This upcoming NBA season could put former Duke basketball star Jahlil Okafor on an exclusive list.
The NBA career of former Duke basketball champ Jahlil Okafor has not been as smooth as some envisioned after his exit from Durham after one season, but the former No. 3 overall pick has a chance to join an exclusive list next season.
Okafor was traded from the Detroit Pistons to the Brooklyn Nets last week as a part of the DeAndre Jordan deal.
Jordan was eventually bought out by the Pistons and signed a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Also, Sekou Doumbouya was dealt to the Nets as the Pistons received four future second-round picks and $5.78M to take on Jordan for a brief period of time, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Okafor began his career with the Philadelphia 76ers before playing in 26 games with the Nets in the 2017-18 season, in which he averaged 6.0 points per game.
The former Blue Devil also has spent time with the New Orleans Pelicans in his six-year NBA career.
However, Okafor now joins a Brooklyn roster that is the favorite to win the 2022 NBA Championship, led by Kevin Durant, James Harden, and ex-Duke freshman standout Kyrie Irving.
How Duke basketball champion could make NBA history
There are only a select few NBA players who have won both an NCAA Championship and NBA Championship in their careers, and Jahlil Okafor will be looking to join that list this season.
Okafor won the 2015 National Championship with the Blue Devils, and the forward hopes to become the second player from that Duke squad to win an NBA Title.
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Quinn Cook won an NBA Championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2018 and Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
Blue Devil legend Shane Battier is also on that list of 32 players after he won an NCAA Title with Duke in 2001 and two NBA Titles with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013.
The Brooklyn Nets will begin their season against the defending NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, October 19 at 7:30pm EST.