James Nnaji: Barcelona gives Nigerian star iconic number 23 jersey

Nnaji is one of the team players who made a jersey number switch with Barcelona in the new season. Image Credit - Barcelona

James Nnaji: Barcelona gives Nigerian star iconic number 23 jersey

Tosin Abayomi 06:05 - 13.09.2023

Barcelona give 19-year-old Nigerian star James Nnaji the iconic number 23 jersey

Nigerian professional basketball player James Nnaji is trending on social media.

The 19-year-old is back with Spanish La Liga giants Barcelona.

Barcelona gives James Nnaji the number 23 jersey

Barcelona basketball players have already been awarded the numbers they will wear ahead of the new season.

Barcelona announced the new numbers on their official social media platforms.

Nnaji is one of the team players who made a jersey number switch in the new season.

Nnaji's jersey change now officially cements his promotion from the youth setup to the Barcelona first team.
Nnaji's jersey change now officially cements his promotion from the youth setup to the Barcelona first team.

The 19-year-old will now wear the iconic number 23 as opposed to the number 46 he wore last season.

Nnaji's jersey change now officially cements his promotion from the youth setup to the first team.

Nnaji is one of the Barcelona players who made a jersey number switch in the new season.
Nnaji is one of the Barcelona players who made a jersey number switch in the new season.

With six NBA teams retiring the number 23 and two of the game's greatest players, Lebron James and Michael Jordan, both donning the number, the number 23 is an iconic number in the NBA.

Charlotte Hornets send James Nnaji back to Barcelona

The Charlotte Hornets made a draft-day trade to obtain James Nnaji by swapping their 34th and 39th picks.

Nnaji became well-known thanks to his efforts for Barcelona last season.

Nigerian professional basketball youngster James Nnaji played a pivotal role for Barcelona as they defeated Real Madrid to win the Spanish crown and was racially abused but will now play for the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA
Nigerian professional basketball youngster James Nnaji played a pivotal role for Barcelona as they defeated Real Madrid to win the Spanish crown and was racially abused but will now play for the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA

He possesses NBA-caliber athleticism but is still an exceptionally undeveloped big-man prospect.

Fans of the Hornets, though, will not have the chance to watch their young potential play this summer.

After making moves to acquire Nnaji in the NBA Draft, the Hornets brought him to the United States for the Las Vegas Summer League to get a closer look at their new big-man prospect.

The Charlotte Hornets made a draft-day trade on June 23 to obtain James Nnaji by swapping their 34th and 39th picks.
The Charlotte Hornets made a draft-day trade on June 23 to obtain James Nnaji by swapping their 34th and 39th picks.

He is staying in Spain to continue developing in one of the best leagues in Europe.

The Hornets will have team control over one of Europe's top big-man prospects by allowing Nnaji to grow in Europe.

It's just a matter of honing Nnaji's game and expanding his skill set because he already possesses the physical tools required to succeed at the NBA level.

Nnaji began the campaign with the first competitive prize the Barça basketball squad under Roger Grimau had ever won.

Nnaji contributed massively as Barcelona recorded an 81-79 victory to win the Liga Catalana AON Championship.

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