Chattanooga’s connections to the NBA continue to grow.
Former University of Tennessee forward Felix Okpara, who spent three seasons at Hamilton Heights, was selected in the second round of the draft Wednesday night by the Orlando Magic as the No. 46 overall pick. His draft rights were set to be traded from the Magic to the Washington Wizards.
The 6-foot-10, 237-pounder is from Lagos, Nigeria, but he came to the United States in 2018 and settled in Chattanooga, where he was eventually adopted by Adam and Brittany Levitt.
Okpara spent two years at Ohio State and two at Tennessee, finishing his career this past season by averaging 8.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 59.7% from the floor.
“He can block shots and protect the rim,” longtime ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said after Okpara’s selection. “He rebounds, and he’s a pick-and-roller. He had 69 dunks this past year, and 22 of those dunks were off lobs.