Joe Ikhinmwin

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Joseph Ikhinmwin
Personal information
Born (1987-09-18) 18 September 1987 (age 36)
London, England
NationalityNigerian / British
Listed height198[1] cm (6 ft 6 in)
Listed weight100[1] kg (220 lb)
Career information
High schoolBarking Abbey Basketball Academy
College
NBA draft2012: undrafted
Playing career2012–2021
PositionForawrd
Number7
Career history
2012–2013Newcastle Eagles
2013–2021London Lions
Career highlights and awards

Joseph "Jei" Blessing Ikhinmwin[2] (born 18 September 1987[2]) is a former professional basketball player, 3x British Basketball Champion, England and Great Britain International who last played for the London Lions of the British Basketball League (BBL).[3][4] He served as the team captain in 2015 on the Lion's until his retirement after playing in the BBL for 9 years in 2021[5].

He has co-hosted the popular YouTube Channel “The Cyber Nerds” since 2015[5].

Biography[edit]

Early life[edit]

Born in East London, Ikhinmwin began playing basketball at the age of 14.[6] Though he initially showed interest in playing football, it was with the suggestion of his P.E. teacher and support of his father that he turned his focus to basketball [5]. He started his career at East London Royals Junior program based in Whitechapel under the supervision of the late Humphrey Long and Chris Morgan.[7]

High School Career[edit]

In 2006, Ikhinmwin transferred to Barking Abbey Basketball Academy[7]. He was selected to represent Great Britain at FIBA U18 and was selected as the U20 team captain playing in 2007.[8][9] Additionally in 2006-2007, he played for the NBL Division I London Leopards.[10][11]

College Career[edit]

After graduating from Barking Abbey School sixth form, Ikhinmwin left Britain to study at Seminole State College in Oklahoma, where he played from 2007 to 2010 for the Trojans (NJCAA).[12] He sat out his first year due to a back injury but showed good performance in the last two seasons. The Trojans won the Bi-State Conference championship in 2008 with a 21-9 record. Eventually, Ikhinmwin getting scouted by NCAA universities[13].

In 2009, Ikhinmwin committed to transferring to HBCU South Carolina State University. In 2010, he joined the NCAA Division I South Carolina State Bulldogs in the MEAC for the 2010–2012 seasons[14][15][12]. Ikhinmwin wore the number "0" and started 15 of 27 games in 2011 and 2012 where he averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds per game[16]. He set his career high at SCSU with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal on 8 for 11 shooting in February 2012 against the North Carolina Central Eagles [17].

Professional Basketball Career[edit]

2012/13 Season[edit]

Ikhinmwin returned to the UK for his rookie season in 2012/2013 as a member of Newcastle Eagles. During his time there he finished with runner-up medals in the BBL regular season, play-offs and Cup[18] before returning to London and signing to his hometown[19]

He started his London Lions career in September 2013. During Ikhinmwin’s debut on the London Lion’s against the Manchester Giants, he scored a career high 24 points and 14 rebounds[20] Over his first year with the Lions, Ikhinmwin played multiple positions averaging just over 8 points and 4 rebounds per game while shooting 46% from the floor.[21] Ikhinmwin gained international recognition early in his career with the team's notable improvement and his career was soon attributed to basketball’s growing popularity in the UK[22][23].

2013/14 Season[edit]

On 31 March 2014, Ikhinmwin won the 2014 BBL Trophy Slam Dunk contest in Glasgow's Emirates Arena at the BBL Trophy Finals.[24] On the same day, he represented England at the International Friendly against Scotland and scored 15 points.[25] The Lions went on to the BBL Championship Playoff Quarter Finals of the 2013–14 British Basketball League season.

London Lions' Joe Ikhinmwin and Worcester Wolves' Alex Owumi in 2014

During the off-season in summer 2014, Ikhinmwin accepted a 2 year contract extension with the London Lions [21]. In September 2014, the Lions exercised an early termination clause in the contract and returned with a week-to-week contract revision, which Ikhinmwin rejected. [26] In his statement to fans, Ikhinmwin expressed, “This has been an incredibly hard decision to make, but my family and I felt it was the only choice I had with the recent turn of events, which would benefit the Lions and the best interests of my career.” [27]

2014/15 Season[edit]

Ikhinmwin re-established his contract and returned to Lions in December 2014[28]. His return marked the 2014/2015 season as a notable comeback for the Lions. They finished 6th in the regular season. In the playoffs, the Lions defeated Worcester Wolves in the quarter-finals and Cheshire Phoenix in the semi-finals.[29]. In May 2015, the team played in the BBL Play-Off Finals against Newcastle Eagles in front of over 14,700 at The O2 Arena[30].

