Nigeria’s Charles Bassey Is One Of The Top Recruits In US High School Basketball

Tall people are probably tired of being told “You should be playing basketball”, but it was a statement like this that led US high school basketball star, Charles Bassey, into the game.

The 6’10 player was born in Lagos where he grew up selling fried chicken by the roadside. He loved playing football until he turned 12 and had that encounter with a basketball coach who encouraged him to try hoops. Bassey eventually ventured into basketball, and instantly developed a passion for the game.

Speaking with Lex 18, he said:

“That’s a true story about me selling the chicken. I was a young kid, but once I tried basketball I loved the game immediately and wanted to get better.”

His skills in basketball came in handy when he moved to San Antonio in the US. In fact, it was there that his career in basketball started after he joined St Anthony Catholic High School team. He has gotten so good that it’s hard to believe it was only four years ago that he played his first basketball game! Now, he’s regarded as one of America’s top recruits in high school basketball.

What’s more? Bassey always proves a good sport in the game. He’s known for working closely with his teammates even if it means him not being the one to score. St Anthony coach, Casey Barksdale, said this about him:

“He is a talented player, but at the end of the day he is an unselfish kid. There is no ‘I’ in Charles. We are having to force him to be more selfish with it because that helps our team.”

But Bassey isn’t down for selfishness during games. He’s not after shooting for the team because, according to him, there are better shooters on the team than him. So, he passes the ball along as long as it means bringing the team closer to victory.

Although he’s come this far, the 16-year-old star hasn’t had it easy. He confessed that he misses his family. Last year, the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) ruled that he was ineligible to play for his school. There was no reason stated. The top basketballer’s career was about to crash because of this ruling until his school pulled out of TAPPS, thereby rendering the ruling invalid.

Now, Bassey has his eyes on graduation while also taking his basketball career seriously. He’s the top-ranked player in his class which is to graduate in 2019. So far, he has received offers from more than nine US colleges that want him to join them after high school.