Tylor Ongwae (born 15 July 1991) is a Kenyan basketball player for the Nairobi City Thunder of the KBF Premier League and the Kenya national team.[1][2] He has known his most successful years in Denmark with Bakken Bears, with whom he won three straight Basketligaen titles and was named Defensive Player of the Year twice.
_by_Sandro_Halank%E2%80%93040.jpg) Ongwae with Niners Chemnitz in 2023 | |||||||||||||||
| Nairobi City Thunder | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Small forward | ||||||||||||||
| League | KBF Premier League Road to BAL | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | 15 July 1991 Eldoret, Kenya | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| College |
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| NBA draft | 2015: undrafted | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2015–present | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Felice Scandone | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Södertälje Kings | ||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Taranaki Mountainairs | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | SAM Massagno | ||||||||||||||
| 2018–2022 | Bakken Bears | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | BC Parma | ||||||||||||||
| 2023 | ABC Fighters | ||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Niners Chemnitz | ||||||||||||||
| 2024–present | Nairobi City Thunder | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Professional career
editOngwae averaged 10 points and five rebounds per game during the 2019-20 season with Bakken. He re-signed with the Bears on March 22, 2020.[3] In 2020-21 and 2021–22, he earned All-Danish Basketligaen Defensive Player of the Year honours.[4]
In 2022, he left Bakken after four years[5] to move to Russian side BC Parma.[6]
In May 2023, Ongwae joined the ABC Fighters for the playoffs of the 2023 Basketball Africa League (BAL).[7] He became the first Kenyan to play in the BAL. In October 2023, he was signed by the Niners Chemnitz of the German Bundesliga.[8]
In August 2024, Ongwae signed in Kenya with the Nairobi City Thunder of the KBF Premier League.[9]
Kenyan national team
editOngwae has been part of Kenya's national team. He helped the team capture the silver medal at FIBA AfroCan 2019. Ongawe was a key part in Kenya's qualifcation for the AfroBasket 2021 in Rwanda, as he scored a buzzer-beater in the decisive qualifying game against Angola.[10] Kenya returned to the AfroBasket after a 28-year drought.[11]
Personal
editTylor Ongwae was raised in Eldoret, Kenya, a town famed for producing world famous marathoners and athletes like Eliud Kipchoge. He has two siblings who also play basketball.[12]
BAL career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | ABC Fighters | 1 | 1 | 31.8 | .333 | .200 | .000 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 7.0 |
References
edit- ^ "Tylor ONGWAE at the FIBA AfroCan 2019". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ "Tylor Ongwae". basketball.realgm.com. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ "Bakken Bears' Tylor Ongwae extends contract for another year". Sportando. 22 March 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- ^ "Årets Forsvarsspiller". Basketligaen. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ "Tylor Ongwae stopper hos Bears". Bakken Bears. 8 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ Alexander Christiansen (8 July 2022). "Tylor Ongwae er fortid i Bakken Bears - Fullcourt.dk". Fullcourt (in Danish). Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ "Playoffs rosters confirmed – Who are the new signings heading to Kigali?". The BAL. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ "Niners Chemnitz: Als Ersatz für Lockhart! Kenianer kommt aus dem Ural". Bild (in German). 13 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ Malwa, Charlene (21 August 2024). "Thunder sign Kenyan star Ongwae ahead of title defence". The Star (Kenya). Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ "Ongwae's buzzer-beater shocks Angola as Kenya return to AfroBasket after 28-year wait". www.michezoafrika.com. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ "Kenya - FIBA AfroBasket 2021". FIBA. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ Kenyan Jersey Takes Pride of Place in My Heart, Says Gundo Joseph Kanyi (AllAfrica), 3 September 2021. Accessed 21 September 2021.