Michael Olowokandi

Michael Olowokandi was born on 3 April 1975 in Lagos, Nigeria. His father Ezekiel was a diplomat. He has a brother named Soji Abbidemi. Olowokandi studied at the Newlands Manor School and later on attended Brunel University in England. He also attended the University of the Pacific and earned a degree in economics from there. Olowokandi was in a relationship with Suzanne Ketcham for several years. However, the couple separated later on.

During his junior year, Michael Olowokandi led his basketball team to the 1997 NCAA Tournament and then led the Tigers to the 1998 National Invitation Tournament. He became Big West Conference Player of the Year for 1997–98. After his senior year, Olowokandi was chosen as the first overall pick of 1998 NBA draft by Los Angeles Clippers.

Olowokandi played about 36 games in the 2002–03 season before developing an injury that prevented him from playing in the rest of the season. In the last year with Los Angeles Clippers, Olowokandi sustained a knee and hernia injury, which greatly hindered his performance. He finished that season with an average of 12.3 points. After playing with the Clippers for five seasons, he signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves as an unrestricted free agent for the 2003–04 NBA season. The Nigerian player’s time with this team was marked by severe injuries and inconsistent play. In 2006, he was traded in a multi-player deal to Boston Celtics.

Overall, Olowokandi's professional basketball career was quite underwhelming and he was repeatedly named among the major disappointments in the NBA history. Also, the Clippers' pick of the player was considered unwise as the 1998 NBA draft had also featured players such as Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, Mike Bibby and Antawn Jamison, all of whom went on to become more successful basketball players than Olowokandi.