Talib Zanna (born 1 October 1990) is a Nigerian professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player who last played for the
Oklahoma City Blue
The Oklahoma City Blue are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and are affiliated with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Blue play their home games at Paycom Center. The franchise began as ...
of the
NBA G League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA De ...
. Zanna played high school basketball at
Bishop McNamara High School
Bishop McNamara High School (BMHS or McNamara) is a private, Catholic coed high school in Forestville CDP in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland.[Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball
The Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's basketball team co ...]
. He was ranked among the Panthers' school leaders in field goal percentage and earned various honors such as All-
ACC
ACC most often refers to:
* Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US
*American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
Honorable Mention, ACC All-
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
first team, and
NIT Season Tip-Off All-Tournament team. Zanna primarily plays the
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
position.
Early life
Zanna was born in
Kaduna
Kaduna is the capital city of Kaduna State, and the former political capital of Northern Nigeria. It is located in north-western Nigeria, on the Kaduna River. It is a trade Centre and a major transportation hub as the gateway to northern Nige ...
,
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 ...
to Zanna Awami and Maimuna Zanna. He was brought up with three brothers and two sisters. He began playing
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
at the age of 10 years because of a growth spurt and urging from his brother. Zanna ran mountains to improve his speed, fitness, and
vertical leap
A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of jumping upwards into the air. It can be an exercise for building both endurance and strength, and is also a standard test for measuring athletic performance. It may also be referred to as a ''Sargent ...
. He was eventually discovered by American coaches in a camp run by ex-
Georgetown player, Godwin Owinje, in
Lagos
Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...
. In 2006, he moved to the United States and moved in with a
host family
Homestay (also home stay and home-stay) is a form of hospitality and lodging whereby visitors share a residence with a local of the area (host) to which they are traveling. The length of stay can vary from one night to over a year and can be p ...
.
Upon arriving, he said the first few weeks were a disaster, as he struggled to communicate, did not understand the culture, and didn't like the taste of the food. Zanna called his father with the desire to return to Nigeria.
Zanna's brother, a Nigerian doctor, contacted Bishop McNamara basketball head coach Marty Keithline and asked for Zanna to be given an opportunity to get an American education and to have the opportunity to play basketball.
He later visited
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
for "
Basketball Without Borders
Basketball Without Borders is a basketball instructional camp organized by the NBA in conjunction with FIBA. It presents itself as a “basketball development and community outreach program that unites young basketball players to promote the sport ...
," with several other players, including
Serge Ibaka
Serge Jonás Ibaka Ngobila (; born 18 September 1989) is a Congolese-Spanish professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ibaka was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 24th over ...
,
Dikembe Mutombo,
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki (, ; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the gre ...
and
Luol Deng
Luol Ajou Deng (born 16 April 1985) is a British former professional basketball player. He was a two-time NBA All-Star and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2012. Born in what is now South Sudan, Deng fled the country with his ...
. Zanna said seeing an
NBA player in person was a great experience. He also stated that it made him want to be in their position.
High school career
Soon after arriving in the United States, Zanna attended
Bishop McNamara High School
Bishop McNamara High School (BMHS or McNamara) is a private, Catholic coed high school in Forestville CDP in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland.[Forestville, Maryland
Forestville is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 12,831. The community is a mixture of garden apartments, single-family homes, and ...]
. As a sophomore in 2006–07, he missed 17 games with a broken foot but still averaged 10 points and 11 rebounds per game. He finished his sophomore season by posting 17 points and 15 rebounds against
Paul VI Catholic High School
St. Paul VI Catholic High School (known as PVI or Paul VI) is a Roman Catholic college preparatory school in Chantilly, Virginia, United States.
The school was previously located in southwest Fairfax, Virginia and is named after Pope Paul VI. In ...
in the
WCAC Tournament quarter-finals. As a junior in 2007–08, he averaged 15.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.4 blocks, 1.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game as he earned All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference accolades. He was also marked one of the top candidates for All-
MET honors.
On 19 November 2008, Zanna signed a
National Letter of Intent to play
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
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
. He was also recruited by
Boston College,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
,
Oklahoma,
Providence,
South Florida,
Saint Joseph's,
Villanova, and
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...
.
As a senior in 2008–09, Zanna averaged 14.6 points and 11.8 rebounds per game as he was named first-team All-MET by the Washington Post and earned Independent private school all-league honors.
