Joseph "Jei" Blessing Ikhinmwin (born 18 September 1987) is a former professional basketball player, 3x British Basketball Champion, England and Great Britain

International International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

who last played for the

London Lions London Lions are a British professional basketball team based in Stratford, East London, England, and compete in the Super League Basketball (SLB). The team was originally founded in 1977 as the Hemel Hempstead Lakers. Following an ownershi ...

of the

British Basketball League The British Basketball League (BBL) was a men's professional basketball sports league, league in Great Britain. Since its establishment in 1987 the BBL represented the highest level of basketball competition within the United Kingdom. The orga ...

(BBL). He served as the team captain in 2015 of the Lions until his retirement in 2021 after playing in the BBL for 9 years. He has co-hosted the popular YouTube Channel
The Cyber Nerds
since 2015.

Biography

Early life

Born in East London in

Newham The London Borough of Newham () is a London boroughs, London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of County Borough of West Ham, West Ham and County ...

, Ikhinmwin began playing basketball at the age of 14. Though he initially showed interest in playing football, it was with the suggestion of his P.E. teacher and the support of his father that he turned his focus to basketball. He started his career at

East London Royals East London Royals was a basketball club started by Humph Long producing many great cadet and junior basketball teams. The name was later taken by a British professional basketball team, based in the Barking & Dagenham area of London, England ...

Junior program based in

Whitechapel Whitechapel () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough tow ...

under the supervision of the late Humphrey Long and Chris Morgan.

High school career

In 2006, Ikhinmwin transferred to Barking Abbey Basketball Academy. He was selected to represent Great Britain at FIBA U18 and was then chosen as the

U20 U20 or U-20 may refer to: Naval vessels * * , a sloop of the Royal Navy * , a submarine of the Austro-Hungarian Navy Other uses * Great truncated cuboctahedron * Meizu U20, a smartphone * Roland U-20, a synthesizer * Small nucleolar RNA S ...

team captain playing in 2007. Additionally, in 2006–2007, he played for the NBL Division I

London Leopards The Essex & Herts Leopards were an English semi-professional basketball club, based in Brentwood, Essex and St Albans, Hertfordshire. The Leopards competed in Division 1 of the English Basketball League. The team was established in 1997 as War ...

College career

After graduating from Barking Abbey School

sixth form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...

, Ikhinmwin left Britain to study at Seminole State College in Oklahoma, where he played from 2007 to 2010 for th
Trojans
(

NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, State college (disambiguation), state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 sepa ...

). He sat out his first year due to a back injury but showed good performance in the last two seasons. The Trojans won the

Bi-State Conference The Bi-State Conference, also known as Region II, is a junior college athletic conference for many technical and community colleges within the South Central states of Arkansas and Oklahoma, sponsored by the National Junior College Athletic Associ ...

championship in 2008 with a 21–9 record. Eventually, Ikhinmwin began getting scouted by

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

universities with his growing success. In 2009, Ikhinmwin committed to transferring to HBCU

South Carolina State University South Carolina State University (SCSU or SC State) is a public, historically black, land-grant university in Orangeburg, South Carolina. It is the only public, historically black land-grant research university in South Carolina, is a member o ...

. In 2010, he joined the

Division I South Carolina State Bulldogs in the

MEAC The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC ) is a collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern and the Mid-Atlantic United States. It participates in the Nation ...

for the 2010–2012 seasons. Ikhinmwin wore the jersey number "0" and started 15 of 27 games in 2011 and 2012 where he averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds per game. He set his career high at SCSU with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal on 8 for 11 shooting in February 2012 against the

North Carolina Central Eagles The North Carolina Central Eagles refer to the 14 sports teams representing North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Durham, North Carolina in intercollegiate athletics, including men and women's basketball, cross country, tennis, and track and ...

Professional basketball career

2012/13 season

Ikhinmwin returned to the UK for his rookie season in 2012/2013 as a member of

Newcastle Eagles The Newcastle Eagles are a professional basketball club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. They play in Super League Basketball, the top-tier professional basketball league in Britain for men and women, and the European North Basketball Leag ...

