Former national basketball player Okulaja dies at the age of 46

Updated on 05/18/2022 at 09:44

• Ademola Okulaja is everything.
• The longtime captain of the German national basketball team died at the age of 46.
• The DBB confirmed the former player’s passing.

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German basketball mourns the loss of long-time national team captain Ademola Okulaja. The native Nigerian, who won the bronze medal at the 2002 World Cup alongside Dirk Nowitzki, died in Berlin on Tuesday at the age of 46. This was announced by the German Basketball Federation (DBB).

“We are shocked and just can’t believe Ademola’s death. Our thoughts are now with his family, who we wish a lot of strength,” said DBB President Ingo Weiss: “Ademola was just as great a player as he was a person. Personally, I have a great one Lost a basketball friend and will miss him dearly.”

Okulaja defeated cancer

Okulaja, who recovered from cancer diagnosed in 2008, won 172 caps and captained the team for years. The highlight of his career was the bronze coup in Indianapolis, which will be 20 years old in September.

In the Bundesliga, Okulaja played for Alba Berlin, RheinEnergie Köln and Brose Baskets Bamberg (now Brose Bamberg). The power forward, also active at numerous top European clubs such as FC Barcelona, ​​won the Korac Cup (1995) and the championship (2000) with the Berliners.

A year after leaving Bamberg, Okulaja announced the end of his career in 2010 and later looked after NBA professional Dennis Schröder as manager, among others. The “warrior” played his last international match in September 2007. Okulaja scored 1794 points in the national jersey and played in six European championships. Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January 2020. (mt/afp)