Nigerian teen basketball star David Ugonna Ike shines at BWB Africa Camp
Seventeen-year-old Nigerian basketball prospect, David Ugonna Ike, has won the Most Valuable Defensive Player award at the recently concluded 20th Basketball Without Borders Africa (BWB Africa) camp in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The towering 6’11” Imo State player was adjudged the best defender for his numerous blocks and defensive plays during the championship games competed by the 30 boys in this year’s 20th BWB Africa four-day camp.
Ugonna, currently an NBA Academy Africa prospect in Senegal, is happy to win the award, stating it takes him an inch closer to realising his dream of playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the USA, where his biggest mentor is another Nigerian basketball superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“I am happy to win the best defensive player award and also be selected amongst the all-stars at the BWB Africa camp. My dream is to be in the NBA someday soon and I will continue to work hard in the NBA Academy Africa in order to realise this dream,” Ugonna stated.
Another Nigerian, Chidalu David Ajala, also won the BJ Johnson award for the most improved player in the four-day BWB Africa camp, while the boys’ and girls’ teams, Hawks and Aces, coached respectively by Nigerian duo Ekpe Udoh and Ikenna Smart, were declared champions. Ekpe is the current assistant coach of the Atlanta Hawks, and Ikenna is the Portland Trailblazers assistant video coordinator, both in the USA.
Egyptian youngsters, Mohamed Warl Shahin and Haya Elhalawany, won the overall Kim Bohuny Most Valuable Player awards of the BWB Africa camp for boys and girls respectively.
BWB Africa is a global collaboration of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and International Basketball Federation (FIBA) geared towards developing high-school-age basketball prospects across Africa. Sixty boys and girls (including three Nigerians) from 24 African countries participated in the 20th edition in Johannesburg, South Africa.
