Former Nigerian basketball international, Olumide Oyedeji has opened up on how he started the game of basketball back then. Sports247 gathered that Olumide Oyedeji started sports as a football player.
He also said that he tried his hands on numerous sports before he finally found his love, basketball. When asked he said “I started as a football player, I played Lanihun U-13, YSFON U-12, Oba Of Benin’s Cup, Rabat Cup, All Nigeria Secondary School Game and few other local tournaments at Ibadan also played for my secondary school prestigious Loyola College Ibadan” From there I jumped into track and field, I was a member of a relay team for the school, 100m, 200m and 400m. My secondary got us engaged in different sports and I picked up more sports and represented my school in Volleyball, handball, field hockey, table tennis and badminton.
The former NBA star also revealed how he tried his hands on table tennis but it didn’t work out too well for him. “I tried Tennis, but I was not that good enough to represent my school. My first 3 years in secondary school I found myself taller than a few of my age group”
The former Orlando Magic player said he discovered his passion for basketball when he was in the upper secondary school. By then, it was an attraction. “While taking classes, I always look at the basketball court in front of my classroom for the first 3 years, I decided to join the boarding house students after school to play basketball. I never took basketball seriously until I got to University… Basketball was the last sports that I picked and ventured into
I never believed I will be a professional football player neither basketball player. I was just playing like a regular kid that saw this recreational sports.
Oyedeji had been a member of the senior men’s Nigerian national basketball team since 1997. He contributed immensely to the Nigerian national team’s participation at the various FIBA Africa Nations Cups. He led Nigeria to its first-ever AfroBasket trophy in Tunisia in 2015. Oyedeji won silver medals in 1997, 1999 and 2003 respectively during the FIBA Africa Nations Cup. He won the bronze medal at the 2005 FIBA Africa Championship and 2011 FIBA Africa Championship.
