Tosan Evbuomwan is set to realise his NBA dream after the Detroit Pistons snapped up the Newcastle-born forward.
The Eagles Academy graduate narrowly missed out on the 2023 NBA draft after failing to emerge as one of this summer’s top 60 picks.
But hours after the dust settled on one of the biggest events on the basketball calendar it was revealed the Pistons had signed Evbuomwan to a free agent contract.
And should he make his Detroit debut later this year, the former Newcastle United junior will become only the eighth UK player to come through the British basketball system and graduate to the NBA.
Evbuomwan will begin his professional career representing the Pistons at next month’s NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas.
And the 6ft 8in star’s former college coach, Princeton’s Mitch Henderson, said: “Tosan has worked so diligently and purposefully for this.
“He’s had his sights set on the NBA for a very long time and he’s going to be such a great asset to the Pistons.
“I’m just so happy for him and his family.”
Named to the NCAA South Region All-Tournament Team after leading the Tigers to the Sweet Sixteen, Evbuomwan accumulated an impressive list of accolades in 2022-23.
The 22-year-old was named National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 13 First Team, Ivy League Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Ivy Madness All-Tournament Team, Unanimous Ivy League First Team, Academic All-Ivy League, College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District and London Basketball Classic MVP.
In addition, Evbuomwan’s 161 assists in 2022-23 tied the Princeton program record for most assists in a season and his 323 career assists rank sixth on the Tigers’ all-time list.
Evbuomwan also joined the 1,000-point club in 2022-23, and his 1,033 points ranks 34 all-time in school history.
One of this summer’s most talked about hoopers first picked up a basketball eight years ago after impressing as a footballer and as an athlete.
As a 16-year-old he hooked up with former Newcastle Eagles head coach Ian MacLeod and starred for the Academy team in the EABL before earning international recognition.
And the academically gifted former Royal Grammar School pupil moved to Ivy league College Princeton following his A-Levels in 2019.
