Emeka Okafor, the 2005 NBA Rookie of the Year, is ready to make his return to the NBA and has been in contact with teams.
Emeka Okafor, the No. 2 pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, has not stepped on an NBA court since 2013 due to a herniated disc in his neck. But his absence from the court may change very soon as it has been reported that he is ready to make his comeback.
According to Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press, Okafor has been cleared to “return to action” and has been in contact with some teams.
Emeka Okafor has been cleared to return to action, is working out and is determined to return to the NBA, I'm told. 1/
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) May 30, 2017
Okafor was still a big factor in his final season with the Wiz - 9.7 pts, 8.8 rebs in 26 mpg. He's already been in touch w/some teams 3/
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) May 30, 2017
Okafor, a nine-year pro, won the 2005 NBA Rookie of the Year Award when he was with the Charlotte Bobcats. He is a defensive-minded big man, which a team can rely on for interior defense and rebounding. In 590 games, he averaged 12.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in just under 32 minutes a game.
There were reports last year that said Okafor was eyeing a comeback to the NBA sometime in the winter of the 2016-17 season. However, he couldn’t get physically ready on time and decided to delay his return.
Additionally, Jim Calhoun, Okafor’s coach at UConn, told ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan that Okafor isn’t making money a deciding factor in which team he joins. Calhoun said that Okafor is a smart guy who is planning on going to business school at Harvard after he is done playing basketball.
“He’s not going to make a decision based on money. He doesn’t need it. This is a kid who graduated with a 3.9 GPA. He wants to play a couple more years then go to business school at Harvard. He’s only going to play for a contending team,” Calhoun said.
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In his last NBA campaign, Okafor played 79 games with the Washington Wizards and averaged 9.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and one block a game.