Joshua Emmanuel Akognon (born February 10, 1986) is a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...

– American 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 Montakit Fuenlabrada of the Liga ACB. He played

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

Washington State Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washingto ...

and

Cal State Fullerton California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...

. Standing at , he plays at the point guard position.

High school career

Casa Grande High School Casa Grande High School is a public high school in Petaluma, California. Casa Grande is one of six high schools in the Petaluma City Schools District. History At the end of the 1960s, prior to the construction of Casa Grande High, the Petalu ...

Petaluma, California Petaluma (Miwok: ''Péta Lúuma'') is a city in Sonoma County, California, located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Its population was 59,776 according to the 2020 census. Petaluma's name comes from the Miwok village na ...

. Akognon along with European standout

Angelo Tsagarakis Angelo Constantin Tsagarakis (alternate spellings: Angelos, Aggelos, Tsagkarakis) (Greek: Άγγελος Τσαγκαράκης; born June 3, 1984) is a retired French-Greek professional basketball player who played both point guard and shooting ...

led Casa Grande to the best season in school history in 2003, forming one of the best duos in Northern California basketball history. He was recruited to play for the Cougars of Washington State University, who were then coached by Dick Bennett.

College career

Sophomore season

Akognon began the season as a starter but was soon relegated to a role off the bench. An ankle injury to starter Derrick Low forced Akognon to play more, and he responded by scoring 27 points, including the game-winning three-pointer and clinching free throws, in a 78–71 upset of

Brandon Roy Brandon Dawayne Roy (born July 23, 1984) is an American basketball coach and former player. He serves as the head coach of the boys' basketball team at Garfield High School in Seattle. Roy played six seasons in the National Basketball Associati ...

-led Washington. Akognon earned Pac-10 player of the week honors and followed that game with 25 points against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion; most of the points came against

Arron Afflalo Arron Agustin Afflalo (born October 15, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. As a junior, he was named a consensus All-America ...

. He earned Pontiac Pac-10 Player Honors for his winning second-half performance against the USC Trojans. Josh was also voted the Pac-10's "Most Underrated Player" in an article that ran in Sports Illustrated. Akognon led the team in scoring despite coming off the bench most of the year. Akognon transferred to Cal State Fullerton where he was eligible to play for two years at the beginning of the 2007–08 season.

Junior season

Akognon averaged 20.2 points a game and scored in double figures 28 of 31 games, making at least one three-pointer in all but two games, at least four three-pointers in 18 of 31 games and reaching 20 points in 17 of 31 games. Josh also reached the 30-point mark five times, including a 31-point effort in the NCAA Tournament against Wisconsin. Despite an injury to his shooting hand suffered against UC-Davis, Akognon shot just under 40% from three-point range and 90% from the free throw line. Josh made 116 three-pointers and 107 free throws, a 100–100 combination matched by only seven players. Akognon also doubled his career-high in steals and reached 1,000 points for his college career. Akognon's junior season also saw him achieve team and individual honors, with

California State University, Fullerton California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...

tying for the regular-season title, winning the Big West Tournament and reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 30 years with a 24–9 record. Akognon was a first team selection at the Shamrock Holiday Classic at St. Mary's, named Mid Majority Baller of the Week, named to the All-District 15 Second Team by the NABC with such players as

O. J. Mayo Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo (born November 5, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who plays for Zamalek SC of the Egyptian Basketball Super League (EBSL). He played a single season of college basketball for the USC Trojans while earnin ...

and

Kevin Love Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time All-Star, a two-time member of the All-NBA Second Team and ...

, a second team Big West selection and named MVP of the Big West Tournament where he averaged 20 points per game and hit 12 three-pointers in three games. Akognon was also named the 2007–2008 Africa Basket Player of the Year. Akognon announced on April 18 he was making himself eligible for the NBA Draft; after testing the waters and holding his own against some of the top 2008 draft prospects, Akognon decided on June 16 to return to the orange-and-blue for his senior season.

Senior season

While from a team standpoint the Titans failed to match their 2007–08 success, Akognon performed brilliantly in the face of countless, hounding defenses designed to slow him down. Josh was named the 2008–09

Big West Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year The Big West Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given to the Big West Conference's most outstanding player. The conference was formed in 1969 and known as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association until 1988. ...

, averaging 23.9 points per game, good for 8th in the nation. Akognon broke the single season scoring record of former Titan and U.S. Olympian

Leon Wood Osie Leon Wood III (born March 25, 1962), is an American former professional basketball player. A college All-American, he was a first round NBA draft pick, and both an Olympic and Pan-Am Games gold-medalist. He subsequently has had a career ...

with 764 points, finished seventh overall in Titan history with 1,411 points and established a two-year scoring record for his exploits. Josh was also named to the NABC All-District 9 First Team, the only Big West player named to the team this year. Once again Akognon reached the 100–100 mark with 136 three-pointers (2nd best in the nation per game) and 132 free throws (8th best in the nation with 89.2% FT percentage). Only six other players achieved that 100–100 combination. Akognon ended the season with the longest current streak in the nation of 44 games with a made three-pointer. He finished his college career with 1,805 points and 335 three-pointers. Josh also set a Big West Tournament scoring record with 37 points in a first round win over UC Riverside that included 9 three-pointers. Akognon reached double figures in 36 of 37 games, reached the 20 point mark twenty-two times, the 30+ point mark 6 times, and has had two 41 point games. He was also one of 50 players on the early season watch list for the James Naismith Award (given to the top player in college basketball), and named to the early season list for the Bob Cousy Award (given to the top point guard in college basketball).

