NAMPA, Idaho – Olamilekan Adetunji returned to his home country of Nigeria last summer to renew his visa so he could continue to attend school and play basketball in the United States.
It was the first time he had been home since graduating from high school in 2016 from Capistrano Valley Christian School in Southern California.

Rather than make it a trip to just see family and friends, Adetunji wanted to do something for kids in his county who hope to follow in his footsteps and play basketball abroad.

"I decided I wanted to make it different this time and actually bring kids together and have coaches teach the kids some little things about basketball," he said. "Besides putting on a camp, I wanted to encourage kids. Growing up I went to camps and learned from them and it was something I wanted to do if I had the opportunity."

So Adetunji went about collecting shoes from teammates, the NNU women's basketball team and other players he knew around the country. Nigeria doesn't have very many indoor basketball courts, so kids go through shoes quickly on the rough, outdoor surfaces.

He eventually collected about 45 pairs and then had t-shirts with a spider logo – his nickname is Spider – on them and with help, shipped them to Africa.

Teammate Sam Roth volunteered to pay to ship one of the boxes over.

"He's not very outward about it and he doesn't show it, but he definitely really cares about home," Roth said. "He thinks he has a good opportunity here in America that is unique and he is trying to make the most of it."

The NNU men's basketball team hosts Saint Martin's at 7 p.m. tonight with a chance to earn a share of the GNAC title with a win.

Adetunji ended up giving out the shoes and shirts and holding a small camp. This year, he is hoping to take 100 pairs of shoes back home and to provide shirts or jerseys or other outerwear for the campers.



"We've talked a decent amount about his time in Nigeria," NNU coach Paul Rush said. "When he was a kid, some guys there really helped him and changed his life. I think he sees that he can do that for other kids and help change their lives.

"The selfless servant mindset is awesome."

Adetunji grew up playing soccer in Surulere Lagos, as most kids in Nigeria do. He would play every day after school, often getting in trouble by his mom when he would come home late.

In 2010, a friend told him about the sport of basketball and said he should check it out. The closest court was eight to 10 miles away and they would often walk there except for the rare times he could afford transportation.

Even though no one in his family had ever played basketball or even knew what it was, they were very supportive of Adetunji.

He was a skinny, 6-foot teen who eventually figured the game out with lots of encouragement from his early coaches Joel Adams and Charles Ibeziako.

"The coaches just supported me and I feel like they saw some potential in me and I kept pushing," he said. "When I started there were opportunities. If you work hard enough, you can get a scholarship in the United States or Europe playing basketball. I kept working out so I could get something somewhere."

One of his coaches had attended Capistrano Valley Christian School and knew that they needed one or two guys who had size. So Adetunji left Africa —flying on a plane for the first time. He played two years in California.

"I wasn't really ready," he said. "I knew I was going to miss my family, but I knew it was what I wanted to do. That's why I had been working out so much, was to go to the U.S. and play basketball and maybe get big opportunities."

He was lightly recruited out of college with some junior college opportunities until at an AAU tournament when then-NNU coach Scott Flemming saw him. Flemming and Rush began recruiting him and when Adetunji came to campus for a visit he knew this is where he wanted to be.

The criminal justice major felt immediately at home and found a spot on the basketball team. He didn't play much as a freshman, but has steadily improved each year. This season he has started all but one game and is averaging 5.6 points and 6.2 rebounds.

"He put a ton of time in this summer and this fall," Roth said. "He really started to get more disciplined and started doing the little things. He is a great screen setter now. He's always been a good rim protector, but he spaces the floor really well and knows when to slip on screens and does all the things we need as a team."

Adetunji has been playing basketball for less than a decade, but his hard work combined with some help from people in his home country has given him the opportunity to play at a high level.

"Last season I started like the last 12 games of the season," he said. "It wasn't just given to me. I showed coach that I'm able to play. To keep that spot this year, I knew I had to have a high level of intensity and ability to play to compete. So, I had to put in the work."

Just like he is putting the work in to try and help others in Nigeria follow in his footsteps.