Certified bust Jahlil Okafor to play in China 3 years too late
Former Sixers’ number three overall pick Jahlil Okafor has officially cemented his name in history alongside NBA lottery busts. After bouncing around the league for seven years, he’s finally headed to the Chinese Basketball Association to continue his career.
Multiple reports have stated Okafor is set to sign with Zhejiang Guangsha Lions of the CBA, citing Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Now, I don’t know who Carchia is, but little does he know he’s delivered some of the best news I’ve heard in 2022.
That’s right, “Vegan Jah” himself is finally out of the NBA, and I couldn’t be happier for him. Despite a strong rookie campaign for the Sixers, his role suffered big time once Joel Embiid was ready to go.
Okafor was eventually traded to the then-terrible Brooklyn Nets for a bag of peanuts and a semi-lingering pat on the ass. A fair price if there ever was one.
Why am I so happy about Okafor’s apparent failure? Well, to put it bluntly, I’ve hated his game since college. Sure, it’s primarily rooted in the fact that he played for Duke, one of the teams I was raised to despise, but he was so lumbering it baffled me he’d ever get a bucket.
But it only got worse when we drafted him, as it forced me to watch a center that could only have been good in the era of Bill Russell on a 10-win team. I knew he’d blow as a Sixer, and boy was I right.
Even after he left the Sixers, he continued to stink. Honestly, I’m surprised it took him this long to chase a bag overseas. I mean, just look at his stats in the NBA.
Don’t get me wrong. I am genuinely happy for Okafor.
Look, it’s okay that he can’t cut it in the NBA. I can’t either! However, he’s going to absolutely FEAST in China, statistically and financially.
He flat-out dominated smaller, inferior athletes while at Duke, and he’ll be able to do the same in the CBA. Honestly, I’d probably tune in to catch a couple of his games just to see him go to work on those poor guys.
I hope he’s ready for a culture shock. I read a feature years ago on Jimmer Fredette’s time in China, and it’s a different league. Fouls are harder, the coaches speak little to no English, and his teammates will probably be smoking cigarettes in the locker room.
At 26, Okafor has plenty of time to stack paper in China. Let’s just hope he’s doesn’t turn out to be a paper tiger.
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Mandatory Credit: Bleacher Report