. During his time there he finished with runner-up medals in the BBL regular season, Playoffs, and Cup before returning to London and signing to his hometown.He started his

career in September 2013. During Ikhinmwin's debut on the London Lions against the

Manchester Giants The Manchester Giants were a British professional basketball team based in Manchester, England. The franchise was established in 2011, and admitted to the top-tier British Basketball League in 2012. The team's formation was led by a consort ...

on 27 September 2013, he scored a career-high 22 points and 14 rebounds. He had 2 assists, 1 steal, shot 9/17 from two, 1/4 from three, shooting at 47.6% from the field. He also shot 1/1 from the free-throw line. Over his first year with the Lions, Ikhinmwin played multiple positions averaging just over 8 points and 4 rebounds per game while shooting 46% from the floor. Ikhinmwin quickly became a fan favourite, and gained international recognition early in his career with the team's notable improvement, and his career was soon attributed to basketball's growing popularity in the UK.

2013/14 season

On 31 March 2014, Ikhinmwin won the 2014 BBL Trophy Slam Dunk contest in Glasgow's Emirates Arena at the BBL Trophy Finals. On the same day, he represented England at the

International Friendly An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, scrimmage, demonstration, training match, pre-season game, warmup match, or preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sport, sporting event whose prize money and impact on th ...

against

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

and scored 15 points. The Lions went on to the BBL Championship Playoff Quarter Finals of the

2013–14 British Basketball League season The 2013–14 BBL season was the 27th campaign of the British Basketball League since the league's establishment in 1987. The season featured 12 teams from across England and Scotland, including new entrant Birmingham Knights. East London Roy ...

. Ikhinmwin was the British BBL Week 1 Team of the Week Honorable Mention Recipient for the 2013/14 season. EmiratesArenaBBLTrophyFinal

During the off-season in the summer of 2014, Ikhinmwin accepted a 2-year contract extension with the

. In September 2014, the Lions exercised an early termination clause in the contract and returned with a week-to-week contract revision, which Ikhinmwin rejected. In his statement to fans, Ikhinmwin expressed, ''"This has been an incredibly hard decision to make, but my family and I felt it was the only choice I had with the recent turn of events, which would benefit the Lions and the best interests of my career".''

2014/15 season

Ikhinmwin re-negotiated his contract and returned to the Lions in December 2014. His return marked the 2014/2015 season as a notable comeback for the Lions. They finished 6th in the regular season with Ikhinwin averaging 8 points per game. and starting 20 out of 30 games. His season high was in April 2015, scoring 21 points and 8 field goals against

Surrey Scorchers The Surrey Scorchers were an English professional basketball team based in Guildford, Surrey, that competed in the British Basketball League. The team was established in 2005 as the Guildford Heat by fans of former British Basketball League te ...

. In the playoffs, the Lions defeated

Worcester Wolves The Worcester Wolves are a basketball club in Worcester, England, Worcester, England. The team plays in the National Basketball League (England), NBL Division 2, the third tier of British basketball. The club was formed in 2000, and from 2006 u ...

in the quarter-finals and

Cheshire Phoenix The Cheshire Phoenix are an English professional basketball team based in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. Founded in 1984, they are members of the Super League Basketball and play their home games at the Cheshire Oaks Arena. From 1993 until 2015 the ...

in the semi-finals. Ikhinmwin set a career-high in free throws during this game, making 7 of 7 attempts. By the end of the season, Ikhinmwin had made over 90 game appearances since joining the Lions. In May 2015, the team played in the BBL Playoff

Finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

against

in front of over 14,700 at

The O2 Arena The O2 Arena, commonly known as The O2, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of The O2 entertainment district on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London, England. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the third-highest seat ...

. Ikhinmwin scored 35 points during the

Playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

2015/16 season

In July 2015 Ikhinmwin became the London Lions' team captain. Ikhinmwin's season-high was 20 points scored against the

Bristol Flyers The Bristol Flyers are an English professional basketball team based in the city of Bristol. The Flyers compete in the Super League Basketball, after promotion from the English Basketball League in 2014. The team play their home games at the S ...

in October 2015. Also during that game, he had 2 steals and 9 field goals. In the 2015/16 season, he averaged 7 points a game, 57% shooting from the floor, whilst corralling just under 4 rebounds per outing. In November 2015, Ikhinmwin hit a last second three-pointer that put the game against the

into overtime. His contribution helped the Lions win the game and earn a place in the semi-finals of the

Cup A cup is an open-top vessel (container) used to hold liquids for drinking, typically with a flattened hemispherical shape, and often with a capacity of about . Cups may be made of pottery (including porcelain), glass, metal, wood, stone, pol ...

