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By Joe Apu
Up and coming Nigeria-Canadian born basketball star, Daniel Owoeye has said that the stories of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the late Kobe Bryant has been instrumental to his basketball growth noting that it is his desire to be as influential as these role models.
The 21 year-old who left Nigeria at the tender age of five returned to his fatherland recently was an intent to give back to his roots by offering to play for Nigeria.
SportingSun had a chat with him where he barred his mind on a lot of issues at a chance meeting during a training session with Coach Charley Ibeziako of the Raptors Basketball Club of Lagos.
Enjoy the interview.
Tell us about yourself and why you are in Nigeria?
My name is Daniel Owoeye but in Canada, my teammates prefer to call me DO. I am a Nigerian born athlete. I was born here and then I was raised in Canada for about 10 to 15 years. I came back to Nigeria and to be able to contribute to the nation through the game because throughout my growth, I experienced levels that needed resilience and hard work that I want to exemplify in the spirit of Nigeria again.
I want to represent Nigeria as well as Canada because they are my two strong bases. Nigeria built that resilience and hard work in me and I have been able to portray it forward. Moving forward, I hope to bring this spirit to this national level and hopefully share the world with my experience as well.
You left Nigeria in 2010, how easy was it for you coping in a new environment like Canada and then getting to play basketball? Did you come into basketball by accident or was it something you were doing here before you traveled?
I came into basketball from the basis. I started playing soccer in Nigeria. You know, soccer is well played in Nigeria. And then, I went to Canada and that is when I started to grow. I continued to play soccer because it’s the thing that I love. It’s the sport that I appreciate. And then, as I began to grow, I found basketball. And basketball was something initially that I faced a lot of adversity in. And that was due to the fact that, you know, when you first enter this sport, you are inexperienced, but then experienced players will want to feed on that inexperience.
So, it’s the same thing when coming to Canada. You come into an area where everyone else is more experienced than you and you are inexperienced. You face a lot of adversities and a lot of challenges. And you have to build your way through that. That is where that resilience and hard-working spirit comes from. That is the basis of it. So, for me now, when I started playing basketball, I was like almost seven years ago. And it was because of that hard-working spirit that even got me to this level. Because I was not even sure I would be able to play at the university level in Canada. This is because, I’m sure as you know, making university spots, even to play at the level where you travel across countries, is extremely hard. And not many people get the opportunity to even experience that. So, for me to be even the place I am, I feel very blessed to have that opportunity. And this is where that growth mindset comes in that I am ready to continue growing and pursue another challenge to become even better than before.
I played at Mount Royal University. And I played mainly the center position due to my size. Some people may see it as a little bit undersized for the position. But my impact was great. That is why I was put in that position. Moving forward, I am adaptable to always transition my playing style, and that is what I am currently working on as well. I started playing basketball from soccer due to the fact that my height was starting to kick in. And when I started to kick in, I wanted to use it for soccer first. But then I started discovering great players like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Then I started to understand the level of commitment it took to use their God-given talents to make not just impact in their sport, but impact around the world. And that inspiration from those individuals inspired a drive, a burn as you know the Nigerian spirit to be great. So, I wanted to continue playing basketball to develop my skill from that. And it didn’t come easy because especially coming from soccer where you are already good at it, it is hard to just switch to a different sport. And then you are learning a whole new set of skills. You go from using your feet to your hands more. And you are still using your foot. The footwork is important, but the handwork is where you really show your skill as well.
How much of the Nigerian national team, D’Tigers, do you know?
I am here to discover the Nigerian national team. That is the whole basis of why I am here because I have seen the Nigerian national team play before. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the experience to go and watch them at least in person or any of the FIBA games due to the intensity of the program I was in. But I want to be able to discover that opportunity in the future to at least go and experience the environment they are in and discover the new opportunity there. I am coming in with not very much experience regarding them. That is why I am here, to return to my roots, to explore the unknown for me. Because I have spent so long in Canada now, it’s like I enjoyed the environment there, but I miss home. That is why I came back, to experience the energy I haven’t experienced since when I was younger. And to learn more from it and to develop a new sense of pride for our country as well.
