Jahlil Okafor is not among the roughly two dozen Duke basketball alumni in the NBA this season.
The 2014-15 Duke one-and-done and national champion hasn’t been on an active NBA roster since the 2020-21 season.
However, the 28-year-old Chicago native remains determined to return to the league. Recently, while introducing himself as a member of the Indiana Mad Ants, the G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers, Okafor expressed his commitment to making it back to basketball’s biggest stage.
“Priority No. 1 is to get back to the NBA,” Okafor said. “First and foremost, I’m a scorer. I’m one of the best low-post scorers still to this day. I’m a veteran, so I have a lot of experience in this league. And I’m gonna be a leader for the [Indiana Mad Ants] and try to be dominant on both ends of the floor.”
Boston Celtics superstar and fellow Duke product Jayson Tatum showed his support for Okafor this week, backing the big man’s claim that he remains a premier low-post scorer.
Through eight games this season with the Mad Ants, the 6-foot-10, 270-pound Okafor is averaging 18.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.
He’s shooting an impressive 67.4 percent from the field and 79.2 percent from the free-throw line, further demonstrating his continued ability to contribute at a high level.
