October was a mixed bag for African NBA stars since the league began, with 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid out with a knee injury and impressive performances from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama missing out. translated into consistent openings for their teams.
Wembanyama, who has ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Greek-Nigerian star Antetokounmpo continue to play starring roles in games, while Dennis Schröder, who is of Gambian descent, is one of the league’s most inventive players.
If this is to the displeasure of African NBA fans, later on they at least had some rather sudden reason to cheer.
Pristine Orleans Pelicans Cameroonian draft pick Yves Missi has given them one of the most exciting moments of the season as Benin-East star Rui Hachimura’s strong start to the season has helped the LA Lakers to have a successful start.
October Africa MVP: Dennis Schröder (Brooklyn Nets)
Schröder was born in Germany to a German father and Gambian mother. Although he represents Germany around the world, he has publicly demonstrated his joy for his Gambian roots.
“My mom is from the Gambia, she was born and raised there. We always go back to the Gambia to see our family and that keeps you humble. So seeing all that, seeing our family there and what they have and what we got always makes you feel humble like Well, and that’s how we want to live as a family,” he said in an updated interview with Andscape.
Schröder has had a great start to the NBA season. In October, he averaged 24.6 points and 8.2 assists on a per-game basis for the Brooklyn Nets. Like all defensemen locally, he has not only helped score, but he has made his teammates better than they would have been without him.
Greek-Nigerian forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (30.4 ppg, 11.6 rpg and 5.8 rpg) was statistically the most productive African player of the generation. On the other hand, the Milwaukee Dollars have had a particularly poor start to the season, so Schröder takes this generation’s honors for helping the Nets find something resembling a successful way later to slowly start crawling out of the blocks. .
While of time: Wemby’s 5X5 (San Antonio Spurs)
In the San Antonio Spurs’ 106-88 victory over the Utah Jazz, Victor Wembanyama scored 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals and five blocks.
Wembanyama, who has ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo through his father, thus closes his second game with at least five in each of these five sections. He is only the third player in NBA history to accomplish that feat; the others were Andrei Kirilenko, who had three 5v5 games and another African giant, Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria), who had six.
Surprise package of the generation: Yves Missi (Pristine Orleans Pelicans)
One of the miracle early contenders for Rookie of the Month is Cameroon’s Yves Missi, who was the 21st overall pick in the NBA Draft, chosen by the Pelicans.
The former Baylor center has made some of the most memorable plays of the season to date, from some monster dunks to his outright call on fellow African Jonathan Kuminga (DR Congo, Yellowish Circle Warriors).
Rui Hachimura, of the LA Lakers, son of a Beninese father, has been another of the players who has exceeded expectations this season.
Hachimura, who joined from the Washington Wizards in January 2023, hasn’t always had a lot of court time to stand out as a notable part of the team. On the other hand, new head coach JJ Redick has given him extra minutes this season and he has maximized them.
In October, Hachimura averaged 15.6 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game.
There are signs that more players could enter the group in this category throughout November. On the one hand, Neemias Queta of the Boston Celtics, whose parents are from Guinea-Bissau, has given the new generation a great start.
With Embiid back in practice and on the verge of recovering from a bruised knee, the generational forward promises to be exciting for African NBA fans.
