[dropcap]T[/dropcap]here’s officially a new trend in the NFL and NBA: players of Nigerian descent.

For those that watched the two leagues latest rookie drafts, the trend was hard to miss. The 2020 NBA draft class featured eight Nigerians picked — a new record for the league. Similarly, about a dozen were chosen in the 2020 NFL Draft.

This new breed of Nigerian-blood players joins an already elite group of athletes that includes Giannis Antetokounmpo, Emmanuel Ogbah, and many others. Do any of these rookies have a ceiling as high as Antetokounmpo, a back-to-back MVP winner? Welp, let’s find out.

We’ve rounded up five of the most-prized Nigerian rookies in America’s two favorite sports leagues, the NFL and the NBA. Remember these five names because they could soon become the latest pride of Naija:

Isaac Okoro — Cleveland Cavaliers

Okoro was the fifth overall pick in last month’s NBA Draft. The soon-to-be 20-year-old has HUGE upside.

Born to Nigerian parents, Okoro grew up in the outskirts of Atlanta. He rose through the hoop ranks as a five-star commit before spending one collegiate season at Auburn. With the Tigers, Okoro averaged 12.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and two assists per game — earning an all-SEC second-team honor.

Defense is especially Okoro’s calling card. With a 6-foot-6 and 225-pound frame, he can bang with most players, whether on the wing or perimeter. It won’t be long before the Cavs have Okoro defending the opposing team’s best offensive scorer.

“Isaac Okoro” by Jason Caldwell is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Onyeka Okongwu — Atlanta Hawks

Picked directly after Okoro in the sixth spot was Okongwu. His parents hail from the city of Enugu and certainly set the bar high with his Onyeka name, which translates to “one who is greater than God.”

We’re not quite ready to say Okongwu has lived up to that lofty billing, but there’s plenty of time left to do so. If his NBA career is anything like his journey up to this point, Okongwu will surprise some people in the pros.

He played at Chino Hills High in Los Angeles — playing in the shadow of the Ball brothers. Eventually, he joined USC as a heralded recruit, but far from hype. In his sole season with the Trojans, Okongwu almost averaged a double-double with 16.2 points and 8.6 boards per game.

On a rebuilding Hawks team, Okongwu will have plenty of opportunities to shine right away.

Jeff Okudah — Detroit Lions

The Lions used the third overall pick in the 2020 Draft on Okudah, a cornerback out of Ohio State. Going that high is an absolute rarity for the corner position. Okudah became only the 12th cornerback in the past 30 years to get picked within the top-5.

Unfortunately for Okudah, his first year is officially over after a season-ending shoulder injury. He had an up-and-down rookie season on a woefully bad Detroit team. However, Okudah earned the starting honors in six of nine games he played in. Most notably, Okudah scored his first career interception off of Kyler Murray in only his second career game.

Noah Igbinoghene — Miami Dolphins

Another cornerback of Nigerian descent and another first-round pick in 2020. The Dolphins used the 30th overall selection on Igbinoghene, who in a way, hit the genetic lottery.

Both of Igbinoghene’s parents are track stars that have represented Naija before. His father, Festus, competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics in the triple jump. Whereas his mother, Faith, earned a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics in a sprint relay — which was actually Nigeria’s first-ever medal. As you’d guess, the son ran a blazing fast 40-yard dash time of 4.48 at the NFL Scouting Combine.

“Miami Dolphins Training Camp” by photo-gator is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Precious Achiuwa — Miami Heat

Thus far, our list has included only American-born players with Nigerian blood. However, that doesn’t apply to Achiuwa. He was born in Port Harcourt and remained there until middle school where his basketball prowess eventually led him to moving to the United States.

The Heat, who were only two games away from an NBA championship, used the 20th overall selection on Precious last month. The organization is known for its superb player development skills, which bodes well for Achiuwa’s future.