Ndudi Ebi
 |
|
| Position | Forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Weight | 240 lb (110 kg) |
| Born | 18 June 1984 London, England, UK |
| Nationality | Nigerian-British[1] |
| High school | Westbury Christian School, Westbury, Texas, U.S. |
| Draft | 26th overall, 2003 Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Pro career | 2003–present |
| Career history | Minnesota Timberwolves (2003–05) Bnei HaSharon (2007–08) Carife Ferrara (2008-09) Basket Rimini Crabs (2009-10) Andrea Costa Imola (2010-11) Limoges CSP (2011) Ningxia Hanas (2011) Anibal Zahle (2011-) |
Ndudi Hamani Ebi (born 18 June 1984 in London, England) is a Nigerian-British professional basketball player who formerly played in the NBA.
He committed to the University of Arizona, in the U.S., but reneged by making himself eligible for the NBA Draft. Ebi was selected out of Westbury Christian School by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round (26th pick overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft.
Ebi was raised in Nigeria before moving to Houston, Texas, U.S. as a teenager to attend high school. He holds both British and Nigerian citizenship. He currently plays for Anibal Zahle in Lebanon.
[edit] Professional career
Ebi was the first first-round pick in three years for the Wolves due to their forfeiture of five first-round picks after the team owner illegally made a deal with then Wolves forward Joe Smith (the penalty was later reduced to three picks). Minnesota attempted to get an exception for Ebi to be able to send him to the National Basketball Developmental League (NBDL).
He was technically ineligible as the 2005–06 NBA season was his third year, and the now-renamed NBA Development League now only accepts players who have been in the NBA less than two years. Minnesota wanted to guide Ebi in, and they tacitly argued that Ebi was hardly a two-year veteran in the figurative sense, given his limited playing time. The Timberwolves attempted to do this without letting Ebi know that they were planning on sending Ebi to the NBDL. The league rejected Minnesota's request regarding Ebi, and to make room for Ronald Dupree, Minnesota released Ebi on 1 November 2005. He signed a free agent contract over the summer of 2006 with the Dallas Mavericks.
After playing five pre-season games, averaging 5.2 points per game (ppg), Ebi was waived by the team on 26 October 2006.
On 30 September 2007, he signed with Israeli club Bnei HaSharon for one season.[2]
On 3 August 2008, he signed with Italian club Carife Ferrara, newly promoted to Serie A.[3]
He later played for the Basket Rimini Crabs in Italy and averaged 15.3 points per game, 13.6 rebounds per game, and 3.2 steals per game.[4]
In March 2011, he signed with Limoges CSP.
In summer 2011, he signed with Anibal Zahle in Lebanon and thus joined the strong Division 1 of the Lebanese Basketball League.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Player Profile, Basket Club Ferrara
- ^ Bnei and Ramat Gan land foreigners
- ^ Basket: Carife Ferrara ingaggia Ebi (Italian)
- ^ [1]
[edit] External links
- 1984 births
- Living people
- Bnei HaSharon players
- Basket Rimini Crabs players
- British basketball players
- British expatriates in Israel
- British expatriates in Italy
- British expatriates in the United States
- English basketball players
- Expatriate basketball people in Italy
- Expatriate basketball people in the United States
- Israeli Basketball Super League players
- Nigerian expatriates in Israel
- Nigerian expatriates in Italy
- Nigerian expatriates in the United States
- McDonald's High School All-Americans
- Minnesota Timberwolves draft picks
- Minnesota Timberwolves players
- National Basketball Association high school draftees
- Nigerian basketball players
- Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
- People from London
- Power forwards (basketball)
