NBA DRAFT

June 23, 2026

Ebuka Okorie

Q. Your name, as some people may not know, means "God is great." From Abia to New Hampshire to Palo Alto to now Detroit, across the diaspora, so many Nigerians are proud of you and you've kind of been a source of inspiration for everyone all over. I just want to know what that means to you and what you want this moment to say to them?

EBUKA OKORIE: Yeah, this moment means a lot. Like you said about my journey, the only reason I'm able to get here is by the grace of God. My faith is really big to me. My parents have instilled those values in me growing up, me and my whole family. Like you said, being able to inspire other people that may be of Nigerian background that have similar upbringing as me, hopefully I can inspire them and show that hard work pays off, and to just chase your dreams.

Q. What does it mean to be one of two NBA players from New Hampshire and on the same team [with Duncan Robinson]?

EBUKA OKORIE: Yeah, it means a lot, really, to be from New Hampshire, make it all the way to the NBA.

Like I said, just dream big. Doesn't matter where you're from, you can make it.

Q. A year ago you're a kid with no big recruits. Just coming out in that situation, what made you continue to just grind?

EBUKA OKORIE: Yeah, I mean, the story of my life has been me being overlooked, me continuing to work hard, and then the hard work paying off and me outperforming expectations. So I'm not expecting anything different to happen here. Going to Detroit, I'm going to put the work in, and once I get on the court, I'm going to let the work show.