Alex Owumi

Alex was born on May 4, 1984 in Lagos, Nigeria to Claudia and Joseph Owumi. His parents and siblings were chiefs of his village and he was a prince. Their village spoke the Urhobo language and Alex was not fluent in English in his early life. Claudia worked as a teacher at various schools in Lagos and later became a principal. By the age of eight, Alex had begun playing both basketball and football. He began playing basketball with a soccer ball and a milk crate nailed to a tree. The sport was becoming increasingly popular in Nigeria due to the success of Hakeem Olajuwon and Owumi often followed the National Basketball Association (NBA). When he was 12, his family moved to England, where they lived for three years. They then settled in Boston after his father joined the Harvard School of Public Health. In sixth grade, he enrolled at the local Tobin K-8 School. He attended Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester, Boston, where he played basketball and football. Owumi later estimated that he lost, at most, nine high school basketball games. At Burke in 2003, he won The Boston Globe Scholar Athlete Award, given to the top male and female student-athletes in Boston. Owumi was also a part of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball team, Boston Amateur Athletic Club.

On March 18, 2003, Owumi signed a letter of intent to play college football for Georgetown. He joined the team on a scholarship under head coach Bob Benson, uncertain of his future in basketball. Although Owumi had initially desired to play the quarterback position, his coaches wanted him to play wide receiver due to his athletic abilities. He later moved to being a safety and eventually became the Hoyas' third-string quarterback, but he would not officially play the position. Following the football season, Owumi often practiced with the school's basketball team but never joined. He decided to transfer out of Georgetown to focus on academics and basketball, retaining his four years of college basketball eligibility.

After briefly playing football for Georgetown, Owumi transferred to play basketball for CCRI (pictured).

Encouraged by their fairly successful basketball program and facilities, Owumi began attending the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) for his next year. He joined the team, which competed in the NJCAA, as a co-captain under coach Dave Chevalier with hopes of returning to NCAA Division I in the future. Owumi brought CCRI to its first NJCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship appearance in four years by defeating Lackawanna College on March 13, 2005. However, the team did not bring one of its best defenders, and they were eventually beaten. Owumi earned second-team NJCAA All-American honors, becoming the sixth in school history to do so.

In his second season of basketball, Owumi joined Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York, driven there by head coach Jerry Burns and his staff. He had failed to receive any scholarship offers from Division I programs. On December 4, 2005, Owumi scored 26 points with eight three-pointers in a win over Rockland Community College. During his time at Monroe CC, he began drawing interest from teams such as Rutgers, San Diego State, and UCLA. A two-star recruit and the fifth-best junior college recruit in New York according to 247Sports.com, Owumi was recruited from Monroe CC by Samuel West and Jason Cable of Alcorn State.

On February 1, 2006, Owumi signed a letter of intent to play for the Alcorn State Braves of Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in the NCAA Division I. He committed to the team on June 10 before enrolling on June 30. In his debut for the Braves on November 9, 2006, Owumi recorded two points, five rebounds, and two steals off the bench in a 44–103 loss to Texas. Owumi struggled to guard Kevin Durant during the game. He first scored double digits on November 27, with a team-high 12 points against Baylor. He led Alcorn State to its first Division I victory on January 13, 2007, when he posted 15 points and six rebounds vs. Mississippi Valley State. Two games later, the junior scored 17 points to defeat Alabama State. On March 1, Owumi notched a career-high 30 points along with a season-best ten rebounds in a defeat to Prairie View A&M. Following an 11-win season, he was averaging 8.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 0.8 steals.

Owumi returned to Alcorn State to play basketball as a senior and became team captain. In his season debut on November 9, 2007, he scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds in an 18-point loss to Southeastern Louisiana. On December 1, he led his team with 20 points off the bench vs. Texas–Rio Grande Valley. In his next Division I game, he recorded 24 points and eight rebounds. On January 5, 2008, Owumi posted a season-high 28 points, nine rebounds, and four assists as Texas Southern defeated Alcorn State, 81–75. Despite the senior's increased role, the Braves finished the season with a 7–24 record. Owumi closed out his final season with the team averaging 14.4 points, a team-best 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.9 steals. Due to the lower talent level and popularity of the SWAC, he was uncertain if he would be able to make the National Basketball Association (NBA) after college.

Early years (2009–2010)

Following his Alcorn State career, Owumi tried to find a spot on the Boston Celtics in the NBA, as his former AAU coach Leo Papile had connections with the organization. In June 2008, Owumi participated in a pre-draft camp with the Celtics. He averaged 10.9 points and 3.0 rebounds at the event. Prior to the 2008 NBA draft, he worked out in Boston with the Celtics and in Orlando, Florida. However, Owumi was unable to attract enough interest from the team, which drafted J. R. Giddens instead. In late 2008, he joined the Manchester Millrats of the Premier Basketball League (PBL) for the preseason. The team was based in Manchester, New Hampshire, located very close to his parents' home. In his first preseason game on December 6, 2008, he put up 16 points and seven rebounds to help defeat the Quebec Kebs.

