DANIEL OCHEFU FINALLY SET FOR PBA DEBUT AS BLACKWATER IMPORT

A FORMER NBA player already familiar with the PBA is coming back to reinforce Blackwater in next month’s Commissioner’s Cup.

Daniel Ochefu, the 6-foot-11 American-Nigerian, will be playinf for the Bossing in the mid-season conference set to start on March 11.

A team insider confirmed the hiring of the 32-year-old Ochefu to SPIN.ph on Sunday as the one-time Washington Wizard will be arriving in the country later in the night.

"He’s arriving from Guangzhou, and baka maglaro sa tune-up game namin on Tuesday," said the source.

A member of the Villanova team that defeated the North Carolina in the 2016 US NCAA men’s basketball finals, Ochefu was undrafted in the NBA but managed to sign up and play for Washington right in his rookie season.

He later played in the G. League before taking his act overseas in Spain, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Venezuela, Taiwan, Mongolia, and the Philippines.

Ochefu, who once played for the Nigeria national team in the FIBA Africa Championship, was once tapped by Rain or Shine as its import in the 2022-23 Commissioner’s Cup, but was let go even before the tournament began as he didn't fit in the system of then returning coach Yeng Guiao.

The Elasto Painters hired Ochefu when Chris Gavina was still the team coach.

The import later found himself donning the TNT jersey in the EASL Champions Week as a late replacement for Prince Ibeh, but couldn’t lead the Tropang 5G to the Final Four.

Ochefu is coming off a stint with Al-Jaish in the Syrian Basketball League. 

2026-02-15T08:15:03Z