Emeka Okafor is a professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. He started his NBA career with Charlotte Bobcats in 2004 and played for New Orleans (2009-2012), and Washington Wizards (2012-2013).
Okafor was born on September 28, 1982, to his parents Pius Okafor and Celestina Okafor. His place of birth was Houston, Texas, United States. Both of his parents are natives of Nigeria and great standout basketball players of their time.
Okafor moved along with his parents Bartlesville, Oklahoma when he was young because father served as the employee of Philips Petroleum Company, which based in Bartlesville.
Okafor attended Bellaire High School, where he played basketball for his school team. In his senior season, he averaged 22 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 blocks. Upon high school graduation, he accepted the basketball scholarship from the University of Connecticut and choosing the Huskies over Arkansas and Vanderbilt.
Okafor played for Huskies from 2001 to 2004 where he played future basketball players Charlie Villanueva, Marcus Williams, Ben Gordon, Hilton Armstrong, and Josh Boone.
On April 16, 2014, Okafor abandoned remaining one year of college and declared his eligibility for the 2004 NBA draft. He was picked second overall by The Charlotte Bobcats on June 24. The Next day, he got an opportunity to join team USA for the 2004 Summer Olympics, which he accomplished with a bronze medal in Athens.
Upon playing with Bobcats, Okafor was picked by the New Orleans Hornets in exchange of Tyson Chandler, where he played from 2009 to 2012.
On June 20, 2012, Okafor was acquired along with the Trevor Ariza to Washington Wizards in exchange for Rashard Lewis.
On October 25, 2013, before the 2013-14 NBA season, Phoenix Suns picked Okafor in exchange for Shannon Brown, Kendall Marshall, and Malcolm Lee. However, he missed due to the herniated in a disc that discovered in Sep 2013.
On May 30, 2017, Okafor was medically cured to participate in the NBA once again.
Okafor married his girlfriend Ilana Nunna Okafor after having an affair in 2012. They organized their marriage ceremony in Houston, Texas along with their guest and relatives. Since getting married, the love birds have a wonderful married life. The couple welcomed their first child, a baby girl in 2013.
Okafor's wife Ilana was a graduate of the University of North Carolina and served as the Director of the Public Relations at BDA Sports. She also worked for the NBA and WNBA in Basketball Communications.
Okafor is a cousin of NBA player Jahlil Okafor. He also made his appearance on the cover of the NCAA March Madness 2005 video game. In addition, he also appeared in the second season of popular TV show One Tree Hill.
Okafor graduated majoring in finance with 3.8 GPA in 2004 from the University of Connecticut.
With his true dedication and devotion, Okafor has made a huge impact in the game of basketball. He has millions of admirers who follow him on his social media account.
Okafor has maintained a pretty of bank balance through his salary and earnings. As of 2013, his salary is $14.49 million. He has a whopping net worth of $30 million. He signed a 6 years contract with New Orleans Hornets worth $72 million earning the average salary of $12 million a year.