2015/16 Season[edit]

In July 2015 Ikhinmwin became Lions’ team captain.[31] In November 2015, Ikhinmwin hit a last second three-pointer that put the game against the Worcester Wolves into overtime. His contribution helped the Lions win the game and earn a place in the semi-finals of the Cup[32]. 2016/17 Season

In October 2016, Ikhinmwin led the Lions to victory over his former team the Newcastle Eagles for the club’s first time in 13 years. This win advanced the Lions to 3-0 in the BBL Championship. In summer 2017, Ikhinmwin was named out of hundreds of basketball players in England to begin training with the Team England’s squad ahead of the Commonwealth Games the following year[33].

2017/18 Season

In August 2017 he renewed his contract with the Lions for the next two seasons.[3] In September 2017 Ikhinmwin captained the Lions to their first national championship at Betway British Basketball All-Stars. This was the team’s first piece of Silverware since making the move from Milton Keynes to London in 2012[34]. On January 1st 2018, Ikhinwin set his career high in assists in a BBL game, with five assists during the London Lions 86-81 win against Chester. During the game, he also had seven points, and two rebounds [35]. The 2017/18 season was marked the Lion’s highest-ever league finish, placing them in the last four for the third time in four years for the BBL Finals in May 2018 [36].

The Commonwealth Games[edit]

After making it through training, Ikhinmwin was selected as one of twelve other players to represent England in the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast [37]. Of being chosen out of 64 players from the UK, Ikhinmwin stated: “The only greater honour of being captain of your home-town team is getting to represent your country, so I feel like I’m winning on all fronts right now, and I really appreciate the honour.” [38]

The preliminary games for England men’s team were held in Townsville, Australia against Cameroon, India and Scotland [39]. England played against Canada in the Qualifying Finals Basketball at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – Men's tournament in Cairns.

2018/19 Season[edit]

The London Lions set a had a BBL record 11 game winning streak from 14 December 2018 – 22 March [40]2019 . In December 2018, the Lions became the first team to book their spot in the BBL Cup Final after overcoming Eagles of Newcastle 170-160 [41]. In January 2019, Ikihnmwin led the Lions to their first BBL Silverware since 2008 and their first major title since moving to London with a 68-54 win over Glasgow Rocks, earning the Lions the 2019 BBL Cup title [42].

In April 2019, the Lions won the BBL Championship title for the first time ever after defeating Ikhinmwin’s previous team Newcastle 99-80 [43].

2019/20 Season[edit]

Ikhinmwin renewed his contract with the London Lion’s ahead of the 2020-21 campaign on 14 July 2020, marking his eighth season with the team [34]. On 17 March 2020, the season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. On 1 June 2020, the season was canceled, with no League or Playoffs champions declared [44].

2020/21 Season[edit]

The London Lions returned to play the 2020/21 season in September 2020 with modifications made to Copper Box Arena's safety protocol due to the COVID-19 virus [44]. Though restrictions were placed on capacity to follow pandemic policies, it was a markedly strong season for the London Lions performance [45]. London Lion fans proved loyal and the popularity of basketball in the UK didn’t suffer during the pandemic[46]. In 2020, Sky Sports returned the BBL to their network, signing a 2-year agreement to air 30 games to the growing basketball fanbase across the UK [47].

In November 2020, the Lions entry into the Basketball Champions League Qualifying Rounds for the 2020-21 season marked the first time a London team would be represented in a European competition since the turn of the century[48]. The London Lions were selected for the FIBA Europe Cup taking place January 26-29, 2021 in Poland for the first time in club history. Due to COVID-19 disruptions, the London Lions were withdrawn from participating [49].

In March 2021, the London Lions won the BBL Trophy for the first time in their history, earning the team their third piece of silverware since January 2019[50]. The team advanced to the finals of the BBL Championship that year and played against Newcastle Eagles [51].

Retirement[edit]

On 19 August 2021, Ikhinmwin announced his retirement from professional basketball.[52] His departure left behind a legacy for the club, serving as team captain for six of the eight years on the Lions, leading his team to take an BBL Cup title, Trophy title, and a league title. He also earned accolades including representing England’s Senior Men’s team at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, winner of the inaugural All-Star Basketball Championship, and British Basketball League Slam Dunk champion during his tenure as team captain[53]. Over Ikhinmwin’s career, he made 14 European international appearances[54].