. On In March 2016, the London Lions participated in the "16 Days of Activism" against gender-based discrimination campaign. Ikhinmwin stood by his teammates in partnership wit
MK Act
for White Ribbon Day, sharing his dedication to ending violence against women and the importance women have played in his life. He is quoted as saying, ''"The team and I feel men and boys have a crucial role to play in creating a culture where male violence, abuse, and harassment against women and girls are simply seen as unacceptable".'' On the 16th Day of Activism, the London Lions played BBL Cup Semi-Finals at the Copper Box Arena in the Olympic Park. After the season ended, Ikhinmwin was the Guest of Honour and presenter at the

Middlesex University Middlesex University London (legally Middlesex University and abbreviated to MDX) is a public research university based in Hendon, northwest London, England. The university also has campuses in Dubai and Mauritius. The name of the university is ...

annual "Sports Ball" in May 2016.

2016/17 season

The 2016/17 season kicked off with a 5-game winning streak for the Lions. In October 2016, Ikhinmwin led the

Lions The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the tip of its tail. It is se ...

to victory over his former team the

for the club's first time in 13 years. This win advanced the Lions to a 3–0 record in the BBL. The Lions started 2017 with a win against

(92–103). At the end of a high-scoring third period, Ikhinmwin beat the buzzer with the corner three to edge the Lions further clear, up 16. On 25 February 2017, Ikhinmwin set his career high in efficiency in a British Basketball game. That day he accomplished 26 efficiency in the game against Bristol, also scoring 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists. On 9 April 2017, he scored his season-high against

Leeds Force Leeds Force were an English professional basketball team based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The Force played in the British Basketball League, the top flight of British basketball. They played their home games at the Carnegie Sports Arena, located ...

with 15 points, 4 offensive rebounds, and 7 field goals made. After the Lion's started the season with an undefeated first month, the Lions finished in sixth with an 18–15 record before moving on to the Semi-Finals of the

BBL Playoffs The British Basketball League Championship, often shortened to the BBL Championship, is the top-level men's professional basketball league in the United Kingdom. Established in 1987, the competition is administered by the British Basketball Leagu ...

and

BBL Cup The British Basketball League Cup, often shortened to the BBL Cup, was an annual cup competition for the British Basketball League (BBL). It was one of two peripheral competitions operated by the League during the regular season, with the other b ...

. During the regular season, Ikhinmwin averaged 7 points a game on 57% shooting from the floor, and 4 rebounds per outing, scoring 221 points throughout the regular season making it his second highest scoring year since joining the Lions. In summer 2017, Ikhinmwin was named out of hundreds of basketball players in England to begin training with Team England's squad ahead of the

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games is a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, which consists mostly, but not exclusively, of territories of the former British Empire. The event was first held in 1930 ...

the following year.

2017/18 season

In August 2017, Ikhinmwin renewed his contract with the Lions for the next two seasons. In September 2017, Ikhinmwin captained the Lions to their first national championship a
Betway British Basketball All-Stars
at

. This was the team's first piece of Silverware since making the move from

Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of Milton Keynes urban area, its urban area was 264,349. The River Great Ouse forms t ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

in 2012. In addition to the trophy, the team won the record-breaking £100,000 prize fund. On 1 January 2018, Ikhinwin set his career high in assists in a BBL game, with five assists during the London Lions' 86–81 win against

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

. During the game, he also had seven points and two rebounds. During the

Quarter-Finals A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, w ...

in May 2018, Ikhinmwin scored a three-pointer which forced the game into overtime against

and helped the

secure their spot in the Semi-Finals. The 2017/18 season marked the Lion's highest-ever league finish, placing them in the last four for the third time in four years for the BBL Finals in May 2018.

The Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games - Gold Coast took place 4–15 April 2018 with over 6,600 athletes and team officials from 70 nations. Athletes competed in 18 sports over 11 days. Team England placed second on the medal table with a total of 136 medals, including 45 golds. After making it through numerous training rounds and rigorous preparation over 10 months, Ikhinmwin was selected out of 64 other players from the UK, 24 from the BBL to represent Team England in Men's Basketball during the

2018 Commonwealth Games The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, were an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that was held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, bet ...

on the Gold Coast. His name was announced on the official Team England roster in March 2018. In light of being chosen as one of the twelve elite players from the UK, Ikhinmwin stated: ''"The only greater honour of being captain of your home-town team is getting to represent your country, so I feel like I’m winning on all fronts right now, and I really appreciate the honour".'' Team England held a 10-day preparation camp in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

. The preliminary games for the England Men's Basketball team were held in

Townsville The City of Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 201,313 as of 2024, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland and Northern Australia (specifically, the parts of Australia north of ...

