Ikechukwu Somtochukwu Diogu (born September 11, 1983) is 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 for Piratas de La Guaira of the

Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto The Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto, commonly known as the SPB, is the Venezuelan first division national professional basketball league. Founded in 1974 as the Liga Especial de Baloncesto, it adopted the name Liga Profesional de Baloncesto i ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

Family and early life

Diogu's parents, natives of Nigeria, moved to the U.S. in 1980 to pursue further education. They later moved from

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

, where he was born, to

Garland, Texas Garland is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located northeast of Dallas and is a part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is located within Dallas County except for small portions located in Collin and Rockwall Counties. At the ...

. Ike attende
Austin Academy
then enrolled at

Garland High School Garland High School is a high school located in Garland, Texas, which serves grades 9-12. It is a part of the Garland Independent School District. The school is a member of the AP program, the IB program, and is known for its football team, ...

. Diogu is a member of the Igbo ethnic group.

College career

Diogu stands at tall, which is considered slightly undersized for an NBA

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to centers. When on offense, they typically play with their ba ...

, but he makes up for his lack of height with his muscle, girth and wingspan. Diogu attended

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

, where he excelled on the team under head coach Rob Evans. He garnered several honors, both in the

Pac-10 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division ...

and nationally. He won Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, and then Pac-10 Player of the Year in his final season with ASU, as a junior. Many speculated that Diogu would enter the draft after playing his third season with Arizona State. On June 21, 2005, he made the decision to enter the NBA draft. On January 15, 2022, Diogu's number 5 jersey was retired by the Sun Devils. He was the first consensus All-American in program history.

Professional career

Diogu was selected 9th overall in the first round of the

2005 NBA draft The 2005 NBA draft took place on June 28, 2005, in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players fr ...

by the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

. On December 23, 2005, he recorded a professional career-best 27 points on 13–15 shooting, surpassing his previous best by 12 points. On January 17, 2007, Diogu, whom

Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...

called the "gem" of the deal, was traded to the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first estab ...

along with teammates

Mike Dunleavy, Jr. Michael Joseph Dunleavy Jr. (born September 15, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who is the vice president of basketball operations for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previou ...

Troy Murphy Troy Brandon Murphy (born May 2, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who played twelve seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Murphy was born in Morristown, New Jersey but grew up in Sparta Township. He at ...

, and

Keith McLeod Keith McLeod (born November 5, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player and current varsity boys basketball head coach at East Canton High School in Canton, Ohio. He is tall. He has also played in the NBA for the Minnesota Timber ...

for

Stephen Jackson Stephen Jesse Jackson (born April 5, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, Mi ...

, Al Harrington,

Šarūnas Jasikevičius Šarūnas "Šaras" Jasikevičius (; born 5 March 1976) is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach and former player. He currently serves as a head coach for FC Barcelona of the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. During his playing career, standing ...

, and

Josh Powell Josh Powell (born January 25, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. Powell won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010, and has also spent time with the Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, ...

. On June 26, 2008 ( draft night), Diogu was traded by Indiana to the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

along with the draft rights to

Jerryd Bayless Jerryd Andrew Bayless (born August 20, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. He played a year of college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats after playing high school basketball at St. Mary's High School in Phoenix. He was ...

in exchange for

Jarrett Jack Jarrett Matthew Jack (born October 28, 1983) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is currently an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended four high schools in ...

Josh McRoberts Joshua Scott McRoberts (born February 28, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player who played eleven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). McRoberts, a power forward, played college basketball for the Duke Blu ...

and the draft rights to Brandon Rush to the

. Diogu was traded to the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

for the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...

Michael Ruffin Michael David Ruffin (born January 21, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player currently working as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). At 6'8" and 248 lbs, he played as a ...

on February 18, 2009. Diogu signed with the

New Orleans Hornets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

on July 29, 2009, but never appeared in a game for the team. He signed with the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

on September 27, 2010, becoming a member of their preseason roster. On October 20, 2010, Diogu was waived by the Pistons. The

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

signed Diogu as a free agent on December 22, 2010. On February 8, 2011, Diogu scored a season-high 18 points against the Orlando Magic. Diogu joined the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

on January 3, 2012. One week later, the Spurs waived him. During the

2012 CBA Playoffs The 2012 CBA Playoffs is the postseason for the Chinese Basketball Association's 2011–12 season. The playoffs started on February 22, 2012 and ended on March 30, 2012. Beijing Ducks defeated Guangdong Southern Tigers to win their first CBA champ ...

