Last Updated on April 17, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
Here is detailed information about Onyeka Okongwu:
Player Profile
- Full Name: Onyeka Okongwu
- Nationality: American (of Nigerian descent)
- Age: Born December 11, 2000
- Hometown: Chino Hills, California, USA
- Height: 6’8″ (2.03 m)
- Weight: 240 lbs (109 kg)
- Wingspan: 7’1″ (2.16 m)
- Shoe Size: 16 (US)
- Number: Wears #17
- Position: Center / Power Forward
- High School:
- Chino Hills High School (Chino Hills, California, USA)
- College: University of Southern California (USC) (2019–2020)
- NBA Draft: Selected 6th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks
- Teams Played For:
- Atlanta Hawks (2020–present)
- Championship Rings: None as of 2024
- Kids: No publicly known children
- Siblings:
- Late brother Nnamdi Okongwu (passed away in 2014).
- Younger brother.
Player Archetype / Play Style
Onyeka Okongwu’s player archetype is a modern defensive center, an athletic interior big whose game is built around rim protection, pick-and-roll finishing and mobile frontcourt defense. Offensively, he fits best as a screen-and-dive threat, lob target and efficient finisher near the basket rather than a creator with the ball, while defensively his main role is to anchor the paint, switch more comfortably than many traditional centers and use his timing to contest shots, protect the rim and clean up possessions on the glass. Even though he is slightly undersized for a full-time center, his strength, explosiveness and roughly 7-foot-1 to 7-foot-2 wingspan help him play bigger than his listed height. Put together, his style is defined by energy, vertical spacing, defensive versatility and physical interior play, making him the kind of big man who impacts games most through finishing, rebounding and consistently active defense.
Sources:
Peachtree Hoops — 2020 NBA Draft scouting report: Onyeka Okongwu
NBA.com — 2020 NBA Draft Profile: Onyeka Okongwu
NBA.com — 2020 Draft Resume – Onyeka Okongwu
CraftedNBA — Onyeka Okongwu vs. Trae Young