, Australia against

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

, India, and

. England played against

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

in the Qualifying Finals for

Basketball at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – Men's tournament The men's basketball tournament at the 2018 Commonwealth Games was held on the Gold Coast, Australia from April 5 to 15. The basketball competition was held at three venues: Cairns Convention Centre in Cairns, Townsville Entertainment and Conv ...

Cairns Cairns (; ) is a city in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. In the , Cairns had a population of 153,181 people. The city was founded in 1876 and named after William Cairns, Sir W ...

2018/19 season

The London Lions set a BBL record 11-game winning streak from 14 December 2018 – 22 March 2019. In December 2018, the Lions became the first team to book their spot in the

Final after overcoming Eagles of Newcastle 170–160. In January 2019, Ikihnmwin led the Lions to their first BBL Silverware since 2008 and their first major title since moving to London with a 68–54 win over Glasgow Rocks, earning the Lions the 2019 BBL Cup title. In April 2019, the Lions won the

BBL Championship The British Basketball League Championship, often shortened to the BBL Championship, is the top-level men's professional basketball league in the United Kingdom. Established in 1987, the competition is administered by the British Basketball Leagu ...

title for the first time ever after defeating Ikhinmwin's previous team

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...

99–80.

2019/20 season

Ahead of the 2019/20 season in October 2019, the Lions won th
Betway British Basketball All-Stars
for the second time in a victory over

. This was the precipice for more success to come as 2019/20 was a victorious season for Captain Ikhinmwin and his team prior to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. The Lions kicked off their season with a win against

Caledonia Gladiators The Caledonia Gladiators are a Scottish professional basketball club based in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire and are the only Scotland-based team in Super League Basketball, the top tier of domestic basketball in the United Kingdom. Founde ...

(88–72) and went on to win 8 out of their 12 matches before their season was cut short. On 17 March 2020, the season was postponed due to the

COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United Kingdom, it has resulted in confirm ...

. On 1 June 2020, the season was canceled, with no League or Playoffs champions declared. Ikhinmwin renewed his contract with the London Lions ahead of the 2020-21 campaign on 14 July 2020, marking his eighth season with the team.

2020/21 season

The London Lions returned to play the 2020/21 season in September 2020 with modifications made to

Copper Box Arena The Copper Box Arena is a multi-sport venue built for the 2012 Summer Olympics, located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, England. Previously known as the Handball Arena, it was renamed because, aside from Handball at the 2012 Summ ...

's safety protocol due to the COVID-19 virus. Though restrictions were placed on arena capacity and player safety to follow pandemic policies, it was a markedly strong season for the London Lions' performance. London Lion fans proved loyal and the popularity of basketball in the UK did not suffer during the pandemic. In 2020,

Sky Sports Sky Sports is a group of British broadcasting of sports events, subscription sports channels operated by the satellite television, satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television ...

returned the BBL to their network, signing a 2-year agreement to air 30 games to the growing basketball fanbase across the UK. In November 2020, the Lions' entry into the

Basketball Champions League The Basketball Champions League (BCL), also commonly known as the FIBA Champions League, is an annual professional basketball competition for European sports club, clubs, organised by FIBA. It is the European professional club basketball system ...

Qualifying Rounds for the 2020–21 season marked the first time a London team would be represented in a European competition since the turn of the century. Ikhinmwin scored 7 points in the game versus Neptūnas. The London Lions were selected for 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 Europe's second level competition. Clubs mainly qualify based on their performance in national leagues an ...

taking place 26–29 January 2021 in Poland for the first time in club history. Due to COVID-19 disruptions, the London Lions were withdrawn from participating. The

and Basketball England partnered with

TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...

at the beginning of 2021 for Britain's first ever major basketball social. media campaign. The content featured Ikhinmwin and other Lions teammates. The Basketball England account gained over 100k followers and the hashtag #BritishBasketball garnered 21.4m posts in the first three days of the campaign, rising from 4.5m prior to the launch. The campaign proved successful in its aim to increase a younger fanbase for BBL. In March 2021, the Lions made their way to the Semi-Finals of the BBL Trophy tournament with the help of a significant performance from Ikhinmwin during the game against

(109–90), scoring ten points from off the bench. The London Lions advanced to the finals and won the

BBL Trophy The British Basketball League Trophy, often shortened to the BBL Trophy, is an annual cup competition for the British Basketball League (BBL). It is the unique of peripheral competitions operated by the League during the regular season, The com ...

for the first time in their history, earning the team their third piece of silverware since January 2019. After a 14-game winning streak, the team advanced to the finals of the

that year and played against Newcastle Eagles.