, the

Xinjiang Flying Tigers The Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers () is a professional basketball team based in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China. The team play its home games at the Hongshan Arena, which has a capacity for 3,800 spectators. The club joined the Chinese Basketb ...

signed Diogu for the rest of the

. Diogu was a replacement for

Gani Lawal Gani Oladimeji Lawal Jr. (born November 7, 1988) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for Trotamundos in the Venezuelan SuperLiga. He played college basketball for Georgia Tech. High school career During his time at Norcross H ...

during this time. He later signed with

Capitanes de Arecibo The Capitanes de Arecibo are a Puerto Rican professional basketball team based in Arecibo that competes in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) league. In 2010, the team also had the distinction to play in the Premier Basketball League (PBL) ...

of the

Baloncesto Superior Nacional The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first-tier-level professional men's basketball league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation. The Baloncesto Superior Naci ...

. On October 1, 2012, Diogu signed with the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

. He was then waived on October 24, 2012. In the fall of 2012, Diogu signed with the

Guangdong Southern Tigers Guangdong Hongyuan Southern Tigers () or Guangdong Southern Tigers, also known as Guangdong Dongguan Bank () for sponsorship reasons, are a Chinese professional basketball team owned by the Guangdong Winnerway (Hongyuan) Group. The team is one o ...

of the

Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier professional men's basketball league in China. The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basis ...

. After the season in China, he joined the Leones de Ponce in Puerto Rico. On September 27, 2013, Diogu signed with the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

. However, he was waived on October 25. On December 12, 2013, he was acquired by the

Bakersfield Jam Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's pop ...

. On February 3, 2014, Diogu was named to the Prospects All-Star roster for the 2014 NBA D-League All-Star Game. On April 25, 2014, he was named the 2014 NBA D-League Impact Player of the Year. On April 29, 2014, Diogu re-joined the Leones de Ponce of the

. This year Diogu helped the Lions to win the championship over the Capitanes of Arecibo. On July 5, 2014, Diogu signed with the

Dongguan Leopards The Shenzhen New Century Liebao Club, also known as Shenzhen Marco Polo or Shenzhen Leopards (previously Shenzhen Aviators) are a Chinese professional basketball team which plays in the Southern Division of the Chinese Basketball Association (CB ...

of China for the 2014–15 CBA season. In October 2015, Diogu signed with Guangdong Southern Tigers for the 2015–16 CBA season. In November 2016, Diogu signed with the

Jiangsu Monkey King The Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings () are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Nanjing, Jiangsu, which plays in the Southern Division of the Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as ...

for the purpose of replacing

DeJuan Blair DeJuan Lamont Blair (born April 22, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers from 2007 to 2009. Blair entered the 2009 NBA draft where he was selected as the 37th overall ...

. In January 2018, Diogu signed with the

Sichuan Blue Whales The Sichuan Jinqiang Blue Whales (sometimes spelled Whale) (四川金强蓝鲸), also known as Sichuan Jinqiang or Sichuan Jinrong Industry, are a professional basketball team based in Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, which plays in th ...

for the purpose of replacing Jamaal Franklin. In August 2019, Diogu joined the Shimane Susanoo Magic of the Japanese

B.League The B.League is a professional men's basketball league that began in Japan in September 2016. The league is operated by the Japan Professional Basketball League and was formed as a result of a merger between the National Basketball League that ...

. In February 2021, Diogu joined Chemidor B.C. of the

Iranian Basketball Super League The Iranian Basketball Super League (IBSL) is a professional men's basketball league in Iran. It was founded in 1998. The current champions is Shahrdari Gorgan. The league follows the promotion and relegation system in which the worst two te ...

. In September 2021, Diogu joined the

Astros de Jalisco Astros de Jalisco (English: ''Jalisco Astros'') is a professional Mexican basketball team, based in Guadalajara, Jalisco. The Astros are part the CIBACOPA and the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional, the top professional basketball league in M ...

of the Mexican

Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional The National Professional Basketball League ( or LNBP) is the top professional basketball league in Mexico. The league was founded in 2000 with 10 teams. Despite its short history, the LNBP has established itself as the one of the most important ...

