OG Anunoby

Bio

OG Anunoby is the highest-profile British player in the NBA — a two-way forward known for elite perimeter defense, starting for the New York Knicks. Now a two-time NBA champion (Toronto 2019, New York 2026 — the Knicks' first title in 53 years), he hit the game-winning tip-in in Game 4 of the 2026 Finals to complete a 29-point comeback. He signed a five-year, $212.5 million extension with New York in July 2024. Despite full British citizenship, he hasn't yet played for the Great Britain senior team.

Beginner Story

Born in Harlesden, London, to Nigerian parents, Anunoby moved with his family to Jefferson City, Missouri at age 4 when his father took a university finance professorship there — not as a teenager, as many profiles claim. He grew up playing organized basketball and track from elementary school on; the often-repeated line that he "didn't start playing until 13" actually refers to his first dunk, not his first game. Two seasons at Indiana University — cut short by a torn ACL in his sophomore year — still weren't enough to keep him out of the first round: Toronto took him 23rd overall in 2017. That combination, a serious injury on his record and still going in round one, is often cited in the UK as proof that a setback doesn't have to be the end of the story.

Videos & Interviews

What People Are Saying

• British Basketball Players in the NBA: Past and Present — Fanatik
• Top British NBA Players of All Time — College Insider