Semi Ojeleye


Jesusemilore Talodabijesu "Semi" Ojeleye is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball for both Duke University and Southern Methodist University.

Early life and college career

Ojeleye's parents emigrated from Nigeria to Ottawa, Kansas. He starred at Ottawa High School and in 2013 was named the Parade Magazine National Player of the Year. He chose national power Duke for college, but played sparingly for two seasons. Looking for a larger role, he transferred to SMU, and in 2016–17 he led the team to both American Athletic Conference regular season and Tournament Championships. Ojeleye averaged 18.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and was named AAC Player of the Year.

Professional career

Following the close of his redshirt junior season, Ojeleye entered his name for the 2017 NBA draft but did not hire an agent, leaving open the possibility of a return to the Mustangs. Ojeleye was invited to the 2017 NBA Draft Combine, one of 67 participants. After some promising performances he announced that he would commit to the draft, ending his college career. Ojeleye was chosen by the Boston Celtics in the second round.
Ojeleye made his professional debut on October 17, 2017 in a 102–99 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. During the regular season, he averaged 2.7 points per game and shot 34.6 percent from the field, but emerged as a defensive presence. He started in Game 5 of the playoff series versus the Milwaukee Bucks and held Giannis Antetokounmpo to 16 points.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College