William Njoku Explained

William Njoku
Position:Forward
Height Ft:6
Height In:10
Weight Lb:250
Birth Date:5 March 1972
Birth Place:Accra, Ghana
Nationality:Ghanaian / Canadian
High School:Halifax West (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
College:Saint Mary's (Halifax)
Draft Year:1994
Draft Round:2
Draft Pick:41
Draft Team:Indiana Pacers
Career Start:1993
Career End:2007
Years1:1994–1995
Years2:1995–1996
Team2:Jersey Turnpikes
Years3:1996–1997
Team3:Atlantic City Seagulls
Years4:1997–1998
Team4:Beşiktaş
Years5:1999–2002
Team5:Oliveirense
Years6:2002–2003
Team6:KB Bashkimi
Years7:2003–2004
Team7:Eurolines Vilvoorde
Years8:2004–2005
Team8:Rabotnički

William Chidi Njoku (born March 5, 1972) is a Ghanaian-Canadian former professional basketball player and member of the Canada national men's basketball team.

A 6'9½" forward born in Accra, Ghana, Njoku immigrated to Canada as a four-year-old along with his parents Lawrence and Catherine. He starred for Halifax West High School despite missing most of his senior year through injury. The Warriors consequently did not reach the provincial championship finals tournament in 1990. Will attended hometown Saint Mary's University, where in his junior year (1993) he was winner of the Mike Moser Award as the Canadian Interuniversity Sport's (CIAU) Most Outstanding player. In his junior and senior seasons he was also named a CIAU All-Canadian. Njoku was drafted in the second round of the 1994 NBA draft with the 41st pick overall by the Indiana Pacers.

Failing to make any NBA regular season roster however, Njoku played professionally for the next ten years for various clubs in Europe. He retired in 1999 due to a chronic back ailment, one which was properly diagnosed and successfully treated allowing him to make a comeback to pro ball at age 31 in 2003. This is a mostly complete list of the clubs by year:

Njoku also played in France.

Njoku was a member of the Canadian team at the 1994 FIBA World Championship as well as the 1998 Championship. In 2007, he also played for the Canadian national developmental team in a tournament in Argentina.

Since retiring from playing pro basketball, Njoku has been involved in coaching and motivational speaking. Having lived in Toronto for the off-seasons during much of his playing career, he now resides in Moncton, New Brunswick. He was the Athletics Director at Crandall University from Sept 2007 - Sept 2010, when he left to focus on his motivational speaking company, Will2Win.

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