OG for the win!
New York Knicks star Ogugua “OG” Anunoby helped his team gain a victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals in June 2026.
During the last few seconds of the fourth quarter in Madison Square Garden, Knicks star Jalen Brunson went for a long three-point shot. When it bounced off the rim, Anunoby jumped up while surrounded by several Spurs players and softly tipped the ball into the net.
The nail-biting play gave the Knicks a one-point advantage over the Spurs with only 1.2 seconds remaining on the clock.
The Knicks went on to win the game, 107 to 106, making the New York-based basketball team 3-1 in the series at the time.
While Anunoby is currently floating on cloud nine following his legendary play, he has faced a long road of challenges to become the NBA star he is today.
Keep scrolling to find out more about his life.
He is from England
Anunoby was born in Harlesden, London, in July 1997 to Nigerian parents.
His father, Ogugua Chigbogu Damian Anunoby Sr., taught as a professor at Oxford Brookes University, while the basketball player’s mom, Grace Ndidi Okereke, was a track and field athlete who competed nationally for Nigeria.
When Anunoby was 4 years old, he and his family moved to Jefferson City, Missouri.
He went to Indiana University
Anunoby played basketball for the Hoosiers at Indiana University from 2015 to 2017.
In January 2017, Anunoby suffered a season-ending knee injury during his game against Penn State and had to undergo surgery.
Three months later, Anunoby declared his intention to enter the 2017 NBA draft, ending his collegiate tenure.
He has an older brother who played in the NFL
Anunoby has six siblings: Adaeze, Adaora, Chigbogu “Chigbo,” Ogonna, Ifeoma and Olisamaka.
The NBA star’s brother Chigbogu played defensive tackle at Morehouse College before joining the NFL.
In 2012, the football player signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent. He played for several different organizations, including the Cleveland Browns and the Tennessee Titans.
Chigbogu left the NFL in 2016.
He’s overcome family tragedy
Anunoby’s parents never got the chance to see him become an NBA champion.
The athlete was 1 year old when his mom died on May 12, 1988, following a battle with cancer.
“It was tough not having a mother, but my dad did a really good job raising us,” Anunoby told Sportsnet after being drafted to the NBA in 2017.
Anunoby Sr. died in his sleep on Sept. 27, 2018, according to his obituary. He was 66.
He’s single
Anunoby is currently single and does not have any children.
He recently sparked dating rumors with Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee when the two were often seen chatting as she would sit courtside at games.
However, the gymnast later clarified that their relationship was strictly platonic.
“Honestly, it just started off as a joke, and I feel like social media kind of just, like, took it further than that,” she told Mirror US Sports in July 2025.
“But yeah, we’re just friends, and I’m really good friends with a bunch of the guys on the Knicks team, like [Karl-Anthony Towns], and then also I’m really close to [Towns’ fiancée, Jordyn Woods] as well, so it’s cool to see them doing their thing,” she added.
“Honestly, I just enjoy watching basketball, which is why I went to most of the games.”
He won an NBA championship in 2019
Anunoby is an NBA champion.
In 2019, he won his first ring with the Toronto Raptors, becoming the first British player to win a championship in the league.
Anunoby missed the Raptors’ postseason that year due to an emergency appendectomy.
He’s been with the Knicks since 2023
In December 2023, the Toronto Raptors traded Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn to the Knicks in exchange for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second-round pick.
The following month, Anunoby made his Knicks debut, garnering 17 points and six rebounds in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
During his first 10 games as a Knick, Anunoby set an NBA record with a +170 plus–minus for his first 10 games with a new team, per Sports Illustrated.
In July 2024, Anunoby re-signed with the Knicks on a five-year, $212.5 million contract.
The former Raptors star was named to his second NBA All-Defensive Second Team in May 2026.
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