In his rookie season, Owumi competed with a team based in Roche-la-Molière (pictured).

After then considering a path into the NBA Development League, Owumi signed with the French club AL Roche-la-Molière of the Nationale Masculine 1 (NM1) for the 2009–10 season. He was encouraged to join due to the higher salary with AL Roche. A member of the team's starting lineup, he averaged 17.2 points and 6.0 rebounds and won league MVP accolades although his team finished with a poor record. During the season, he was benched without pay for multiple games for missing practice.

Upon returning from France, Owumi returned to the Millrats. The team eventually defeated the Quebec Kebs, behind 13 points and five rebounds from Owumi, to clinch the Atlantic Division title. In the league semifinals, Manchester finally fell to the Rochester Razorsharks. With Manchester, he played 22 games, averaging 14.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. He had a three-point field goal percentage of .429, which ranked second in the league. After the departure of head coach Rob Spon, Owumi was convinced to leave the team as well. In fall of 2010, he tried out for the Georgia Gwizzlies of the American Basketball Association (ABA) but would not have a future with the team.

For the 2010–11 season, Owumi received an offer of about $10,000 per month from KK Lirija of the Macedonian First League. While in Macedonia, he was nicknamed "Alexander the Great." The Macedonian arenas, which often lacked proper heating systems, were about 20 °F (−6.67 °C) in the winter and were sometimes heated with flaming trash cans. In addition, Owumi and his American teammates became the targets of racist slurs from opposing fans. In a road game against KK Rabotnički, some of his Albanian teammates attacked fans burning the flag of Albania, sparking a riot. The violence convinced him to find a new team immediately.

Playing for Gaddafi (2010–2011)

Anti-government protesters stand atop a Libyan tank in Benghazi in February 2011.

In late 2010, Owumi's agent Goran Gramatikov was approached by another agent looking for players of African descent to play professional basketball in Libya. By December 27, 2010, Owumi had signed a lucrative deal with Al-Nasr, a team from Benghazi which played in the top Libyan league, and was arriving in the country. Despite fears of the country's instability in the midst of the budding Arab Spring and discouragement from his girlfriend Alexis Jones, he chose to remain with the team, prompted by the poor conditions in Macedonia. He later said, "The most important thing was to get out of the bad situation I was in, and once I had the opportunity to get some place better to play basketball, that's all I really cared about. I didn't really care about the team, I cared about the money and that it was going to be on time and that I was going to be able to further my career and get to feed my family."

Before his first practice with Al-Nasr, Owumi began feeling nausea caused by parasites and was forced to stay in the hospital. He moved into a luxurious apartment in the center of Benghazi owned by Mutassim Gaddafi. Initially unaware, he later saw pictures of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his family across the building and learned that Al-Nasr was owned by the Gaddafi family. Owumi began playing with Al-Nasr during a three-game losing streak, and his Libyan teammates had bruises and scratches, as they were beaten by security during such slumps. The team received millions of dollars in funding from the Gaddafi family and its home arena had been the site of Gaddafi's first public execution.

With Al-Nasr, Owumi would travel to games on private jets, not have to pay for food, and have his own driver. Although he only saw Gaddafi at one game, he met Gaddafi's sons Al-Saadi and Mutassim and considered following their footsteps into the oil business. In his first few weeks in Benghazi, he witnessed several protests against Gaddafi but relatively little violence. In addition, he saw people, including his teammates, gathering ammunition and weapons to prepare for the revolution.

Violence breaks out

On February 17, 2011, Owumi's regular driver did not show up to take him to practice. He then called his head coach, Sherif Azmy, who instructed him to look outside his apartment, where a violent protest was taking place. According to Owumi, a military convoy of 30 to 40 soldiers approached the hundreds of protesters and began to shoot into the crowd without warning. He recounted, "There was nobody with megaphones telling people to disperse. I just saw them shooting. Not to the air or the ground. Just shooting at people. Bodies were dropping. It was happening a block away from my street." Owumi witnessed the deaths of about 200 people during the day. Mercenary troops later searched his apartment for revolutionaries but did not harm him after he showed them his American passport and Al-Nasr player card. After the soldiers physically assaulted and raped his neighbors, Owumi unsuccessfully tried to seize a gun from them.

