James Okello: Difference between revisions

James Okello
No. 15 – City Oilers
Position	Power forward / center
League	NBL
Personal information
Born	26 January 1990 (age 34); Kampala, Uganda
Listed height	1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)
Listed weight	95 kg (209 lb)
Career information
Playing career	2013–present
Career history
2013–present	City Oilers
Career highlights and awards
	9× NBL Uganda champion (2013–2020, 2022); 3× NBL Uganda Playoffs MVP (2019, 2020, 2022);
Men's Basketball
Representing Uganda

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Latest revision as of 21:31, 26 September 2024

James Okello (born 26 January 1990) is a Ugandan basketball player, who plays for City Oilers and the Uganda national basketball team.

Early and personal life

While his father was polygamous, James Okello was the sixth of nine children to his mother.^[1]

In school, besides basketball, he was involved in athletics (as a sprinter) and soccer. Okello’s sporting efforts especially in basketball right through school earned him a full scholarship at Crane High School for five years. In 2010, he received his degree there.^[1]

In November 2013, when James Okello was right in the middle of the national playoffs, his father died. Henceforth, James Okello took care of the family.^[1]

He has a Diploma in Procurement from Makerere University Business School.^[1]

Uganda's Rugby national team star Phillip Wokorach is Okello’s step brother. They both wear the jersey number 15. When Okello won the 2019 National Championship, Wokorach posted on social media that "Number 15 rules the nation."^[1]

Club career

James Okello was recruited by the City Oilers in 2012. This was on the recommendation of Okello's high school coach, Justus Mugisha, who, as of early 2020 has worked as an assistant coach for the Oilers.^[1]

In 2019, Okello was voted the Uganda Sports Press Association male basketball player of the year. That was before he inspired the Oilers to an unprecedented seventh successive National Basketball League (NBL) title.^[1]

During the 2019–20 playoff finals with UCU Canons, the Oilers were missing key players: Stephen Omony and Nigerian import Francis Azolibe. Also, Jonathan Egau did not play. Tony Drileba and Daniel Jjuuko played on pain killers. Yet, Okello insured that the Oilers’ winning run would not end as he led his team to a 4–3 series victory.^[1]

During the 2018 playoff finals against the Betway Power, the Oilers lost game one 66–85. In the second game, by the end of the first quarter, Okello was bleeding, after his lower lip was deeply torn into two. Yet, he played through the pain and aided the Oilers’ 78–71 win. The Oilers later won the championship again on a 4–1 aggregate.^[1]

No player has been at City Oilers longer than James Okello. Altogether, he helped the team earn seven National Championships.^[1]

National team career

He helped Uganda's national team win two Africa Zone Five championships in 2017 and 2018.^[1]

Later, he was part of the team for the AfroBasket 2021 qualification games against Egypt, Morocco and Cape Verde.^[2]

Player profile

James Okello mostly plays the power forward position,^[2] in some cases he has also played center.^[1]

Hamza Nyambogo, the former KIU Titans head coach stressed Okello's intangibles: “I do not know of any player today who puts their body on the line for their team like Okello does as though everything depends on it. Yet, in basketball sense, Okello never accepts defeat.”^[1]

BAL career statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high


Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2023	City Oilers	5	0	14.2	.143	.000	.667	2.0	.8	.4	.0	1.2
2024	City Oilers	6	0	13.0	.462	.000	.000	1.3	0.8	0.2	0.0	2.0

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Mister City Oilers! John Vianney Nsimbe (The Observer), 13 February 2020. Accessed 29 June 2021.
^ ^a ^b Okello optimistic ahead of AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers Franklin Kaweru (Kawowo Sports), 10 February 2021. Accessed 29 June 2021.

External links

[Nsimber-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Mister City Oilers! John Vianney Nsimbe (The Observer), 13 February 2020. Accessed 29 June 2021.