You play at the university level at the moment. Are you out of the university?
I am out of the university now. So, I have just finished my last season playing for Montreal University. If there is an opportunity, I can go back. But at the moment, I am focused on developing my skill level so that I can adapt to the next level.
Okay, do you dream of playing in the NBA and which team do you have in mind?
I have many teams, but some teams that really inspire me first are the Raptors that represent Canada. And then, there is also the Milwaukee Bucks because I am inspired by Giannis Adetokunbo’s story as well. As someone who has left Nigeria as well due to his parents’ decision, but he still represents the nation in such level and capacity despite having another nation that he was raised in. And I see some of my story in him as well. So the inspiration more than anything else comes from him and I would even be very grateful for the opportunity in the future to meet him.
And playing in the NBA that would be an opportunity that I can grant him because he is still a very young player. But he is experienced enough because he has put in the legwork and come up from nowhere. Nobody knew him and he made it. That is the type of story that I want to push forward because my story is of similar to his.
What is your relationship with some Nigerian that are in Canada, either in basketball or other sports like the popular Masai Ujiri that are in Canada?
I do not currently have a relationship with Masai Ujiri at all. And that is because he is of a very great level right now. It would be baseless to introduce myself to him at this point. So, I am looking for the opportunity to meet with him and in the future train with him as he has had very big impact on Nigeria itself, with the Giant of Africa and the wonders he performed with the Toronto Raptors.
And I want to continue to build that relationship with him if I get the opportunity to meet him in the future. Even myself, I am promoting community involvement in Canada. And that is to bring underserved individuals into basketball so that they can understand that it is not an easy journey and this I learned that through my own experience.
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It is not a journey where there will be people looking to help you. They necessarily have their own battles to fight. So, it is okay for them not to be able to do that for you. But that means that you have to have the mindset where you are strong to be able to push forward. And that is what I intend to do, to invoke those mindsets in young individuals, that no matter what the issue is. To be resilient means to get back up even when there is no way to get up. That is the strength that you need to have, especially in an environment you don’t know.
Can you throw more light on this project and how you want to replicate it in Nigeria?
I don’t know if you have heard of a saying called, you are as good as the environment you grow in. So, your environment can make you strong or it can make you weak.
Also speaking on the facilities in the country compared to those in Canada; will it be something that will slow you down?
And in the facilities in Canada, they help you build depending on which level you are. They are presenting you with resources that you can access in order to help you grow. But it comes at a cost. Everything comes at a cost now. So, they make it affordable if they can for the individuals that are not able to afford it. But most individuals still with the strength of the world are not able to afford it.
When I come here to Nigeria and I see the facility, it is not obviously on the same standard as Canada’s facilities are, and that is with just the environment itself. I understand the state that Nigeria is in and that sports may not be the number one focus. But sports teach you more than just the skills you need for the game. And the facility that you grow in that sport is the facility that will help you build that strong mindset and environment. So, I want Nigeria to improve its facilities but that will come with time.
Playing on, for example, a wooden court, it allows players to focus less on the fact that they are going to get injured and the fact that they can play their hardest instead. They won’t be worried about falling down and then getting back up with bruises all over their body. They will be more worried about how they can push themselves to the hardest to finish the game successfully and win whatever game or situation they are in.
It’s the same thing to go with the nutrition. Nutrition is a big part of it. I see the facility now and I’m seeing that there’s not enough nutrition, even water, available for the players to drink right away. And water is very important for the body, right? It is what our body needs for the blood to flow through our veins in order to be strong. So, water needs to be accessible, good water for players to be able to relieve their dehydration from expensing so much energy. I feel like it’s very important for Nigeria to improve its facilities over time.
Obviously, it’s not something that they can change overnight. Nothing can be done overnight. But it’s starting the legwork now and that obviously involves foreign investment as well because foreign investment is important for knowledge because you cannot do anything alone. You have to get outside knowledge in order to be able to build a good perspective.
This community outreach you’re doing in Canada, how do you want to replicate it here in Nigeria?
