Felix Okpara Biography
Felix Okpara was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He was born on 20th April 2004. Felix is known in the basketball world as a very good shot blocker and runner too. These qualities have given him a name in the basketball profession. First, he had two seasons playing for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Along the line, he got transferred to the Tennessee Volunteers and he played for two seasons there. He was recently drafted as the #46 overall pick at the just concluded NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. After that, his draft rights were traded to the Washington Wizards.
Okpara did not have a dream of playing in the NBA while he was growing up.
His story is of family, late development and the fact that he played defensively and was ever useful.
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Felix Okpara’s Age
Felix Okpara has now turned 22 years old! He was born on April 20, 2004. He turned 22 in April 2026. He will turn 23 in April 2027.
Okpara was young when he started his college career. He entered college as a freshman in 2022-23 at age 18. He spent four full seasons at college which is why he started the NBA as a more experienced rookie than a lot of one and done prospects. He will still be 22 years old when the 2026-27 NBA season starts. This allows him to grow and help grow his offence during his time here while also already knowing how to defend at a high level.
Felix Okpara’s Parents
Felix Okpara’s birth parents are Kennedy and Joy Okpara. They brought him up in Lagos. His father, Kennedy, is 6’1”. His mother, Joy, is 5’10”. While both parents are taller than average, Felix got even more height from his father’s side of the family. His great-grandfather on his father’s side was 7 feet 1 inch.
Nevertheless, he retained the importance of learning. During his college years he majored in Retail and Merchandising Management.
Felix didn’t go with his birth parents when he left for the U.S. He lived with a host family in Tennessee. His host parents are Adam and Brittany Levitt. The Levitts have been a big part of his life. Eventually they made him a legal citizen so he could remain in the U.S. and concentrate on his basketball and school career. Felix has answered that the feeling of family to the Levitts was “very similar” to his own. His birth parents were in touch with him and his host family throughout.
Since moving to America, Okpara has NOT come back to Nigeria. His birth parents have also not been able to visit him in the United States. They are close, even across miles apart, by phone call. Family has been the main motivation behind his basketball career. Often has stated that he plays to help his family at home.
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Felix Okpara’s Brother
Felix Okpara has a total of six siblings. In his birth family, he has an older sister named Gold, an older brother named David, a younger brother named Kennedy, and a younger sister named Molly. In the USA he has an older sister, Avery, a younger brother, Reid, and a younger sister, Copelyn.
The name that is well-known to the majority of people is David Okpara. David is older than Felix. He also likes to play basketball. David played at Cedarville University (Ohio), a NCCAA Division 1 school. He is a member of the 2023-24 national champion team. David is about 6 feet 9 inches tall.
Felix is also the younger brother of a basketball player, Kennedy Okpara. Kennedy is a player for Lipscomb University (TN). There is no doubt that basketball is a sport which is booming in the Okpara family.
Felix and David were both at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, Chattanooga. Both brothers have been coached by assistant coach Ben Cribbs. Cribbs has been discussing Felix’s work ethic and the difficulties he had to overcome to make his way to the NBA. It has been a blessing to coach kids from so many backgrounds and see Felix develop from just starting to play basketball as a freshman to becoming a pro, he said.
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Height
Felix Okpara stands at the height of 6’11”. At the 2026 NBA Draft Combine, he measured 6 feet 11.25 inches without shoes. He was approximately 237 pounds. His wingspan is approximately 7′ 2″ wide, and his standing reach is 9′ 4″. That extended reach can be a big asset for him.
It is easy to see how he brings the ability of a center big man in the NBA given his stature and length. He’s able to block shots without jumping too high. He is able to make lob and/dunk passes over smaller defenders. His standing reach lets him do a complete shot switch, just by standing near the rim.
Okpara’s mobility with the ball is also good for his build. He was a soccer player and his playing gave him years of experience with footwork. He has the ability to run him off on the break in pick/roll games. He can bounce back from being knocked off the dribble. His offensive statistics are still developing but the size, length, and versatility is what NBA teams coveted.
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NBA Draft 2026
The 2026 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The Orlando Magic selected Felix Okpara with the 46th overall pick. That was the 16th pick of the second round.
It was the third time Oklahoma was granted a player drafted in Tennessee in 2026. Nate Ament was the 13th overall selection and Ja’Kobi Gillespie the 42nd overall. Judy Okpara was the 60th Tennessean to be drafted in the NBA.
Ebuka Okorie was also drafted along with them.
He was also the first Tennessee player to be drafted by the Orlando Magic.
The Magic handed him over to the Washington Wizards for their draft rights shortly after the pick. Orlando was the Wizards’ selection for the 51st and 60th picks, which the team has given up in exchange for Okpara. Then the Magic swapped 60th overall selection to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for cash.
Washington Wizards GM Will Dawkins commented on the change. The group was looking to bring in a defensive big man to develop, he said. He said Okpara has “excellent arms” defending the rim, has the versatility to switch into defence and has a low foul rate on shot blocking. Dawkins added that Okpara played soccer, making his footwork uncommon for a player of his stature.
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Conclusion
Okpara is currently in the frontcourt of the Wizards. Along with that the team has Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr in the big positions. This means Okpara can get his career off the bench or on a two-way basis. He probably will have opportunities to try himself out in Summer League and training camp.
The Wizards, who have stated that they are looking for more depth in the big-man position in free agency, have indicated that they still wish to fill that position. But Okpara has them a youthful, dynamic rim protector who has plenty of room for growth. His potential for a real NBA rotation role will largely come on the pace of development on offense and getting ready to defend. But if he continues to get better he may stick around for a while because of his size, energy, and defensive qualities.