Retirement

On 19 August 2021, Ikhinmwin announced his retirement from

professional basketball In professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, participants receive payment for their performance. Professionalism in sport has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger a ...

. The fan favourite and dynamic Forward's departure left behind a legacy for the club, serving as team captain for six of the eight years on the Lions, leading his team to take multiple titles including the

, and Betway All-Star Game winners, multiple years in a row. He also earned accolades including representing England's Senior Men's team at the

in 2018, winner of the inaugural All-Star Basketball Championship, and British Basketball League Slam Dunk champion during his tenure as team captain. Over Ikhinmwin's career, he made 14

European European, or Europeans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe and other West ...

international appearances and faced 992 opponents over 125 games.

Off the court

Film, television, and streaming

In 2015, Ikhinmwin launched a web show with two best friends called
The Cyber Nerds
that has amassed major success across social media platforms, including gaining over 200k subscribers and 70 million views on YouTube. The series explores and reviews current and upcoming films, television, video games, and "all things nerdy." Notable interviews include directors

Jon Favreau Jonathan Kolia Favreau ( ; born October 19, 1966) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Favreau has appeared in films such as ''Rudy (film), Rudy'' (1993), ''PCU (film), PCU'' (1994), ''Swingers (1996 film), Swingers'' (1996), ''Very ...

Matt Reeves Matt Reeves (born April 27, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He first gained recognition for the WB drama series '' Felicity'' (1998–2002), which he co-created with J. J. Abrams. Reeves came to widespread attention for directing the hit monste ...

, and

Zack Snyder Zachary Edward Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He made his feature film debut in 2004 with ''Dawn of the Dead (2004 film), Dawn of the Dead'', a remake of the 1978 horror film Dawn of the Dead (1978 film), of the same name ...

. In 2019, "The Cyber Nerds" channel expanded into

podcasting A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an episodic series of digital audio files that users can download to a personal device or stream to listen to at a time of their ...

with "TCN" podcast. In 2024, the team started the
Beyond the Sofa
podcast. In addition to "The Cyber Nerds" channel, Ikhinmwin is an active

livestreamer An online streamer or live streamer is a type of social media influencer who broadcasts themselves online through a live stream to an audience. History Streaming arose in the early 2010s, originating on sites like YouTube where users could uplo ...

YouTube personality
and influencer. He has a large following on

Twitch Twitch may refer to: Biology * Muscle contraction ** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation ** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction ** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle c ...

and

Discord Discord is an instant messaging and Voice over IP, VoIP social platform which allows communication through Voice over IP, voice calls, Videotelephony, video calls, text messaging, and digital media, media. Communication can be private or take ...

, while also being a featured keynote speaker and podcast guest on channels includin
No Shortcuts to Success
b
Trade Nation
th
Alternative Sport Show
b
Verge Magazine
and th
Hoopsfix podcast
Throughout his career on and off the court, Ikhinmwin has been featured in commercials including,

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

Betway Betway is a British gambling company founded in 2006. Its product offering includes sports betting, online casino, online poker, and online bingo. Business operations are led from its headquarters in Malta, alongside satellite offices in Londo ...

and

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

, as well as voiceover projects. In 2021, Ikhinmwin and Jack Howard, Chief critic at the Independent Clarisse Loughrey, launched Amazon Prime UK's
The Screen Test
online series and podcast. The weekly show featured special guests to discuss the top releases in genres such as sitcoms,

Academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

award-winning films and sci-fi. In 2022, Ikhinmwin acquire
The Films Critic
channel on YouTube and

Patreon Patreon (, ) is a monetization platform operated by Patreon, Inc., that provides business tools for content creators to run a subscription service and sell digital products. It helps artists and other creators earn a recurring income by provid ...

. Ikhinmwin is a partner in the channel's content, which focuses on highlighting cinematic pieces that "go beyond the well-known IP" to educate subscribers on various genres of film by featuring commentary, interviews, and film facts. In 2023, Ikhinmwin became a presenter on

Sky Cinema Sky Cinema is a British subscription film service owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). In the United Kingdom, Sky Cinema channels currently broadcast on the Sky satellite and Virgin Media cable platforms, and in addition Sky Cinema ...

