NBA AM: Okafor Plays Fearlessly in NBA Debut

It was just another game on Wednesday.

Jahlil Okafor woke up to read his text messages from his family, ran through his usual routine on the court, watched television programs on his laptop and took a nap. Later that evening, he hit the floor for 38 minutes, scored 26 points – a mix of jumpers in the paint and buckets at the basket – and grabbed seven rebounds.

It was just another game on Wednesday. At least that’s how Okafor made his NBA debut appear.

The third overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft attacked his first game as if he had done this before. After the reality of his new career sunk in during the singing of the National Anthem, he quickly shook any anxiety and settled into a groove.

“I’m always just nervous prior to the game, but the second the ball gets tipped I feel fine,” Okafor said following the Philadelphia 76ers’ 112-95 loss to the Boston Celtics.

Okafor scored his first NBA basket two minutes into the game, a five-foot jumper past Tyler Zeller. He then scored the Sixers’ next four baskets and ended the first quarter with 10 points.

The 19-year-old center finished the game shooting 10-for-16 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

“[What stood out to me was] that he has capabilities beyond what I thought in that you consider him to be a low-post, force-type player,” Sixers head coach Brett Brown said of Okafor. “And he can shoot a 16-footer, he can put it to the floor and make moves facing up. I think that he’s comfortable passing, we’ve just got to make sure we have better spacing than we had. He can score, he’s got an instinct and a knack for scoring, just in more versatile ways than I originally expected.”

With his jitters under control, Okafor still had his hands full with the opposing defense. After he got off to a hot start, the Celtics began to double team him. It was a strategy he had encountered plenty of times before but was not expecting in his debut. He sought out Coach Brown to identify where the double teams were coming from and adjust accordingly. The change forced Okafor to find open teammates.

“I know Okafor’s really good, but I thought that we would mix that in later in the game,” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens explained. “He played really well and really got it going at the start of the game. [He] put us in a bind and made us make quick decisions.”

Brown kept the lineup tight in utilizing just seven players for most of the game. Okafor expected to clock major time heading into the game. Brown noted the rookie looked fatigued at points, but he was impressed by the way Okafor fought through the game-high minutes.

“I thought he did an excellent job in his first game,” Brown said.

On Tuesday, the night before the 76ers played, Okafor watched the NBA’s opening night matchups. The last time he had seen the Golden State Warriors play, he had yet to be drafted out of Duke University. This season, he will go up against the defending champions as an NBA counterpart.

During the Chicago Bulls game versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Chicago native caught flashbacks of making trips to the United Center as a fan. He envisioned what it will be like to compete in that same arena, and that date is circled in his mind.

“Just looking at the court, knowing that I’ve been there a million times watching great players play, it’s kind of surreal knowing that I’m going to play there,” he said. “I’m going to play there December 14, the day before my birthday.”

Okafor will encounter a series of firsts throughout his rookie season. There are learning curves and transitions when adjusting from college to the pros. For some, overcoming nerves in their debut is one of the toughest hurdles. Okafor can cross that off the list.

He made it look as easy as just another game on Wednesday.