The German basketball season is drawing to a close and one player clearly missing is Ademola Okulaja. The former North Carolina Tar Heel and German national team star is still recovering from a cancerous tumor.
Okulaja was diagnosed last July with a fracture of the vertebrae which may have been caused by a tumor. And he has been fighting the cancer since – also going through chemotherapy treatments.
But Okulaja is living up to his “Warrior” nickname by fighting to come back to the game.
“First I want to get healthy. As soon as I have beaten this sickness, I definitely want to get back to basketball and play for Bamberg,” the 172-time German international Okulaja told K1X.
But the “Warrior” is also fighting to help cancer-ridden children – with the help of basketball brand K1X. The Apparel makers came up with a t-shirt to help Okulaja’s cause.
“The Warrior will be back” is the message appearing on 513 t-shirts which also feature a close-up of his eyes – the look of a true winner. The number of shirts comes from the jersey numbers he wore with the German national team (5) and German club Bamberg (13).
20 Euros – All towards children
“This action is dedicated solely to Ademola and the fight against cancer. We want to mobilize all his fans and friends and show him that we support him in this tough time as well,” said Christian Grosse, head of k1x GmbH.
Okulaja played in North Carolina in the 1990s with the likes of NBA stars Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter. In his senior season, he led the Tar Heels in points, rebounds, steals and three-point percentage as team captain. He went on to play for clubs in Spain, Russia and Germany, playing with Bamberg since mid-2007.
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