Despite wanting to contact his parents in the United States, Owumi was not able to access the Internet or use his phone for international calls. He was also without electricity and had little food or water. Al-Nasr team president Ahmed Elturki also told Owumi that the airport in Libya had been burned down by protesters and advised him to remain in his apartment. Trapped in Mutassim's apartment during conflict, Owumi was eventually forced to drink toilet water with tea bags, urinate in the bathtub, and defecate into plastic bags. He also ate cockroaches and worms he found in the flower pots. His poor living conditions caused his teeth to rot and his skin to discolor.

Escape to Egypt

Owumi temporarily stayed in Sallum (pictured) after fleeing Libya.

Approximately two weeks after violence broke out in Benghazi, Owumi received a call from his teammate Moustapha Niang, who said that Elturki would attempt to help the two players escape the country. Elturki had arranged for a car to take them to an Egyptian refugee camp in Sallum, following Al-Nasr coach Sherif Azmy. Owumi passed through several rebel checkpoints and arrived at the Egyptian border in 12 hours. Both Owumi and Niang, due to their appearance, were suspected of being foreign mercenaries fighting for Gaddafi and were subject to harsher treatment. Without proper immigration papers, Owumi was held in Sallum for three days. He was arrested and then imprisoned in solitary confinement for two hours. When he was removed, he had to sleep outside for three days. Owumi and Niang finally escaped the camp in the middle of the night. They bribed the driver of a bus, which only allowed Egyptian citizens, to help them leave. At around this time, Owumi received a call from Azmy, who wanted to meet him in his home in Alexandria. As a result, he convinced the driver, who was headed to Cairo, to lead them to another bus to Alexandria.

In Alexandria, Owumi received a satisfactory offer from El-Olympi, a local team coached by one of Azmy's former players. Going against the will of his family, Owumi chose to follow his coach because he did not want his relatives to see him in his poor physical and mental state, and he felt that he could recover by playing basketball. He said, "The real reason why I didn't come home was I was just too raw. You know, I would look in the mirror, and I couldn't recognize myself." He also believed that a return to basketball would help him slowly reduce the trauma from Libya. However, during his stint, his father fell into a diabetic coma, giving Owumi additional stress. The Nigerian finished the final two weeks of the season with El-Olympi. He led his new team to 13 straight wins, won the championship, and was named postseason MVP.

Aftermath

After returning to the United States, Owumi was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder, and he would suffer from its effects in the years that followed. He sometimes has had anxiety attacks before games, struggled to sleep, and considered suicide. Owumi received an offer to play another season with El-Olympi. The contract, two times that from his first year in Egypt, would have been the biggest contract of his career and would have made him the best-paid player to ever play in the Middle East. Initially accepting the deal, he later decided against it because he wanted to take a break from his basketball career. Instead, he began working at a community center in his hometown in Atlanta for seven months, making $9.25 per hour.

Worcester Wolves (2012–15)

Owumi attempts to grab a rebound with the Wolves in 2012.

During Owumi's hiatus from basketball, his family encouraged him to return to the game, as it was his primary passion. Stanley Ocitti and Sherrad Prezzie-Blue, players who already knew Owumi, suggested Paul James, head coach of the Worcester Wolves of the British Basketball League (BBL), to look into him. In the summer of 2012, the Wolves signed Owumi, who would join Prezzie-Blue in the back court. James said, "[Owumi] distributes the ball well and will give us multiple options both on offense and defense." The coach also described Owumi as a "tough-nosed player." The Nigerian guard had an immediate impact, recording a team-high 24 points, five rebounds, and three assists in his debut vs. the Durham Wildcats on September 22, 2012. He had another strong showing on January 25, 2013, when he put up 30 points in a loss to the Surrey Scorchers. On February 8, he led Worcester to an upset quarterfinal BBL Trophy win over the Newcastle Eagles with a season-high 34 points and nine rebounds. Owumi posted a double-double of 30 points, 16 of which were free throws, and ten rebounds in a defeat to the Manchester Giants on March 23. Through the BBL Championship and Play-offs, Owumi averaged 19.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals. In the season, he was named to the BBL Team of the Week First Team on six occasions. He also garnered all-league honorable mention and all-defensive honorable mention honors.

Owumi (right) is guarded by Joe Ikhinmwin of the London Lions in February 2014.