College career
![PittvsTexasTech LegendsClassicNov2013](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/PittvsTexasTech_LegendsClassicNov2013.jpg)
As a freshman at
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
in 2009–10, Zanna managed just three minutes of action in the first game before a shoulder injury forced him to miss the entire season as he applied for a medical hardship waiver.
As a redshirted freshman in 2010–11, Zanna appeared in 27 games with 13 starting assignments. Despite missing the last seven games of the season due to a broken right thumb, Zanna still earned co-Most Improved Player honors at end of season team banquet. On the season, he averaged 3.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
As a sophomore in 2011–12, Zanna appeared in all 39 games with 14 starting assignments. He registered three double-doubles, nine double figure scoring games and four double figure rebounding games, and at the end of season team banquet, he earned Best Defensive Player honors. On the season, he averaged 6.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
As a junior in 2012–13, Zanna started all 33 games at power forward as his minutes per game reached 23.9. He totaled three 20-point games, 14 double figure scoring games and four double figure rebounding games, and at the end of season team banquet, he earned the Coaches' Award. On the season, he averaged 9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
As a senior in 2013–14, Zanna earned All-
ACC
ACC most often refers to:
* Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US
*American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
honorable mention honors after averaging a career-best 13.0 points and 8.6 rebounds in 35 games (all starts).
Professional career
Oklahoma City Blue (2014–2016)
![Talib Zanna](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Talib_Zanna.jpg)
After going undrafted in the
2014 NBA draft
The 2014 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2014, at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...
, Zanna joined the
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...
for the
2014 NBA Summer League
The 2014 NBA Summer League consists of two pro basketball leagues organized by the NBA and the Orlando Magic just after the 2014 NBA Draft. Ten teams took part in the week-long summer league at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, from July 5 t ...
. On 29 September 2014, he signed with the Thunder as he joined former Pitt teammate,
Steven Adams, for the team's training camp. Zanna appeared in all seven of Oklahoma City's preseason contests, averaging 4.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game before he was waived by the team on October 24, 2014. He commented on his time with the Thunder, saying, "...this organization is like a family. Everyone is there for each other. Togetherness is really big in this organization."
On 4 November 2014, he was acquired by the
Oklahoma City Blue
The Oklahoma City Blue are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and are affiliated with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Blue play their home games at Paycom Center. The franchise began as ...
as an affiliate player. He made his debut on November 14 against the
Maine Red Claws
The Maine Celtics (formerly the Maine Red Claws) are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Portland, Maine, and are affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The Maine Celtics play their home games at the Portland Expo B ...
, contributing 17 points and 15 rebounds. Zanna recorded eight
double-doubles in his first 13 games, including four straight to begin the season. On 12 February 2015, he was named to the Futures All-Star team for the 2015
NBA D-League All-Star Game as a replacement for
JaMychal Green
JaMychal Green (born June 21, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Green started his career in ...
.
In July 2015, Zanna joined the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Orlando Summer League and the
Cleveland Cavaliers for the Las Vegas Summer League. On 25 September 2015, he signed with the Thunder, returning to the team's training camp for the second year in a row. However, on 22 October, he was again waived by the Thunder after appearing in four preseason games. On November 3, he returned with the Blue.
Nanterre 92 (2016–2017)
In July 2016, Zanna joined the D-League Select for the
2016 NBA Summer League
The 2016 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League.
Ten teams participated in the week- ...
. On August 2, 2016, he signed with
Nanterre 92
Nanterre 92 is a professional basketball club from the city of Nanterre (a western suburb of Paris), France. The club plays in the top-tier level basketball league in France, the Pro A, since 2011. Founded in 2011 as JSF Nanterre, the club plays ...
of the
French League. On April 26, 2017, Zanna and Nanterre parted ways one day after winning the
FIBA Europe Cup
The FIBA Europe Cup (FEC) is an annual professional club basketball competition organised by FIBA for eligible European clubs. It is FIBA's European-wide second level. Clubs mainly qualify for the competition based on their performance in natio ...
title.
Ironi Nes Ziona (2017–2018)
On August 12, 2017, Zanna signed with the Israeli team
Ironi Nes Ziona
Ironi Ness Ziona B.C. (or spelled as Ironi Nes Ziona B.C.) is a professional basketball club based in Ness Ziona, Israel. The team plays its home games at the Lev Hamoshava, which has capacity for 1,200 people. The club plays in the Israeli Bas ...
for the 2017–18 season. On May 17, 2018, Zanna recorded a career-high 27 points, along with 12 rebounds and 3 steals in a 95–98 loss to
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv ( he, מכבי תל אביב) is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such ...
