I played cricket and rugby and signed for Newcastle United's youth team; Now I'm playing for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA.
Tosan Evbuomwan signed a two-way contract with the Brooklyn Nets on New Year's Day.
The 23-year-old made his debut for the franchise's G League affiliate two days later, scoring 39 points in a blowout victory for the Long Island Nets.
Amid a series of injuries, Evbuomwan was thrown into the Networks' rotation where he has continued to impress.
The 6-foot-7 star, who is versatile enough to play guard or forward, has been one of the Nets' few bright sparks in recent games.
He recently dropped a career-high 22 points in a 112-111 overtime loss to the utah jazzshooting 88 percent in 24 minutes off the bench and leading the Nets in scoring.
Evbuomwan also had five rebounds and an assist and hit two clutch free throws in overtime, although it wasn't enough to prevent defeat for the Nets, who are now 13-26 and currently in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. .
In five games with Brooklyn, Evbuomwan is averaging 11.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists on 57.1 percent shooting from the field and 35.7 percent from 3-point range.
It has been quite a journey for the young man, who was born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne, in the north east of England.
His father, Isaac, played college basketball at the University of Lagos in his native Nigeria, while his mother, Michelle, who was born to a Nigerian father and an English mother, moved to Lagos when she was 21.
Using her commercial pilot license she earned in the United Kingdom, Michelle became the first captain to fly a plane in Nigeria, where she met Isaac and they began dating.
Tosan's father Isaac eventually moved to England for work a year later and Michelle followed him there, and they decided to settle in Newcastle after starting a family.
Before discovering basketball at the age of 14, Evbuomwan enjoyed football, rugby, cricket and athletics, and was even selected for the Premier League's Newcastle United Youth Academy.
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However, he had a basketball hoop in his house because his father had played in Nigeria and began honing his skills.
Evbuomwan soon made a splash at Newcastle's Royal Grammar School, where he helped establish the school's basketball team.
Tosan played for the Newcastle Eagles U18 team and gained recognition at the Deng Camp (managed by former NBA player Luol Deng), where his outstanding performances caught the attention of American universities.
He eventually joined Princeton University, thanks in part to highlight videos shared by Newcastle Eagles head coach Ian MacLeod.
At Princeton, Tosan became a standout player, earning Ivy League Player of the Year honors and leading the Tigers to a historic Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
After going undrafted in 2023, he showcased his talents in the NBA G League, averaging an impressive 18.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for the San Diego Clippers this season.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tosan practiced with the Newcastle Eagles and represented Great Britain's 3×3 team in Tel Aviv, continuing to hone his skills.
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The Englishman's journey has been long, and has included stops in the Memphis Grizzlies and Detroit Pistons.
He is one of nine players to come to the NBA through the UK basketball system and joins other British players such as OG Anunoby (New York Knicks) and Jeremy Sochan (San Antonio Spurs) currently playing in the league.
Evbuomwan continues to take advantage of the opportunities he has been given and appears to have found a home in Brooklyn with high praise from head coach Jordi Fernandez.
“Incredible. He's 7/8 from the field, 22 points,” Fernandez said of Tosan after the Jazz loss.
“He's always under control and looks like a guy who's been there before. He's 23 years old… I'm very happy to see him (play), keep working with him, keep developing him. He's doing his job.”
Tosan will look to continue his good start until 2025 when his Nets face the Portland Trail Blazers at home in their next contest.