On June 5, 2013, the Wolves announced that Owumi would be returning for another season with the team. Head coach Paul James hoped to build the team around the Nigerian guard in their upcoming season. Beginning early on in the season, Owumi joined forces with Zaire Taylor in the back court. On September 28, 2013, to start his second BBL season, Owumi scored 18 points and added two rebounds and two assists in a 117–60 win over the Surrey Scorchers. On December 1, Owumi scored a season-high 30 points to guide the Wolves past the Durham Wildcats. In a rematch with Durham on January 10, 2014, Owumi notched 27 points to extend his team's winning streak to seven. On March 31, he put up 11 points as the Wolves defeated the Glasgow Rocks to win the BBL Trophy. In May, Worcester also claimed the BBL Championship title behind Owumi's 14 points and six rebounds. By the end of the season, he was averaging 17.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.3 steals in BBL Championship play.

In July 2014, Owumi re-signed with the Worcester Wolves for a third season. He commented, "It was an easy decision for me to come back to Worcester, the club and city support everything I'm doing on and off the court. Next season should be exciting, I'm looking forward to building on it." During the offseason, the Wolves had seen the departures of key players Zaire Taylor and Will Creekmore. To open the season on September 26, 2014, Owumi recorded 10 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in a win over the Newcastle Eagles. On October 24, he scored a season-high 33 points, making all six of his three-point attempts, to beat the Leeds Force, 98–69. Owumi became his team's all-time leader in three-pointers, passing Daniel Gilbert for a total of 169. He collected five three-pointers in another 30-point game on December 14, as Worcester fell to the Cheshire Phoenix. On April 26, 2015 in the BBL Play-off quarterfinals, Owumi posted a double-double of 18 points and ten rebounds but his team was eliminated by the London Lions, 67–106. He capped the season averaging 16.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.

London Lions (2015–present)

Owumi (right) tries to dribble past Worcester's Orlan Jackman in 2015.

In late June 2015, the Worcester Wolves released Owumi in a major roster shake-up that left only one player on the team. Taking a seven-month hiatus from the BBL, he played basketball in Dubai. On December 18, 2015, Owumi returned to the British Basketball League, signing with the London Lions for the remainder of the 2015–16 season. He was prompted to join the Lions after attending one of the team's games and talking with one of its players Jamal Williams. Owumi said, "I always felt I would be back and I'm happy it's in the Capital. Yes, I've been through a lot but I'm old fashioned and I just want to work hard." He debuted on the same day with 11 points in a loss against the Sheffield Sharks. On January 3, 2016, Owumi picked up his first win with his new team, scoring 16 points against the Plymouth Raiders. He recorded 22 points and a season-best nine rebounds as the Lions fell to the Surrey Scorchers on February 12. On March 30, Owumi posted another season-high of 27 points, 19 of which came in the first quarter, in a victory over the Cheshire Phoenix. At the end of the season, in 24 games, he was averaging 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 0.8 steals per game.

Owumi faces Mike DiNunno of the Cheshire Phoenix in 2017.

On August 14, 2016, the London Lions announced that Owumi would be returning for the 2016–17 season. In his first game of the season on September 24, he scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds to help beat the Surrey Scorchers. In a BBL Cup win over the Plymouth Raiders on October 10, he made nine-three pointers in a season-high 32-point effort. He combined with Rashad Hassan for a total of 60 points. Owumi scored 23 points off 8-of-13 shooting, with 19 in the first half, on October 26 vs. Leeds Force to help the Lions achieve a 6–0 start to the season. In a rematch with the Scorchers on November 2, Owumi notched 27 points, converting on all 11 free throw attempts. London coasted to a 30-point win. Owumi had another notable performance on December 21, when he recorded a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds along with five steals in a loss to the Leicester Riders. On New Year's Day 2017, he recorded ten points and 11 assists to overcome a poor shooting night vs. Surrey. Owumi had a triple-double of 15 points, ten rebounds, and ten assists as the Lions took down the Raiders on March 10. He entered the BBL Play-off with hopes of making a run. However, London was ousted in the semifinals by the Riders, despite a 21-point haul from Owumi. He finished the season averaging 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.

After returning to the United States from Libya, his mother suggested that Owumi write a book about his experience living in Benghazi during the Arab Spring. Although initially wanting to forget those memories, he penned the autobiography Qaddafi's Point Guard: The Incredible Story of a Professional Basketball Player Trapped in Libya's Civil War, which was published in 2013. Owumi wrote the book with Daniel Paisner, a New York Times bestselling author who had also written for Whoopi Goldberg and Denzel Washington. Qaddafi's Point Guard described Owumi's life from his childhood to his season in Egypt. Publishers Weekly called it "resonant, moving memoir of an African athlete who survives incredible cultural and political challenges to play the sport he loves." Kirkus Reviews remarked that it was "well-written but with the feel of a magazine article masquerading as a book." In September 2016, Owumi wrote the fictional thriller The Fire Raven: Volume 1 about a female assassin. In April 2017, he released the sequel The Fire Raven: Welcome To Winter: Volume 2.