
when he collapsed. Crvena zvezda requested an investigation from the authorities regarding his death. Reportedly, he did not have a training permit because he tested positive for
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
in July.
A
moment of silence
A moment of silence (also referred to as a minute's silence or a one-minute silence) is a period of silent contemplation, prayer, reflection, or meditation. Similar to flying a flag at half-mast, a moment of silence is often a gesture of ...
was held before all
7DAYS EuroCup and
Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games in Round 1 of the 2020–21 season in his memory, as well as the late
CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow (russian: ЦСКА Москва) is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet era, it was a central piece of the big So ...
team doctor Roman Abzhelilov. The same was held in the
ABA League
The ABA League, renamed to the ABA League First Division in 2017, is the 1st-tier regional men's professional basketball league that originally featured clubs from the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Mace ...
.
See also
*
List of basketball players who died during their careers
This is a list of notable basketball players who died while still on a team roster or as a free agent. A majority died of accidents such as car or plane crashes. Some suffered sudden cardiac death, which has a higher incidence in basketball among y ...
*
List of KK Crvena zvezda players with 100 games played
KK Crvena zvezda is a men's professional basketball club based in Belgrade, Serbia. Crvena zvezda is a part of the Adriatic Basketball Association and competes in the ABA League, EuroCup and in the Basketball League of Serbia. The team play dom ...
References
External links
Florida State Seminoles bioMichael Ojoat aba-liga.com
Michael Ojoat euroleague.net
at sports-reference.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ojo, Michael
1993 births
2020 deaths
ABA League players
African-American basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in Serbia
American men's basketball players
Basketball League of Serbia players
Centers (basketball)
Florida State Seminoles men's basketball players
KK Crvena zvezda players
KK FMP players
Naturalized citizens of the United States
Nigerian emigrants to the United States
Nigerian expatriate basketball people in the United States
Nigerian expatriate basketball people in Serbia
Nigerian men's basketball players
Sportspeople from Lagos
21st-century African-American sportspeople
Accidental deaths in Serbia