Professional career

2009–10 season

After going undrafted in the 2009 NBA draft, Akognon signed a contract with the Estonian team

BC Kalev/Cramo BC Kalev, known as BC Kalev/Cramo for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Tallinn, Estonia. The team plays in the Korvpalli Meistriliiga, the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League and the FIBA Europe Cup. They play the ...

for the 2009–10 season.

2010–11 season

In 2010, Akognon joined the Dongguan Leopards 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 basi ...

(CBA) for the 2010–11 season. Akognon took the CBA by storm, averaging over 29 points in his first season and enabling DongGuan to almost double its win total from the previous year, improving to a 25–7 third-place finish in the league compared to a 13–19 record from the previous year. Akognon scored in double figures every game and had 18 20-point games, 12 30-point games, 4 40-point games and a career-high 54 point effort. He led Dongguan to a first-round victory in the CBA playoffs before falling to rival Guangdong in the semifinals. Throughout the season, Akognon displayed his scoring, dribbling, creativity and playmaking ability, delighting fans across the Chinese mainland.

2011–12 season

In 2011, Akognon re-signed with the Leopards and averaged over 28 points a game in 2011–12 which was good enough to be the fifth leading scorer in the CBA. Most experts and writers expected Dongguan to be in a rebuilding mode and the team lost their first four games. Due to Akognon's strong play and leadership, Dongguan rallied to go 19–9 over the last 28 games and finished in 5th place. He carried his team in their exciting five-game series against Xinjiang and Ike Diogu, but fell up short losing Game 5 and the series 3–2. Due to the lockout, the CBA was flooded with NBA players like J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler. Despite the influx of pro talent, Akognon continued his strong play and confirmed his standing as one of the most outstanding players in the CBA. On March 30, 2012, he was acquired by the Canton Charge following the conclusion of the 2011–12 CBA season.Josh Akognon Player Profile – RealGM
/ref> On April 17, 2012, he was waived by the Charge due to injury.

2012–13 season

Akognon joined the Sacramento Kings for the 2012 NBA Summer League. On September 27, 2012, he signed with the Dallas Mavericks. However, he was later waived by the Mavericks on October 19, 2012. In November 2012, he joined Liaoning of China for the 2012–13 season. On April 3, 2013, he signed a 10-day contract with the Mavericks. On April 13, 2013, he signed with the Mavericks for the rest of the season.

2013–14 season

Akognon joined the Mavericks for the 2013 NBA Summer League. On July 21, 2013, he was waived by the Mavericks. Three days later, he was claimed off waivers by the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

. On October 6, 2013, he was waived by the Grizzlies. In November 2013, he joined the Qingdao DoubleStar Eagles of China for the 2013–14 season. On February 17, 2014, he left China and returned to the United States. Four days later, he was acquired by the

Delaware 87ers Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

2014–15 season

On September 18, 2014, he signed a contract with the

Foshan Dralions The Guangzhou Loong Lions () are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Guangzhou, Guangdong. They play in the Southern Division of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). History The team was founded in November 2000 as Shaanxi Gait ...

for the 2014–15 CBA season. On March 4, 2015, he signed a contract with the Serbian team Partizan Belgrade until the end of the season. On April 23, 2015, he parted ways with Partizan.

2015–16 season

On December 8, 2015, Akognon returned to China, this time with the

Jilin Northeast Tigers The Jilin Northeast Tigers () or Jilin Tonggang, Jilin Tonggang Northeast Tigers () or Jiutai Rural Commercial Bank are a professional basketball team based in Changchun, Jilin, China, which plays in the North Division of the Chinese Basketball ...

. On February 2, he signed with Dinamo Sassari of Italy for the rest of the season.

2016–17 season

On October 2, 2016, Akognon signed a one-month deal with

Baskonia Club Deportivo Saski-Baskonia, S.A.D., commonly known as Saski Baskonia (), also known as Cazoo Baskonia for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball team that is based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB and the ...

of the Liga ACB. The club rescinded his contract on 6 November 2016. On November 22, he signed with the Lithuanian club

Lietuvos rytas ''Lietuvos rytas'' (lit. 'Morning of Lithuania') is a Lithuanian daily newspaper. History and profile "Lietuvos rytas" was established in 1990 on a basis of newspaper "Komjaunimo tiesa". The paper is printed in Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see als ...

. On January 21, 2017, he parted ways with Rytas. In April, 2017, Akognon signed with Henan of China for the 2017 NBL season.

2017–18 season

On January 12, 2018, Akognon signed with

Iberostar Tenerife Club Cantera Base 1939 Canarias S.A.D., also known as Lenovo Tenerife for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball team that is based in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. Domestically, the team plays in the top level leagu ...

for the rest of the 2017–18 season.

International career

Akognon was part of the

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 baske ...

that competed in the

2006 FIBA World Championship The 2006 FIBA World Championship was the 15th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. The tournament was hosted by Japan and held from 19 August to 3 September 2006. It was co-organised ...

in Japan. He also played at the 2016 Summer Olympics and was one of the team's leaders with averages of 10.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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