Ogugua "OG" Anunoby Jr. (born 17 July 1997) is an English 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 (appro ...

player for 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 Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

Indiana Hoosiers The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the demonym for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Coll ...

. He won an

NBA championship The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...

with the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...

in 2019 and led the league in steals while being named to his first

NBA All-Defensive Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in tw ...

in 2023.

Early life

Ogugua Anunoby was born in

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 ...

, England, on 17 July 1997, to

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

parents of Igbo descent. His father, Ogugua Sr. (1952–2018), taught as a professor in England at the time. His mother, Grace Ndidi Okereke, was a

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

athlete who competed at a national level for Nigeria and died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

when Anunoby was one year old. At the age of four, Anunoby moved with his family to the

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

and settled in

Jefferson City, Missouri Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Missouri. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 United States census, ranking as the List of cities in Missouri, 16th most popu ...

, where his father was a professor of finance at Lincoln University. His older brother, Chigbo, played in the NFL for the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

, and

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

before expressing interest in entering medical school (he ultimately did not attend). Anunoby played

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

when he was young, but stopped around the age of eight to focus more on basketball because of his height. Anunoby played for Jefferson City High School. During his senior season, he averaged 19.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game and was named a finalist for Mr Basketball in the state of Missouri. In October 2014, Anunoby chose to attend

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

over Georgia, Iowa, George Mason, and Ole Miss.

College career

As a freshman in 2015–16 at Indiana, Anunoby appeared in 34 games, averaging 6.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game. Anunoby was selected as a Pre-season All-American by ''The Sporting News''. On 18 January 2017, Anunoby injured his right knee against

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...

, causing him to undergo season-ending knee surgery. On 10 April 2017, Anunoby declared his intention to enter the

2017 NBA draft The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

and hire an agent, ending his tenure with the Hoosiers.

Professional career

Toronto Raptors (2017–2023)

On 22 June 2017, he was selected with the 23rd overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the

. On 9 July, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Raptors. On 14 November, Anunoby made his first career start, against the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

. He finished the game with 16 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 30 minutes. By 15 December, he led starter rookies in offensive and defensive rating and had the third highest true shooting percentage and best turnover-to-assist ratio for a non-guard. On 29 January 2019, Anunoby was named a member of the World Team representing the United Kingdom for the 2019 Rising Stars Challenge. In April 2019, Anunoby had an emergency

appendectomy An appendectomy (American English) or appendicectomy (British English) is a Surgery, surgical operation in which the vermiform appendix (a portion of the intestine) is removed. Appendectomy is normally performed as an urgent or emergency procedur ...

, which caused him to miss most of the Raptors' championship playoff run. He dressed for the NBA Finals but did not play as the Raptors went on to win the title, becoming the first British player to win an NBA championship. On 1 March 2020, Anunoby scored 32 points and recorded seven steals, along with seven rebounds and three assists in a 133–118 loss against the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

. He hit a game-winning buzzer-beater three-pointer on 3 September, in a 104–103 win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

, and finished with 12 points. The buzzer-beater prevented the Raptors from going down to a 0–3 deficit to the Celtics. The Raptors would eventually fall in seven games. On 21 December 2020, he signed a four-year, $72 million extension, through the 2024–25 season. On 24 January 2021, Anunoby scored a season-high 30 points while getting eight rebounds, one assist, five steals, and a block in a 107–102 win against 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 Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

, joining former Raptor

Kawhi Leonard Kawhi Anthony Leonard ( ; born June 29, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A two-time NBA champion, he is a six-time NBA All-Star, All-Star and a six- ...

as the only players with multiple games getting 30 points, five rebounds, and five steals in franchise history. On 1 November, Anunoby scored a career-high 36 points along with 6 rebounds and 2 assists along with the win against the Knicks. On 25 February 2022, Anunoby was sidelined due to a right finger fracture suffered against the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...

. On 3 March, he was ruled out for two weeks to rest his fractured finger. On 16 November 2022, Anunoby scored a season-high 32 points during a 112–104 win against the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

. During the 2022–23 season, Anunoby led the league in steals, becoming the first Raptors player and first British player to accomplish the feat. At the end of the season, Anunoby was named for the first time to the

NBA All-Defensive Second team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...