. In 37 games played during the 2017–18 season, he averaged 13.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Zanna helped Nes Ziona reach the
2018 Israeli League Playoffs, where they eventually were eliminated by
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv ( he, מכבי תל אביב) is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such ...
.
Fuenlabrada (2018–2019)
On July 31, 2018, Zanna signed a one-year deal with the Spanish team
Fuenlabrada
Fuenlabrada () is a city and municipality of Spain located in the Community of Madrid. , it has a population of 193,586, making it the region's fourth most populated municipality.
Placename
The etymology of ''Fuenlabrada'' comes from the contra ...
. On November 28, 2018, Zanna parted ways with Fuenlabrada after appearing in 14 games. On January 8, 2019, Zanna returned to
Ironi Nes Ziona
Ironi Ness Ziona B.C. (or spelled as Ironi Nes Ziona B.C.) is a professional basketball club based in Ness Ziona, Israel. The team plays its home games at the Lev Hamoshava, which has capacity for 1,200 people. The club plays in the Israeli Bas ...
for a second stint, replacing
Gerald Lee. On February 16, 2019, Zanna recorded a season-high 22 points, shooting 9-of-12 from the field, along with six rebounds and three steals in a 90–78 win over
Hapoel Be'er Sheva
Hapoel Be'er Sheva Football Club ( he, מועדון הכדורגל הפועל באר שבע, ''Moadon HaKaduregel Hapoel Be'er Sheva'') is an Israeli football club from the city of Be'er Sheva, that competes in the Israeli Premier League. The c ...
.
Afyon Belediye (2019–2020)
On September 22, 2019, Zanna signed a one-year deal with
Afyon Belediye of the Turkish
Basketbol Süper Ligi
The Basketball Super League ( tr, Basketbol Süper Ligi; BSL), also known as the Türkiye Sigorta Basketbol Süper Ligi for sponsorship reasons, is the top men's professional basketball division of the Turkish basketball league system. It replace ...
.
Hapoel Tel Aviv (2020–2021)
On May 15, 2020, Zanna signed with
Hapoel Tel Aviv of the
Israeli Basketball Premier League. Zanna averaged 10.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in 11 games. He re-signed with the team on August 2, 2020.
Long Island Nets (2022)
On January 12, 2022, Zanna was acquired via the available player pool by the
Long Island Nets
The Long Island Nets are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Uniondale, New York, and are affiliated with the Brooklyn Nets. The team plays its home games at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Nassau Count ...
of the
NBA G League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA De ...
. He was then later waived on January 19, 2022.
Agua Caliente Clippers (2022)
On January 30, 2022, Zanna was acquired via the available player pool by the
Agua Caliente Clippers
The Ontario Clippers, formerly known as the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Ontario, California, and are affiliated with the Los Angeles Clippers. The team began play in ...
. He was then later waived on February 9, 2022.
[
]
Maine Celtics (2022)
On February 11, 2022, Zanna was acquired via the available player pool by the Maine Celtics. He was then later waived on February 27, 2022.[
]
Return to the Blue (2022)
On March 3, 2022, Zanna was acquired via available player pool by the Oklahoma City Blue
The Oklahoma City Blue are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and are affiliated with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Blue play their home games at Paycom Center. The franchise began as ...
. On March 12, 2022, he was waived.
National team career
Zanna is a member of the Nigerian national basketball team. He made his first appearance for the side at the 2019 FIBA World Cup qualification at Mali.
Personal life
Zanna's father died not long after he committed to Pittsburgh. He touches a picture of his deceased father in his locker, saying a prayer for him before every game. He could speak English before moving to the United States and is fluent in four languages. Zanna is a devout Muslim.
References
External links
Pittsburgh bio
RealGM profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zanna, Talib
1990 births
Living people
Afyonkarahisar Belediyespor players
Agua Caliente Clippers players
Baloncesto Fuenlabrada players
Centers (basketball)
Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. players
Ironi Nes Ziona B.C. players
Liga ACB players
Long Island Nets players
Nanterre 92 players
Nigerian expatriate basketball people in France
Nigerian expatriate basketball people in Israel
Nigerian expatriate basketball people in Spain
Nigerian expatriate basketball people in Turkey
Nigerian expatriate basketball people in the United States
Nigerian men's basketball players
Oklahoma City Blue players
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball players
Power forwards (basketball)
Sportspeople from Kaduna