| No. 55 – College Park Skyhawks | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | NBA G League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1998-10-17)October 17, 1998 (age 26) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 252 lb (114 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Centennial (Corona, California) |
| College | UCLA (2016–2017) |
| NBA draft | 2017: 2nd round, 47th overall pick |
| Selected by theIndiana Pacers | |
| Playing career | 2017–present |
| Career history | |
| 2017–2019 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2017–2019 | →Fort Wayne Mad Ants |
| 2020–2021 | Erie BayHawks |
| 2022–2025 | Birmingham Squadron |
| 2025–present | College Park Skyhawks |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Christopher Ike Anigbogu (born October 17, 1998) is an American professionalbasketball player for theCollege Park Skyhawks of theNBA G League. He playedcollege basketball for one season with theUCLA Bruins. As a freshman, he was a key reserve for a Bruins squad that advanced to the Sweet 16 of theNCAA tournament. After the season, Anigbogu was selected by theIndiana Pacers in the second round of the2017 NBA draft with the 47th overall pick. He played two seasons for the Pacers.
Anigbogu was born inSan Diego, California, to Nigerian parents Chris and Veronica Anigbogu.[1] He attendedTemescal Canyon High inLake Elsinore as a freshman and played on theirjunior varsity team.[2] The following year, he transferred toCentennial High inCorona, where he was also enrolled in theInternational Baccalaureate program.[3] A skinny, 6-foot-7-inch (2.01 m) sophomore, he averaged twopoints and 2.5rebounds per game as the Huskies advanced to the state finals.[2]
As a junior in 2015, Anigbogu led the team to the state regional finals, where the Huskies lost toChino Hills, who were led byLonzo Ball.[3] In his senior year, he was limited by injuries and a family emergency.[4] Anigbogu took three weeks off to attend an uncle's funeral in Nigeria.[5] During the playoffs, he was limited by an injured knee. For the season, the Huskies were 20–5 when Anigbogu played. He finished with averages of 19 points, 11 rebounds and 3blocks.[4]
Ranked nationally as a consensus top-50recruit, Anigbogu attended theUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he was part of a Bruins freshmen class that included more heralded five-star players like Ball andT. J. Leaf.[6] Anigbogu and Leaf had played on the sameAmateur Athletic Union (AAU) team, the Compton Magic, who had also been coached by UCLA assistantDavid Grace.[2] The newcomers were expected to help turn around a program thata year earlier had suffered its fourth losing season in the previous 68 years.[7]
Anigbogu missed the first five games of the2016–17 season when he underwent knee surgery after tearing his rightmeniscus in practice.[8][9][10] The Bruins' most intimidating player,[10] he returned to provide UCLA a physical presence they lacked.[11] Standing at 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) and 250 pounds (110 kg), Anigbogu provided highlight-reeldunks and blocks.[10] Despite neverstarting as a backup to juniorcenterThomas Welsh,[12][13] he became arguably their top defender.[14][15]
After spraining his left foot during practice, Anigbogu missed UCLA's opener in theNCAA tournament againstKent State, but returned in the second round to score six points and block a shot in just seven minutes in a win overCincinnati.[10] The Bruins finished the season with 31 wins after being eliminated in the Sweet 16.[7] For the year, Anigbogu averaged 4.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 13 minutes per game, and made 56percent of his field goals[12][13] His 35 blocks ranked third on the team while his minutes played were less than half as many as Welsh (43 blocks) and Leaf (39).[10][16] Projected to be a late first-round pick, Anigbogu announced after the season that he would declare for the2017 NBA draft.[17] Even with his limited playing time and raw offensive skills,[12][15][18] he was valued for his athleticism and potential as a standout defender.[15][19]
Working out for theIndiana Pacers in his fourth pre-draft tryout, Anigbogu twisted his right knee, which precluded him from participating in any further workouts leading up to the draft.[20] His draft stock fell over concerns about his knee, and the Pacers selected him in the second round with the 47th overall pick. He was joined in Indiana by UCLA teammate Leaf, who the Pacers had selected in the first round.[21] Anigbogu had surgery to repaircartilage in his knee and missed theNBA Summer League while rehabbing.[20][22][23] He made his NBA debut on October 20, 2017, playing two minutes in a 114–96 loss to thePortland Trail Blazers.[24] At just 19 years old, he was the youngest player in the NBA in2017–18.[25] In his first season, he played 11 games with the Pacers,[26] and had multipleassignments to theirNBA G League affiliate, theFort Wayne Mad Ants.[27][28]
During the offseason, Anigbogu missed his second straight summer league after undergoing minor surgery on his knee.[22][29]He played just three games for the Pacers in2018–19 before they waived him to complete a deal at the NBA trade deadline on February 7, 2019.[26][30] He had spent most of his time in the G League and was playing well, averaging 11.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 21 games with Fort Wayne. However, he missed several games due to knee soreness.[31][32]
On January 31, 2020, theErie BayHawks—the G League affiliate of theNew Orleans Pelicans—acquired Anigbogu off waivers.[33] He played six games and averaged 9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds.[34]
Anigbogu signed with New Orleans in December 2020,[34] but he was waived after the preseason.[35] He rejoined the BayHawks for the 2020–21 G League season, scheduled to be played in a bubble inOrlando, Florida, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[36] On March 1, he was waived after suffering a season-ending injury.[37]
On January 20, 2022, Anigbogu was acquired via returning player rights by theBirmingham Squadron.[38] However, he was waived on February 28 after suffering a season-ending injury.[38]
On January 12, 2024, Aninogbu returned to the Squadron.[39]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Indiana | 11 | 0 | 2.7 | .444 | — | .833 | .8 | .0 | .1 | .3 | 1.2 |
| 2018–19 | Indiana | 3 | 0 | 2.0 | .000 | — | — | 1.0 | .3 | .0 | .3 | 0.0 |
| Career | 14 | 0 | 2.6 | .333 | — | .833 | .9 | .1 | .1 | .3 | 0.9 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Fort Wayne | 20 | 20 | 24.5 | .525 | .000 | .703 | 6.4 | 1.1 | .3 | 1.7 | 8.7 |
| 2018–19 | Fort Wayne | 21 | 21 | 27.2 | .468 | .000 | .647 | 9.6 | .7 | .4 | 1.9 | 11.1 |
| 2019–20 | Erie | 6 | 0 | 13.7 | .615 | .455 | .500 | 4.8 | .5 | .3 | .8 | 9.5 |
| Career | 47 | 41 | 24.3 | .504 | .385 | .661 | 7.6 | .8 | .4 | 1.7 | 9.9 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | UCLA | 29 | 0 | 13.0 | .564 | — | .535 | 4.0 | .2 | .2 | 1.2 | 4.7 |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Anigbogu, who has played just six minutes this season, has spent most of his time in Fort Wayne with the Mad Ants and sat out several games due to knee soreness.
and Basketball Reference