Gabe Osabuohien has lit up USA College Basket with eye-catching performance for West Virginia Tech University playing as a power forward. The young basketball player stands at 6ft 8in tall. Osabuohien is the son of Kingsley and Roseline Osabuohien, immigrants from Nigeria. He just graduated in Communications Advertising and Sports Psychology and is now studying for his Masters degree.
The 22-year-old brings energy off the bench on the defensive end of the floor is unrivalled. He is arguably the best defensive players in USA College basketball and has set his sights on the NBA as a possible draft pick in 2022.
Osabuohien arrived at West Virginia in August after being dismissed at Arkansas. The reasons for the dismissal were not disclosed by his former coach Eric Mussellman.
Osabuohien was ostensibly born with a basketball heart. His mother recalls that he would turn almost every object into a basketball or a throwing toy. He just folds whatever is placed in his hands and tosses it in the air like a basketball.
His parents nurtured the talents within him and quickly registered him in Toronto Raptors Basketball Academy at age six. His talents have shown.
“Being able to experience, and reach my current level of success is a blessing. Growing up my coach always told me I have less than 2% chance of playing college basketball. Coming from a different country even lowered it further.
Just being able to look at where I come from and seeing where I am now motivates me to keep going. I want to create a better life for me and those I love. I also desire to serve as motivation to the next upcoming immigrant kid or people looking up to me.”
Osabuohien talks about how to handle defeats.
“I handle defeats by bouncing back; I usually do not dwell on defeats for long. Once it hits midnight, it is a new day. I try to use defeats as a learning experience. I don’t call defeats losses; I see them as lessons instead because we learn from them.”
Osabuohien looks up to LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as models. Both basketball superstars have inspired him to be the best basketball player and to give 110% every time he steps on the court.
“My advice for younger or newer players is that they should have big goals and dreams. Then put in the work. You can never cheat the game of basketball. The work you put in when no one is looking is what will come to the light when it’s time to play. It is also important to stay humble and be submissive to all coaches. They want to win but they usually have the best interest of the players at heart.”
Osabuohien all remembers his Nigerian roots fondly. “For sure, it would be a very nice experience to represent Nigeria in basketball someday. I have been able to play basketball at the highest level in college and high school and have met several players who came straight from Nigeria. Nigeria is my original native land. Despite their many challenges, representing that country would be amazing.”