Off the Court[edit]

Film, Television & Streaming[edit]

In 2015, Ikhinmwin launched a web show with two best friends called “The Cyber Nerds” that has amassed major success across social media platforms, including gaining over 200k subscribers and 70 million views on YouTube[55]. The series explores and reviews current and upcoming films, television, video games, and “all things nerdy.[56]” In 2022, "The Cyber Nerds" channel expanded into podcasting across streaming platforms [56]. Notable interviews include directors Jon Favreau[57], Matt Reeves[58] and Zack Snyder[59].

In addition to “The Cyber Nerds” channel, Ikhinmwin is an active livestreamer and influencer [60]. He has a large following on Twitch[61] and Discord, while also being a featured keynote speaker and podcast guest, including No Shortcuts to Success by Trade Nation[62] and Hoopsfix[63].

In 2021, Ikhinmwin and Jack Howard, Chief critic at the Independent Clarisse Loughrey, launched Amazon Prime UK’s "The Screen Test" online series and podcast. The weekly show featured special guests to discuss the top releases in genres such as sitcoms, Academy award winning films and sci-fi [64].

In 2023, Ikhinmwin became a presenter on Sky Cinema’s web-show “Take Your Seat” where he joined the Sky Cinema team to discuss feature films and Sky Cinema originals[65].

Ikhinmwin made his directorial debut in 2023 with a short film series titled “Dark Stranger: Part One” [66] with the first installment premiering 18th September, 2023 and "Dark Stranger: Part Two" on 14 February, 2024[67].

Entrepreneurial[edit]

While still playing for the London Lions and training for the Commonwealth Games, Ikhinmwin began studying for his postgraduate degree at University of East London. He earned his Master’s in Sports Management in 2018. He is an active alumni of the University and passionate about growing awareness about the importance of education to young sports players [68]. He was featured in schools "Leave your Legacy" campaign and expressed his passion for inclusion and diversity in sports[69].

Philanthropy[edit]

Both in personal and professional life, Ikhinmwin supports a number of charity projects, including serving as a GLL supported athlete and the ambassador of the GLL Sport Foundation,[70] All Sports for Schools fund[6] and London Sports Trust "Bounce for Change" initiative[71].

Ikhinmwin founded his own youth program called ICanWin Sport where he works in partnership with a number of schools, sports clubs and community groups to deliver engaging and skills-based lessons through a range of sports activities [72].

In 2018, Ikhinmwin was instrumental in the partnership between University of East London and his team the London Lions to create a pathway between academia and athletics for both scholars and non-scholars[73]. Ikhinmwin and teammates were able to utilize Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to offer free basketball coaching to children on outdoor courts throughout the summer holidays, eventually enabling them to begin a “Junior Lions” club out of the Copper Box arena once a week[74].

Since his retirement, he has continued traveling to schools across the UK to inspire primary school children to chase their dreams through the Sports for Schools Foundation[75].

Alongside his YouTube channel co-hosts, "The Cyber Nerds" partners with 5 On It Foundation to offer content creation courses to youth in the community [76].

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Joe Ikhinmwin basketball profile". Eurobasket.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Great Britain: 7 - Joseph Blessing Ikhinmwin". FIBA. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  3. ^ a b Jacob Ranson (1 August 2017). "London Lions re-sign captain Joe Ikhinmwin". Newham Recorder. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  4. ^ Niall Gray (14 November 2016). "London Lions star Joe Ikhinmwin: We must improve defensive game to reach BBL Final". Daily Express. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Neter, Sam (19 August 2021). "Joe Ikhinmwin announces retirement from professional basketball". Hoopsfix.com. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  6. ^ a b "All Sports for Schools athletes have represented Great Britain or Ireland at the highest level in various Olympic disciplines". sportsforschools.org. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
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  8. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions: Barking Abbey Regional Institute of Basketball" (PDF). gbbasketball.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
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  55. ^ "The Cyber Nerds - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  56. ^ a b "The Cyber Nerds".
  57. ^ The Cyber Nerds (28 February 2023). What To Expect From The Mandalorian Season 3. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via YouTube.
  58. ^ The Cyber Nerds (6 March 2022). Director Matt Reeves Breakdown of 'The Batman' & the Batverse with @JiCanWin. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via YouTube.
  59. ^ The Cyber Nerds (17 March 2021). Zack Snyder's Justice League Interview. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via YouTube.
  60. ^ Pal, Hunor (20 October 2022). "Star streamer 'Jei I Can Win' becomes Street Child's first ever gaming influencer ahead of World Gaming Day". European Gaming Industry News. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  61. ^ "Twitch". Twitch. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  62. ^ "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
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  75. ^ "Joseph Ikhinmwin". Sports for Schools. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  76. ^ "Cyber Nerds YouTube Workshop". 5 On It Foundation. 12 September 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2024.

External links[edit]

  • Official website
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