[Kaweru-2] Okello optimistic ahead of AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers Franklin Kaweru (Kawowo Sports), 10 February 2021. Accessed 29 June 2021.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{short description|Ugandan basketball player}}
 {{Infobox basketball biography
-| name         = James Okello
+| name = James Okello
-| image        =
+| image =
-| image_size   =
+| image_size =
-| caption      =
+| caption =
-| number       = 15
+| number = 15
-| position     = [[Power forward (basketball)|Power forward]] / [[Center (basketball)|Center]]
+| position = [[Power forward (basketball)|Power forward]] / [[Center (basketball)|center]]
-| height_m     = 1.97
+| height_m = 1.97
-| weight_lb    =
+| weight_kg = 95
-| league       = [[National Basketball League (Uganda)|NBL]]
+| league = [[National Basketball League (Uganda)|NBL]]
-| team         = City Oilers
+| team = City Oilers
-| birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1990|1|26|df=y}}
+| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|1|26|df=y}}
-| birth_place  = [[Kampala]], Uganda
+| birth_place = [[Kampala]], Uganda
-| nationality  = Ugandan
+| high_school =
-| high_school  =
+| college =
-| college      =
+| draft_year =
-| draft_year   =
 | career_start = 2013
-| career_end   =
+| career_end =
-| years1 = 2013–present | team1  = [[City Oilers]]
+| years1 = 2013–present
+| team1 = [[City Oilers]]
+| highlights = *9× [[National Basketball League (Uganda)|NBL Uganda]] champion (2013–2020, 2022)
-| highlights     =
-*8x [[National Basketball League (Uganda)|NBL Uganda]] champion (2013-2020)
+*3× [[National Basketball League (Uganda)|NBL Uganda]] Playoffs MVP (2019, 2020, 2022)
+| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's [[Basketball]]}}
-*[[National Basketball League (Uganda)|NBL Uganda]] Playoffs MVP (2019, 2020)
-| medaltemplates  =
-{{MedalSport | Men's [[Basketball]]}}
 {{MedalCountry | {{UGA}} }}
 {{MedalGold|[[FIBA Africa|2017 Africa Zone 5]]|}}
@@ Line 60: / Line 58: @@
 ==Player profile==
-James Okello mostly plays the [[Power forward (basketball)|Power forward]] position,<ref name="Kaweru"/> in some cases he has also played [[Center (basketball)|Center]].<ref name="Nsimber"/>
+James Okello mostly plays the [[Power forward (basketball)|power forward]] position,<ref name="Kaweru"/> in some cases he has also played [[Center (basketball)|center]].<ref name="Nsimber"/>
 [[Hamza Nyambogo]], the former [[KIU Titans]] head coach stressed Okello's intangibles: “I do not know of any player today who puts their body on the line for their team like Okello does as though everything depends on it. Yet, in basketball sense, Okello never accepts defeat.”<ref name="Nsimber"/>
+==BAL career statistics==
+{{BAL player statistics legend}}
+{{BAL player statistics start}}
+|-
+| style="text-align:left;"|[[2023 BAL season|2023]]
+| style="text-align:left;"|[[2022–23 City Oilers season|City Oilers]]
+| 5 || 0 || 14.2 || .143 || .000 || .667 || 2.0 || .8 || .4 || .0 || 1.2
+|-
+| style="text-align:left;"|[[2024 BAL season|2024]]
+| style="text-align:left;"|[[2023–24 City Oilers season|City Oilers]]|| 6 || 0 || 13.0 || .462 || .000 || .000 || 1.3 || 0.8 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 2.0
+|-
+{{s-end}}
 ==References==
@@ Line 76: / Line 88: @@
 [[Category:Living people]]
 [[Category:Makerere University Business School alumni]]
-[[Category:Power forwards (basketball)]]
+[[Category:Power forwards]]
 [[Category:Sportspeople from Kampala]]
 [[Category:Ugandan men's basketball players]]
+[[Category:City Oilers players]]