It starts with recruiting the right people. We have many coaches in our presence. A lot of them have already experienced the game of basketball. They know the intricacies of how a player feels before, during and after training. They’ve done it themselves so they can relate with the new incoming players.
This wealth of knowledge is what allows them to build. They can build the same knowledge and resiliency that they had from their experience in new players, in young children because it’s easy to build when you are young. It’s very easy to build a solid foundation. And that is why it is important to start with young and then as time goes on, even other players will follow. I started playing basketball when I was already in my teens. So even then I was still able to make an incredible amount of growth compared to my peers who play at the same level, who have been playing basketball since they were like four years old, three years old. It was ingrained in them that this was the sport that they loved. I came to love basketball. So I want those children to have that same passion for the game through their experiences. And the coaches are the ones that are going to instill in them that nature.
You just left the university which means you are turning professional now. So, what’s the next thing?
Currently I am looking for professional teams to put myself into. I don’t want to sabotage what I have built foundation wise by going to the wrong area. So I want to build my skills so that I can adapt in the right way. So right now, I am still building myself and building my strength and skills that will adapt into the next level of the game. That will fit the way I want to play.
I want to be able to play in a position where I can be a short forward or a center. I want to build my game in the way where I am adaptable to any situation that the team requires. I am a very team focused player. Even my teammates back home in Canada know that I will not ever push them down because I am always looking to build them up instead. So no matter what they say to me, it will not impact me in that way.
I want them to understand that I am there for their growth, even my junior individuals there that were coming into the team in my last year especially. I explained to them the situation that they were in so they can understand the impact. They are successful enough to already be at the level where they can grow with so many people around them to support them because they want to see them succeed. And they need to understand that they are at a level where the people around them are for them, not against them. They have built the hard foundation now. They just need to keep growing their skills to the point where they can be the ideal player. For me now, that is the experience professionally that I want. To find someone that will help me build to the next level because I am still young. I know my skill set is not the most grand or flashy because there are some very experienced players out there. That is my goal to be like them.
You majored in nursing. Tell us, why did you go into nursing?
The nice thing about Canada is that they want you to grow academically as well as with your sports and your hobbies. They want to see you as a very well-rounded individual. In Canada, it is not easy to get into a hard program like medicine or healthcare or nursing or engineering. It is not easy anywhere, in fact. So, to get into nursing, it took a lot of sacrifice. It is the same way as in Nigeria, where they are waiting to see if you can do it. In Nigeria now, your parents will tell you, go focus on academics. That is what my parents told me two and a half years ago. And it is important because no matter what, if your body fails you, your brain will still be there. Your head will still be there. You need common sense to move forward. I had to build the strength in my brain. And that is what I focused in nursing because it allows me to build the strength for myself.
The knowledge that I need to help other individuals as well. And, you know, coming from a place where your parents are also professionals in healthcare, it helps you understand that there are a lot of sacrifices that need to be made to be able to be there for people because in family, there is no one that can be left out.
You have to do all work together for everything to be successful. So I came to learn that at a very young age. It came with a lot of compromise. Moving from one country to another, learning how to work with each other and developing a sense of love for the people around you. And that is not just Canada. That is for the people in Nigeria as well. That is for the people abroad in the UK, in Asia, all over the world. In South America, America. I wanted to go into nursing because it allowed me to build a strength where I was able to interact with people on a level where they are vulnerable enough to tell me what is wrong and for me to be there and say that it is well.
It is well that no matter what you are going through, there is someone in your corner. And that is where that sense of support goes back to my teammates as well. I wanted them to know that it is well. Even if you make a bad play, it is well. You are injured, it is well. I have faced many injuries during my university.
For the first two years of my career, I was not able to play properly because I was breaking bone left and right. So you have to build that strength in your brain most importantly. Mental toughness is what they call it. And that is one of the things that inspired me from Kobe Bryant because I am sure everyone has heard the Mamba mentality this, Mamba mentality that. But at its core, Mamba mentality was such that he wanted everyone to be able to understand that it starts from up here, before you can put it all out in the body, you have to know it.