's original series
Take Your Seat
where he joined Gary Noma for cinematic commentary. The short-form series discusses feature films and Sky Cinema originals. Ikhinmwin made his

directorial A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that vision. The director has a key role in ch ...

debut in 2023 with a

short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...

series titled
Dark Stranger: Part One
with the first installment premiering 18 September 2023 and
Dark Stranger: Part Two
on 14 February 2024.

Guest appearances

The former London Lions captain has returned to the court for celebrity guest appearances and charity games. In 2021, musician

AJ Tracey Ché Wolton Grant (born 4 March 1994), known professionally as AJ Tracey, is a British rapper and record producer from Ladbroke Grove, London. Tracey rose to popularity in 2016 and was listed by ''The Guardian'' in a list of "best new acts to c ...

enlisted the help of Ikhinmwin to produce the "Flu Game All Stars Basketball Tournament" in support of his second album, Flu Game. Included in the event were fellow UK celebrities and musicians including

Michael Dapaah Michael Dapaah (born 10 August 1991) is a British actor, rapper, and comedian best known for portraying the fictional rapper Big Shaq (also known as Roadman Shaq). He is also known for his mockumentary ''SWIL'' (Somewhere in London), which foc ...

Stefflon Don Stephanie Victoria Allen (born 14 December 1991), known professionally as Stefflon Don, is an English rapper. She rose to fame with her 2017 single "Hurtin' Me" (featuring French Montana), which peaked at number seven on the UK singles chart, ...

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, Bandokay, Double Lz, SL, Young T and Bugsey,

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, and others. In 2022, Ikhinmwin returned to London's Copper Box Arena court to play in the annua
Celebrity Ball Out
basketball game produced by the charit
Who's Got Game
Ikhhinmwin played in the charity game alongside rapper

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, and more.

Entrepreneurial

While still playing for the London Lions and training for the

, Ikhinmwin began studying for his postgraduate degree at

University of East London University of East London (UEL) is a public university located in the London Borough of Newham, London, England, based at three campuses in Stratford, London, Stratford and London Docklands, Docklands, following the opening of University Squar ...

in 2016. He earned his

Master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

in Sports Management in 2018. He is an active alum of the university and passionate about growing awareness about the importance of education to young sports players. He was featured in the school's
Leave your Legacy
campaign and expressed his passion for inclusion and diversity in sports. Ikhinmwin founded Red Yellow Blue Entertainment Limited in 2018 which manages motion picture, video, and television programme post-production activities. He also launched his own production company called Zero Budget Productions in 2023.

Philanthropy

Both in personal and professional life, Ikhinmwin supports a number of charity projects, including serving as a GLL-supported athlete and the ambassador of th
GLL Sport FoundationSports for Schools
an
London Sports Trust
Ikhinmwin founded his own youth non-profit, th
ICanWin Foundation
in 2013 where he works in partnership with a number of schools, sports clubs, and community groups to deliver engaging and skills-based lessons through a range of sports activities to children and young adults across London. In 2018, Ikhinmwin was instrumental in the partnership between

and his team the

to create a pathway between academia and athletics for both scholars and non-scholars. Ikhinmwin and teammates were able to utilize

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a sporting complex and public park in Stratford, Hackney Wick, Leyton and Bow, in east London. It was purpose-built for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, situated adjacent to the Stratford City devel ...

to offer free basketball coaching to children on outdoor courts throughout the summer holidays, eventually enabling them to begin a "Junior Lions" club out of the

Copper Box The Copper Box Arena is a multi-sport venue built for the 2012 Summer Olympics, located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, England. Previously known as the Handball Arena, it was renamed because, aside from handball, it hosted moder ...

arena once a week. In 2021, GLL supported more than 200 basketball players and in 2022 is investing over £1 million into the development of local athletes with Ikhinmwin's support as ambassador. Ikhinmwin continues traveling to schools across the UK to inspire primary school children to chase their dreams throug
ICanWin Sports
and th
Sports for Schools
Foundation. His mission is to build confidence in young students while also helping raise funds for the foundation and various local charities. Alongside his YouTube channel co-hosts, "The Cyber Nerds" partner with local charities including th
5 On It Foundation
to offer content creation courses to youth in the community.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ikhinmwin, Joe 1987 births Living people Basketball players from London Black British sportsmen 21st-century Black British people English men's basketball players Newcastle Eagles players Seminole State Trojans men's basketball players Small forwards South Carolina State Bulldogs basketball players Forwards (basketball) British film directors British basketball players YouTubers from London English entertainers English people of Nigerian descent English gaming YouTubers 21st-century English sportsmen