New York Knicks (2023–present)

On 30 December 2023, Anunoby, along with Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn were traded to the

in exchange for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second-round pick. On 1 January 2024, Anunoby made his Knicks debut, putting up 17 points and six rebounds in a 112–106 win over the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

. During his first 10 games as a New York Knick, he set an NBA record with a +170

plus–minus Plus–minus, ±, +/−, or variants may refer to: * Plus–minus sign (±), a mathematical symbol which can mean either plus (+) or minus (−), or can indicate the uncertainty of a measurement or statistic * Plus–minus (sports), a sport ...

for his first 10 games with a new team. On 8 February 2024, it was announced that Anunoby had surgery on his right elbow to remove a loose bone fragment, sidelining him for a month. Anunoby returned to play against the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

on 12 March. On 24 June 2024, Anunoby declined his $19.9M player option with the Knicks, becoming a free agent. On 6 July 2024, Anunoby re-signed with the Knicks. On 25 November, Anunoby scored a career–high 40 points in a 145–118 win against the

. As of April 6, Anunoby has scored at least 20 points in a career-high ten straight games.

Personal life

Anunoby has said, "It's definitely a goal of mine to inspire kids in Great Britain to want to play basketball and show that they can make it to the NBA from Britain." Anunoby is considered one of the best British players to ever play in the NBA. In 2021, Anunoby retired his high school basketball Jersey at Jefferson City Hig
School
In 2023, Anunoby became a minority stake owner of the London Lions.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, 74 , , 62 , , 20.0 , , .471 , , .371 , , .629 , , 2.5 , , .7 , , .7 , , .2 , , 5.9 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, 67 , , 6 , , 20.2 , , .453 , , .332 , , .581 , , 2.9 , , .7 , , .7 , , .3 , , 7.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 69 , , 68 , , 29.9 , , .505 , , .390 , , .706 , , 5.3 , , 1.6 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , 10.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 43 , , 43 , , 33.3 , , .480 , , .398 , , .784 , , 5.5 , , 2.2 , , 1.5 , , .7 , , 15.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 48 , , 48 , , 36.0 , , .443 , , .363 , , .754 , , 5.5 , , 2.6 , , 1.5 , , .5 , , 17.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 67 , , 67 , , 35.6 , , .476 , , .387 , , .838 , , 5.0 , , 2.0 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 1.9* , , .7 , , 16.8 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;",

, 27 , , 27 , , 33.3 , , .489 , , .374 , , .717 , , 3.9 , , 2.7 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 15.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, 23 , , 23 , , 34.9 , , .488 , , .394 , , .791 , , 4.4 , , 1.5 , , 1.7 , , 1.0 , , 14.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 74 , , 74 , , 36.6 , , .476 , , .372 , , .810 , , 4.8 , , 2.2 , , 1.5 , , .9 , , 18.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 492 , , 418 , , 30.2 , , .474 , , .375 , , .761 , , 4.4 , , 1.7 , , 1.3 , , .6 , , 12.9

Playoffs

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2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

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, 10 , , 10 , , 23.8 , , .558 , , .448 , , .727 , , 2.1 , , .7 , , .6 , , .4 , , 7.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 11 , , 11 , , 35.7 , , .455 , , .415 , , .643 , , 6.9 , , 1.2 , , 1.0 , , 1.2 , , 10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 6 , , 6 , , 36.1 , , .476 , , .341 , , .750 , , 4.0 , , 2.5 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 17.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 9 , , 9 , , 36.0 , , .505 , , .410 , , .615 , , 6.0 , , 1.1 , , .9 , , 1.0 , , 15.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 18 , , 18 , , 39.2 , , .417 , , .339 , , .810 , , 4.6 , , 1.3 , , 2.0 , , 1.2 , , 16.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 54 , , 54 , , 34.8 , , .460 , , .373 , , .738 , , 4.8 , , 1.3 , , 1.2 , , .9 , , 13.5

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;",

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, 34 , , 0 , , 13.7 , , .569 , , .448 , , .476 , , 2.6 , , .5 , , .8 , , .8 , , 4.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;",

, 16 , , 10 , , 25.1 , , .557 , , .311 , , .563 , , 5.4 , , 1.4 , , 1.3 , , 1.3 , , 11.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 50 , , 10 , , 17.4 , , .563 , , .365 , , .522 , , 3.5 , , .8 , , 1.0 , , .9 , , 6.8

References

External links

Indiana Hoosiers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anunoby, OG 1997 births Living people 21st-century English sportsmen Basketball players from London Basketball players from Missouri Black British sportsmen 21st-century Black British people British expatriate basketball people in Canada British expatriate basketball people in the United States English emigrants to the United States English men's basketball players English people of Nigerian descent Forwards (basketball) Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball players Jefferson City High School alumni NBA players from England NBA players from the United Kingdom New York Knicks players Shooting guards Small forwards Sportspeople from Jefferson City, Missouri Sportspeople of Nigerian descent Toronto Raptors draft picks Toronto Raptors players