The Boston Celtics of the National Basketball League are well-known for their excellent record over the years; the club has the most titles of all the NBA franchises. They have produced many superstars including Larry Bird, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and many more. Interestingly, the team has got fast-rising stars currently making the waves in the league; amongst them is Semi Ojeleye. His excellent and soft shooting skills have kept him at the top of his game for the Celtics. He was named Parade Magazine National Player of the Year during his high school career in 2013. Learn more about the star player below
Who is Semi Ojeleye?
Semi Ojeleye is a professional American basketball player who plays the position of a power forward for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He was selected by the Celtics as the 37th overall pick in the second round of the NBA draft of 2017. He completed his college career at Duke University and Southern Methodist University where he was named AAC Player of the Year and AAC tournament MVP for his remarkable performance in 2017. In addition to that, he was All-AAC First-team and got an All-American Honorable Mention in the same year.
Brief Bio (Age)
Born as Jesusemilore Talodabijesu Semi Ojeleye in Overland Park, Kansas on December 5, 1994, to African-American parents, his father Ernest Ojeleye is a medical doctor while his mother Joy Ojeleye is a registered nurse. Semi’s parents are originally from Nigeria, but they migrated to the United States for a residency at the University of Kansas Medical Centre. Meanwhile, he is not the only child of his parents; he has an older sister named Tomi Ojeleye and an older brother Victor Ojeleye. Just like Semi, his older brother also played basketball with the Kansas State University basketball team from 2008 to 2011.
Ojeleye developed a keen interest in playing basketball from a very young age and when he was in high school, he kicked off his basketball career. He attended Ottawa High School situated in Ottawa, Kansas. During his high school career, Semi was a four-year starter under Coach Jon McKowen and he led Ottawa high to four state championships. As a senior, he averaged two steals, two assists, 8.5 rebounds, and 38.1 points per game. He won Parade Magazine’s National Player of the Year Award as well as Gatorade Kansas Boys Basketball Player of the Year Award as a senior in 2013. At the end of his high school career, Semi reached No. 32 in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index and ranked as the No 26 prospect of his class by Scout.com.
Upon graduation, he enrolled at Duke University where he continued his college career. He played two seasons with Duke before transferring to Southern Methodist University. As a freshman, Semi Ojeleye played 17 games for Duke, averaging 0.9 rebounds and 1.6 points per game. The following year, he played just six games before transferring to Southern Methodist University. After the transfer, Ojeleye sat out for the rest of the 2014/15 season and was redshirted in the 2015/2016 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Finishing his college career in 2017, Ojeleye played 35 games for SMU and averaged 19 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He won AAC Player of the Year and AAC tournament MVP. He was also selected to the All-AAC First-team and also got All-American honors from Associated Press.
NBA Career
Semi Ojeleye participated in the NBA Scouting Combine drills as one of the 67 draft prospects. Following his impressive performance in the drills, he declared for the NBA draft of 2017. During the draft, he was picked by the Boston Celtics as the 37th overall selection in the second round of the draft.
Joining the Celtics, Ojeleye made his first professional appearance on October 17, 2017, in their loss against Cleveland Cavaliers. At the end of the 2017/18 regular season, Ojeleye made 73 appearances for the Celtics and had an average of 2.2 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 2.7 points per game. He further participated in his first NBA playoff in 2018, averaging 1.6 rebounds, 0.2 steals, and 1.9 points per game.
His Height, Weight, and Other Stats
Height: Semi Ojeleye stands at a height of 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m)
Weight: He has a bodyweight of 107 kg (235 lbs).
Other Stats
1. As a rookie, Ojeleye started Game 5 of the NBA playoffs in 2018, holding Giannis Antetokounmpo to 16 points as the Celtics triumphed over Milwaukee Bucks.
2. He was part of the Global Sports Academy US Team during the 2016 Men’s Basketball Goodwill Tour in Croatia.
3. Ojeleye won the AAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and AAC MVP in 2017
4. He completed his high school career with a total of 2,763 points
