Where is Ochai Agbaji from? We find out more about the parents and upbringing of the former Kansas Jayhawks star.
The 2022 NBA Draft takes places tonight (23 June) with the next crop of talented young hoopers about to turn professional.
The NCAA Tournament concluded over two months ago with the Kansas Jayhawks taking the national title by beating the North Carolina Tar Heels. Kansas overcame the Villanova Wildcats in the Final Four with a 81-65 victory, and followed that with a 72-69 win in the title game.
After the game, Ochai Agbaji’s family and parents joined him on court as they celebrated the victory.
WRC Rally Sweden 2022 | Trailer
Where is Ochai Agbaji from?
Ochai Agbaji was born on 20 April 2000 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He grew up playing soccer but quit the sport as a sophomore at Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Missouri, to focus on basketball.
The Kansas star was originally into soccer through his father, who is Nigerian. In Ochai’s Twitter bio, he has an emoji of the Nigerian flag.
Who are Ochai Agbaji’s parents?
Ochai Agbaji’s parents are Erica and Olofu Agbaji. Ochai’s mother, Erica, is a kindergarten teacher in Kansas City. She is originally from Wisconsin and was also a basketball player at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.
Ochai is close to both parents and they have been hugely supportive of his career throughout his time with the Jayhawks.
“As the years have gone on, I can see the leadership in him has grown,” Erica told KSHB. “But I love his smile after he’s made a dunk or a good play or someone else has. Just that smile tells me he is having fun, he’s doing what he wants to do.”
Ochai’s father, Olofu Agbaji, is a city planner in Kansas City, Missouri. Olofu moved from Nigeria to the US when Ochai was 17 years old. Together they worked on Ochai’s basketball skills and Olofu has been hugely important in his son’s growth.
“He will be the first one to tell you we aren’t done yet,” Olofu said. “Because he used to like Spider-Man, and one of the favourite quotes is ‘with great power comes great responsibility’. So that’s what I always remind him.”
Speaking about his son potentially being drafted to the NBA, Agbaji’s dad told KSHB: “It doesn’t matter where he is drafted. I just hope he goes to a team that has personnel such as Self and KU, a team that will be able to tap the best out of him.”
His family joined him after Kansas won the title
After the championship game, an emotional Ochai Agbaji hugged his family on court. “You’re a champion,” they shouted as they embraced in tears:
Where do you project Ochai to get drafted? Let us know in the comments below!
