Devine Eke, a standout forward for Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers in the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season, has landed a coveted spot with the Milwaukee Bucks for the upcoming NBA Summer League as officially confirmed by ESPN Africa.
This represents a major step forward for the young player, who impressed on the continental stage with a dominant double-double average of 16.6 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.
Eke’s impressive showing wasn’t just about his individual stats. He played a key role in propelling the Rivers Hoopers to a stunning third-place finish in the BAL playoffs. This achievement was particularly remarkable considering it was the first time a Nigerian team had ever qualified for the knockout stages, let alone reached such a high level of competition.
As quoted from ESPN on why he decided to settle for the Bucks despite several interests, “I heard great things about the Bucks and the people at the organization. [My goal for Summer League] is just trying to contribute to my team winning”.
“The BAL was an incredible platform for me. I had the chance to meet so many amazing people, especially Ian Mahinmi. As a former NBA player who’s now involved with the BAL, he’s become a real mentor to me”.
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Devine Eke won’t be the only BAL standout heading to the Summer League this year. South African small forward Samkelo Cele, who impressed with the Cape Town Tigers, earned an invite from the New York Knicks.
This follows the recent drafting of Cameroonian player Ulrich Chomche by the Toronto Raptors – potentially marking the first time a BAL player makes it to the NBA regular season.
These developments highlight the BAL’s growing reputation as a springboard for talented players to showcase their skills on a bigger stage.
Eke, a well-traveled 27-year-old, who honed his skills at the collegiate level with the Maine Black Bears, Rider Broncs, and Radford Highlanders before venturing overseas is the cousin of WNBA stars Chiney and Nneka Ogwumike.
He praised the duo for the professional advice in settling for a team for the summer admitting that despite being cousins, they’ve always been like big sisters and mentors to him.
Here’s a rewrite of the sentence about Eke’s Milwaukee Bucks’ Summer League schedule:
With a top athlete like Giannis Antetokounmpo who also has a Nigerian roots, Eke would undoubtedly find his transitioning smooth as Milwaukee Bucks NBA Summer League campaign will start in Las Vegas on July 13th against the Chicago Bulls.
They’ll then face a string of challenging matchups over the next six days, taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Clippers, and Phoenix Suns.
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