Former Louisville basketball star Jordan Nwora could be the first Cardinal to ever compete in the Olympics.
Although his time with Louisville basketball came to a disappointing finish, Jordan Nwora could wind up accomplishing a feat no other Cardinal has.
According to resident Louisville statistician Kelly Dickey, Nwora has joined a shortlist becoming only the second former Card to make an Olympic basketball roster.
“Jordan Nwora is the second former Louisville men’s basketball player to make an Olympic roster and may become the first to play in the Olympics,” Dickey said. “Rodney McCray was on the 1980 U.S. Men’s Basketball Olympic team which did not compete due to boycott.”
Nwora is currently focused on other goals as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, who look to clinch an NBA Championship on Tuesday night against the Suns. Nwora has played in five playoff games including Game 3 of the Finals where he went 1-for-1 from the field, hitting a three-point shot in the waning moments.
Once the Finals end, however, Nwora will head to Tokyo to join the rest of the Nigeria roster.
Nigeria notably upset the United States and Australia- the 1st and 4th-ranked teams in the world- during pre-Olympic exhibition games.
The roster consists of current NBA players like Precious Achiewa, Chimezie Metu, and Josh Okogie.
It is not unheard of for teams like Nigeria to push elite-level squads like the USA. However, for Nigeria to actually outright win two exhibition games shows that they have what it takes to finish the game under pressure.
How Jordan Nwora helps Nigeria
Now, Nigeria will add Nwora, who was a key piece for the squad in 2019. During the FIBA World Cup, Nwora averaged 11 points, 3.5 boards, 2 assists, and 3 steals. However, it was during the African qualifiers that landed the Nigerian team in the tournament itself where he really excelled.
In qualifying rounds, Nwora averaged more than 21 points per game, including 36 points against Mali.
Now, Nigeria- Without veterans like Ike Diogu and Al-Farouq Aminu- will likely turn to “Air Jordan” as the final piece that can solidify itself as a country to be reckoned with.
Although Nwora has only played in 30 games this season, he was fantastic in his two starts for the Bucks. In both of his career starts, he averaged 22.5 points and notched two double-doubles.
Nwora could become the first Louisville basketball player since Samaki Walker in 2002 to win an NBA title and he could become the first Cardinal ever to play in an Olympic basketball game. Not a bad start to his pro career.
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