Former Duke basketball star Jahlil Okafor had a marvelous single season at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski. Okafor averaged 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in the 2014-15 season for the Blue Devils, leading the program to a national championship victory in 2015.

Okafor was awarded USBWA National Freshman of the Year honors and was named the ACC Player of the Year in 2015.

After his star-studded freshman campaign, it was a no-brainer he was going to enter the 2015 NBA Draft. He was an old-school big expected to go in the top 5 of the draft, and he did.

The Philadelphia 76ers selected Okafor with the 3rd overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, and Okafor was deemed the next dominant big in the NBA.

His rookie season was fantastic. Okafor averaged 17.5 points and 7 rebounds in Philly and finished 5th in the NBA Rookie of the Year award voting.

But, things didn’t really pan out for the big man after his first year.

His old-school, back-to-the-basket style didn’t translate and he was never able to find success in the league after his rookie season.

After three years in Philadelphia where Okafor’s play progressively got worse, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets along with Nik Stauskas in exchange for Trevor Booker.

He couldn’t bring back his rookie play and was eventually waived by Brooklyn. After stints with the New Orleans Pelicans, the Detroit Pistons, and the Atlanta Hawks, Okafor found himself out of the league by the end of the 2021 season.

Okafor went to play overseas and it seemed like his days in the NBA are over. Until now.

In this year’s G-League expansion draft to introduce the newly created Valley Suns, Okafor was selected by the Suns in this draft.

He was eventually dealt to the Indiana Mad Ants, the affiliate of the Indiana Pacers, and has called Indiana his home this season.

The veteran earned a spot on the Indiana Mad Ants roster this season, and Okafor is dominating.

Okafor is currently averaging 18.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 64.5% shooting from the field for the Mad Ants this season and has been one of the most dominant players in the G-League.

After it seemed like his career in the NBA was over, Okafor is looking for a spark to earn a spot on a big league roster. It might be too late as Okafor is already 29 years old and it’s always been difficult for older players to make it out of the G-League.

But with his stellar play, nothing’s impossible for the Blue Devils great.