. On January 16, 2022, he signed with

Zamalek Zamalek ( ar, الزمالك , ''al zamalek'') is an affluent district of western Cairo encompassing the northern portion of Gezira Island in the Nile River. The island is connected with the river banks through three bridges each on the east a ...

of the

Egyptian Basketball Super League The Egyptian Basketball Super League, also known as the Egyptian Basketball Premier League A, is the top professional basketball division of the Egyptian basketball league system. Administrated by the Egyptian Basketball Federation (EBBFED), it is ...

. On February 12, Diogu made his debut scoring 8 points and 4 rebounds against

Burgos Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos. Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence o ...

in the semifinal of the

2022 FIBA Intercontinental Cup The 2022 FIBA Intercontinental Cup was the 31st edition of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup. The tournament was held in February 2022. The competition was played in the Hassan Moustafa Sports Hall in Cairo, which marks the first time ever the Interco ...

National team career

Diogu has played with the senior men's

Nigeria national basketball team The Nigeria national basketball team represents Nigeria in men's international basketball and it is overseen by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF). In March 2021, the global governing body FIBA ranked Nigeria as Africa's top men's basket ...

. He has competed at two Summer Olympiads: the

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

and

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

. He was named MVP of the 2017 FIBA Afrobasket tournament after averaging 22 points, 8.7 rebounds.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 69 , , 14 , , 14.9 , , .524 , , .000 , , .810 , , 3.3 , , .4 , , .2 , , .4 , , 7.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 17 , , 0 , , 13.1 , , .530 , , .000 , , .795 , , 3.7 , , .3 , , .2 , , .6 , , 7.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

, 42 , , 2 , , 12.8 , , .454 , , .000 , , .802 , , 3.3 , , .5 , , .1 , , .4 , , 5.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 30 , , 1 , , 10.2 , , .478 , , .000 , , .851 , , 2.8 , , .3 , , .2 , , .1 , , 5.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Portland , 19 , , 0 , , 3.8 , , .316 , , .000 , , .750 , , .9 , , .0 , , .1 , , .1 , , 1.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 10 , , 1 , , 14.2 , , .600 , , .500 , , .758 , , 3.9 , , .3 , , .2 , , .1 , , 9.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 36 , , 0 , , 13.1 , , .561 , , .000 , , .661 , , 3.2 , , .1 , , .1 , , .1 , , 5.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...

, 2 , , 0 , , 7.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , .5 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 225 , , 18 , , 12.4 , , .509 , , .500 , , .786 , , 3.1 , , .3 , , .2 , , .3 , , 6.0

References

External links

* *
Eurobasket.com profileArizona State Sun Devils bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diogu, Ike 1983 births Living people 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup players American men's basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American expatriate basketball people in China American expatriate basketball people in Iran American expatriate basketball people in Japan American expatriate basketball people in Mexico American people of Igbo descent American sportspeople of Nigerian descent Arizona State Sun Devils men's basketball players Astros de Jalisco players Bakersfield Jam players Baloncesto Superior Nacional players Basketball players at the 2003 Pan American Games Basketball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics Basketball players from Buffalo, New York Basketball players from Texas Capitanes de Arecibo players Centers (basketball) Garland High School alumni Golden State Warriors draft picks Golden State Warriors players Guangdong Southern Tigers players Igbo sportspeople Indiana Pacers players Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings players Leones de Ponce basketball players Los Angeles Clippers players New Orleans Hornets players Nigerian expatriate basketball people in China Nigerian expatriate basketball people in Iran Nigerian expatriate basketball people in Japan Nigerian men's basketball players Olympic basketball players of Nigeria Pan American Games competitors for the United States People from Buffalo, New York People from Garland, Texas Portland Trail Blazers players Power forwards (basketball) Sacramento Kings players Shenzhen Leopards players Shimane Susanoo Magic players Sichuan Blue Whales players Sportspeople from the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex Xinjiang Flying Tigers players Zamalek SC basketball players

Family and early life

College career

Professional career

National team career

NBA career statistics

Regular season

See also

References

External links