Brooklyn Nets Scout Godwin Owinje – Africa will play an important role in the next era of the NBA

Brooklyn Nets scout and Giants of Africa (GOA) co-founder Godwin Owinje says he’s been telling his colleagues in the NBA for years that they underestimate African players – and now he finally believes he’s right.

Owinje worked in various capacities for the Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats and Philadelphia 76ers prior to his current role with the Nets.

However, when Owinje was asked what he was most proud of in his NBA career, he reflected on how he advocated for African players in various boardrooms around the league.

“What was I most proud of? Just being in the war room, debating with other scouts — trying to defend my continent,” Owinje told ESPN.

“Those are some of the moments I really cherish the most – discussing African players with other scouts; why they should really start thinking differently about these African children because Africa is coming. It’s coming gradually – it’ll take a while, but it’s coming.

It’s no secret that the Brooklyn Nets have been trying to place big bets on the 2025 NBA Draft. At the time of writing, they currently have six picks.

“For us, the Nets, it’s special because we have a lot of draft picks, so we can’t go wrong. We definitely have to get it right because of all the assets we have and the draft is a draft like no other in a long time,” Owinje said.

“I think there are four in the first round and two in the second round. Because we are in a rebuild mode – a total rebuild mode – we need to get this year’s draft right by selecting players who have the Nets DNA.”

“That’s why this year is so special for us as college scouts [and] International Boy Scouts. We really need to scour the Americas, the African continent, Europe – everywhere – to make sure we select the right players who will help our franchise over the next 10 years. That’s why this year’s draft is so important to us. We definitely have to do it right.”

Much of what happens in the draft may be out of the Nets’ control, but whoever snags them, Owinje expects two African players who have been praised by coaches for their basketball IQ – Khaman Maluach of the Duke Blue Devils and Rueben Chinyelu of the Florida Gators – are among the prospects to watch.

Owinje added: “You are part of it. Gone are the days when African children spoke negatively about them. [saying things like] They’re too crude, they’re too mechanical, they’re too robotic – all these so-called terminologies they’ve used about African players.

“The continent has made great strides in eliminating the terminology used to describe African children.

“Ulrich Chomche was drafted this year. Next year Khaman will be in the draft; Rueben will most likely be in the draft. There are a number of other kids who will most likely be in the draft. For the last five to seven years, Africa has made a name for itself in the design process.”

Maluach, Chinyelu and Chomche came through the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal under technical director Roland Houston and assistant technical director Joe Touomou – the latter played with Owinje for Georgetown.

Owinje teamed up with another old friend, current Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri, in 2003 to form Giants of Africa, which holds camps across the continent for boys and girls, giving them the opportunity to further their education.

New York Knicks’ Precious Achiuwa has been one of the Giants of Africa’s biggest success stories and he has given back to his community in Port Harcourt by redesigning the court of Basketball Africa League (BAL) bronze medalist, Rivers Hoopers.

This – as well as his scouting success – filled Owinje with pride. Ultimately, by giving back, Achiuwa – and others who have come through GOA – are doing exactly what he and Ujiri taught them.

“That’s what we preach when we run our camp. We preach it to kids: If you have the opportunity — if your platform is big enough to give back — please do it,” Owinje said.

“Precious is one of the kids who was sitting on the floor of a Giants of Africa basketball camp back then – actually not that long ago. Look at what he’s doing. There are a lot of Giants of Africa alumni who do that. Precious does the same thing.”

He added with emotion: “Sometimes I cry when I see them doing these things. It makes me feel like what we started a long time ago is working. We have impacted the lives of a number of children and now they are doing the same to impact the lives of more children. It just keeps paying off and it just goes on and on.

Owinje wasn’t in the headlines as often as Ujiri, his friend from high school and junior college, but their journeys were similar. Both played professionally in Europe and were later scouts.

Although Owinje has not yet followed in Ujiri’s footsteps and run a franchise, he certainly has that ambition.

“Of course it is. I want to be in the front office,” he said when asked if moving up to a similar role to Ujiri was on his agenda. “In five years or less, I would like to see myself in a management position [in the] Front office, making decisions.”