pic credit: davidedigiovannifotographie

Nelson Okafor (202-PF-2003, agency: PEPI SPORT) is a 23 year old 202cm forward that will play the 2026-2027 season with the Uni Baskets Munster. He recently completed his season with the SV Fellbach Flashers (Pro B) averaging 9,8ppg, 5,2rpg, 1,0apg and 1,0spg. He spent 2 seasons with pro A team Nurnberg Falcons playing 43 games. He also played in Italy with Farnese Pallacanestro Campli (Italy-Serie C) and Dinamo Basket Brindisi (Italy-Serie C). He began his basketball career with Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg U19 team (NBBL). He spoke togermanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks Nelson for talking to germanhoops.com. When did you discover basketball and when did it become your love?

I started to play ball when I was around 10 Years old. At that time I was doing lot of different sports like soccer and track & field. I was actually good at track but I decided that Basketball was my sport. From that moment on the whole journey started.

What basketball players were your early inspirations? Who did you like to watch and emulate?

I didn’t watch that much sports when I was younger. I started watching basketball when I was around 15. I was really into watching BBL games from Ludwigsburg. They had a player on the roster named Jon Brockman. I really liked the way he played and his physicality. Right now, I like to watch players like Naz Reid and Chris Bosh.

You played with the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg youth program from 2019-2021. How do you remember those years? How valuable was it for your early basketball development despite Covid?

I remember those days like they were yesterday. Every year was really important because I learned a lot from that program that I can still apply to my game today. We always had a stacked roster with very good players, so the competition was always there. On top of that, you could learn something from everyone, so I would say it was a great period in my life.

How key were the two David coaches with Mccray and Gale? How did they help you best with your early basketball development?

They were probably two of the most important coaches I ever had. Like I said before, they taught me a lot when I was younger. During my first NBBL season, I didn’t get much playing time because we had a very talented roster. But in my last seasons, I improved a lot in my game and learned many new things from them. I’m really thankful that I had the opportunity to play for them.

You were teammates with a young Ariel Huckporti. How do you remember him as a young player? Did you always know that he would reach the NBA?

I remember a lot of situations with him. We were in the same school class, so we shared many funny moments together. In practice and in games, he already had a big impact as a young player.

The Ludwigbsurg NBBL team had so many talented players in those 2 years. Was there a player besides a Hukporti that impaced you most?

I personally would say Dejan Bruce impacted me the most when he was on our team. He really impressed me with his physicality and basketball IQ. We played the same position, so we had some really good battles in practice.

In your second season with NBBL team Ludwigsburg you averaged 11.0ppg, 5.7rpg in 3 games. You only played 3 games. Do you sometimes wonder how your development may have been that season with a full slate of games?

I do believe I would have had a different outcome if I had been able to play a full season in the NBBL. Because of the injury, I only played 3 games and never really had the chance to show what I’m capable of.

You then made the very uncharacteristic move and went to Italy to play for :Farnese Pallacanestro Campli (Italy-Serie C and Dinamo Basket Brindisi (Italy-Serie C). Why did you make that move?

I made that move because I wanted to try something new. I had spent my whole life in Ludwigsburg and wanted to experience something different. At that moment, I also didn’t have any better options to play professionally.

How was Italy for you? How did your game grow there?

It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Great people and great guys. I was lucky to learn a completely different playing style with a really good team. We even made the championship and got promoted to Serie B

You then made the jump to the Nuernberg Falcons BC (ProA) averaging 2.6ppg, 1.9rpg
and 2.0ppg, 1.6rpg. You averaged 10 and 11 minutes per season. Do you feel like you got a fair chance there?

To be honest, I don’t think so. The season started pretty well for me personally, but it turned around very fast for both me and the team. In my first season we had two big losing streaks (8 in a row and 9 in a row). In my second season I thought maybe it would change and that I could prove myself better, but then our coach got fired. I also didn’t fit into the playing style of our new coach. So basically, I was just in a bad situation.

How valuable was it for your game having a veteran like German Julius Wolf? How did he help your game best?

Yes, it did. Not only personally, but also for the whole team. He gave us a lot of tips and showed us how we could execute better on both offense and defense. I believe it’s always good to have an experienced guy on the team, especially for rookies like me.

Your second season was cut short. How would you describe your 2 years in Nurnberg? What positives could you get from the experience?

Of course, it was a great experience. I came from Italy and had the chance to play in Pro A. I was able to learn a lot of new things and work on my game, even though we had two bad seasons. On top of that, I had the advantage of getting experience playing in Pro A at a young age something not everybody gets the chance to do.

This season you took a step back and joined Pro B team SV Fellbach Flashers. You had your break out season. How refreshing has this season been for you on and off the court?

It was a big change for me. Going from being a bench player for the starting 5 to getting major minutes is a huge difference. I personally think it’s important for me to play more, because sitting on the bench the whole time is not good for young players. There’s no way I can improve by doing that.

How blessed have you been to have had a head coach like Kris Borisov? He seemed to believe in you from the start.

It is great. He told me from the beginning what my role was going to be on this team, and I think I handled it well. It was a challenge for me, but I could handle it.at you would have a key role on the team?

You had many great games. What would you classify as your favorite own game this season?

Probably the Game against Leitershofen at their Gym. There was already tension between us and theri team/fans. The gym was packed too and I had a great Game there too.

Who wins a 1-1 in practice you or Mark Golder?

Me.

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 202cm forward. You’re a player that can score and rebound. What other strengths does your game incorporate?

I would say defending all positions and being physical. Specially being physical helped me a lot on different kind of moments.

You don´t shoot many three´s. Is the three ball something you want to incorporate more into your game?

Yes definitely. It would help me also get better 1vs1 situations. I strongly believe if I have more situations where I can shoot it, my percentage will be good enough to respect it.

How valuable is your defensive game? What kind of a defender are you right now and what kind of a defender do you still want to become?

I think my defense is pretty okay to good. Coaches could switch with me from 1 to 5 so this was never an problem for me. My Goal is to be more a rim protector.

On what areas of your game are you still working on so you can continue to improve your game?

I’m working right now on my shooting and Ballhandling.

Who was the toughest player that you ever faced on the floor that reached the NBA or Euroleague?

Probably its Ariel Hukporti when I played\practiced Nbbl with him.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Sam Mackiw – Farnese Campli

Caio Palmeri – Farnese Campli

Bautista Fouce- Dinamo Brindisi

Alfonso Di ianni- Dinamo Brindisi

Courtney Alexander- Nürnberg Falcons

Please name your personal NBA, Euro and German Mount Rushmore of 4 best players ever for each?

For the NBA, I’ll go with LeBron James, Wilt, Kobe and Steph. In the German league, I go with Tommy Kuhse, John Bryant, Per Günther and Andreas Obst. For the EuroLeague, I don’t have a Mount Rushmore. There are probably many more players that I could name, but these are the ones that stick out in my head.

Who is your GOAT?

Naz Reid.

Thanks Nelson for the chat.