How a random college directory pick became the first overall pick in the NBA
In short: Michael Olowokandi did not play organized basketball until age 18. Two years later, he cold-called a university coach, eventually becoming the first overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft. His journey from a mechanical engineering student to a professional athlete remains one of the most improbable stories in sports history.
Born in Lagos and raised in London, Michael Olowokandi was a multi-sport athlete who excelled in track and field, cricket, and rugby. He did not touch a basketball until he was 17. In 1995, on his 20th birthday, he randomly selected the University of the Pacific from a college guide. After a cold call to the basketball office, he convinced the staff of his potential despite his lack of experience. He arrived in California as a sophomore with no formal training, initially struggling with basic rules like traveling, before rapidly developing into a dominant collegiate star.
By his senior year at Pacific, Olowokandi was the Big West Conference Player of the Year, averaging 22 points and 11 rebounds. His physical profile—standing 7 ft 1 in with a 7 ft 6 in wingspan—and his impressive performance at pre-draft camps led the Los Angeles Clippers to select him first overall in 1998. The selection was controversial in hindsight, as future Hall of Famers like Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce were available later in the same draft. Olowokandi’s professional career was subsequently hampered by recurring knee injuries and inconsistent performance, leading many to label him a draft bust.
Beyond the court, Olowokandi’s legacy is defined by a quiet commitment to philanthropy. While his NBA tenure was marked by clashes with coaches and management, he privately donated over $100,000 to Children's Hospital Los Angeles for neonatal equipment and volunteered at Boston’s Pine Street Inn. His career, which ended in 2007 due to severe physical setbacks, serves as a complex case study of raw athletic potential meeting the unforgiving demands of professional sports. Despite the criticism of his on-court production, his rapid ascent from a novice to a top-tier prospect remains a singular anomaly in the history of the draft.
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