Former Kings forward Chimezie Metu, Nigeria knocked out of FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying
Aug 16, 2023, 10:59 AM
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 07: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors is guarded by Chimezie Metu #7 and De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center on November 07, 2022 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Phoenix Suns big man and former Sacramento King Chimezie Metu and Nigeria are out at the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Africa after falling to Mali 77-68 on Tuesday in Lagos, Nigeria.
Metu didn’t fare well, scoring seven points on 3-for-13 from the field, including 1-for-6 from 3-point range. He added five rebounds and two assists to his statline.
The Nigerian team was looking to play in their fourth-consecutive Summer Olympiad, with hopes of a berth at Paris in 2024.
The 26-year-old Metu had previously represented the team at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
A former USC Trojan, Chimezie Metu has played the last three seasons with the Sacramento Kings before signing with the Suns on July 2. Prior to that, Metu was with the San Antonio Spurs for two years after being a second-round draft pick in 2018.
His best year was in 2021-22 when he started 20 games and averaged 21.3 minutes per game. That season, he averaged 8.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.
This story was first published by Sactown Sports‘ sister station, Arizona Sports. Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
