Melvin Ejim’s biography, fact, career, awards, net worth and life story

Intro Canadian/Nigerian basketball player
Is Athlete
Basketball player
From Canada
Nigeria
Type Sports
Gender male
Birth

4 March 1991, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Age 29 years
Star sign Pisces
Stats
Height: 201 cm
Weight: 220 lbs
Education
St. Mary’s Ryken High School
Awards
Big 12 Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year 2014
Sports Teams
Pallacanestro Virtus Roma
Canada men’s national basketball team

Melvin Obinna Ejim (pronounced EDGE-um; born March 4, 1991) is a Nigerian-Canadian professional basketball player for Budućnost of the Montenegrin Basketball League. He played college basketball for Iowa State University before playing professionally in Italy, Russia and Spain, as well as the NBA Development League.

High school career

Ejim attended St. Mary’s Ryken High School in Leonardtown, Maryland, where he made the 2007 Provincial team before transferring to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. In 2008–09, he averaged 12.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for Brewster. In his final year in 2009–10, he averaged 13.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.5 assists per game, leading Brewster to a 34–4 record and a National Prep School championship.

College career

Ejim started 30 games out of 32 in his freshman campaign for Iowa State, averaging 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, shooting 48.6 percent from the field (121-249 FG) and tallied 39 steals, second-best total on the team. He became one of just 13 Iowa State freshmen in school history to average double figures in scoring, and his 214 rebounds was the third-best rookie total in school history.

One of Iowa State’s top post players, Ejim started 29 games out of 34 in 2011–12, averaging 9.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. He earned Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades and was a first team Academic All-Big 12 selection.

One of the best forwards in the Big 12 in 2012–13, Ejim earned All-Big 12 third team honors and was a NABC All-District 8 second team selection; he was also honored as the inaugural Big 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year Award winner and was a Capital One Academic All-District 6 selection. He became the first Cyclone to lead the Big 12 in rebounding (9.3 rpg) since Jackson Vroman (2004) and was just the third player in Big 12 history to lead the league in rebounding at 6’6″ or shorter (Terry Black, Baylor; P. J. Tucker, Texas).

As a senior in 2013–14, Ejim had one of the best seasons in school history, earning Big 12 Player of the Year honors (coaches & AP) and All-America honors from five organizations. He was a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, became the fifth Academic All-American in school history, earned Capital One first team Academic All-America honors and was named the Big 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year for the second time. He became just the fourth player in league history to record 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career, finishing his career with the most wins of any Cyclone men’s basketball player at 88 wins. He also finished 12th in scoring (1,643), second in rebounding (1,051), tied for 10th in steals (146) and 15th in blocks (59); he also broke the school record for games played (135) and games started (126).

On February 8, 2014, Ejim scored a Big 12-record 48 points against the TCU Horned Frogs in the Hilton Coliseum, surpassing Michael Beasley and Denis Clemente who had 44 points in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

College statistics

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2010–11 Iowa State 32 30 27.8 .486 .232 .695 6.7 1.2 1.2 .2 10.3
2011–12 Iowa State 34 29 23.7 .489 .220 .762 6.6 1.0 1.0 .3 9.3
2012–13 Iowa State 35 34 27.6 .504 .348 .697 9.3 1.5 1.0 .5 11.3
2013–14 Iowa State 34 33 32.1 .505 .346 .761 8.4 1.8 1.2 .7 17.8

Professional career

After going undrafted in the 2014 NBA draft, Ejim played for the San Antonio Spurs during the Las Vegas Summer League. He then moved to Italy for the 2014–15 season, signing with Virtus Roma. In 29 league games for Virtus, he averaged 7.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He also averaged 8.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 18 EuroCup games.

After initially signing with German team Medi Bayreuth for the 2015–16 season, an impressive stint with the Orlando Magic during the 2015 NBA Summer League led to a training camp contract. He was waived by the Magic on October 21 after appearing in four preseason games, and subsequently joined the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League. He was waived by Erie on March 16, 2016. In 39 games, he averaged 14.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Days later, he signed with Italian team Reyer Venezia Mestre for the rest of the season. In 16 games for Reyer Venezia, he averaged 9.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

On June 17, 2016, Ejim re-signed with Reyer Venezia Mestre for the 2016–17 season. In June 2017, he helped Reyer Venezia win the Italian League championship while earning the Finals MVP. In 46 league games, he averaged 10.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He also averaged 10.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 22 BCL games.

On July 12, 2017, Ejim signed with Russian club UNICS for the 2017–18 season. In 30 league games, he averaged 9.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He also averaged 9.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 19 EuroCup games.

In June 2018, Ejim re-signed with UNICS for the 2018–19 season. In 23 league games, he averaged 8.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He also averaged 7.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14 EuroCup games.

On July 25, 2019, Ejim signed a 1+1 deal with Spanish club Unicaja. In 17 league games during the 2019–20 season, he averaged 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. He also averaged 7.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 10 EuroCup games.

On June 27, 2020, Ejim signed with Montenegrin club KK Budućnost.

National team career

In June 2012, Ejim played for the Nigerian national team on their tour of China. In July 2013, he played for the Canadian national team at the World University Games, where he averaged eight points and four rebounds per game. In July 2015, he was named on the Canadian national team roster for the Pan American Games. He also played at the Tuto Marchand Cup and FIBA Americas Championship in 2015. In 2016, he represented Canada at the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Personal

Ejim is the son of Nigerian native, Elizabeth Omoghan. He is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi academic honors society.

You May Also Like

Owen Wilson’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

Owen Wilson Net Worth and Salary: Owen Wilson is an American actor and screenwriter who has a net worth of $70 million. Owen Wilson is one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood, and he has amassed a long list of film credits over the years. Collectively, Owen Wilson’s films have generated more than $2.25 billion in the USA and Canada, with an average of $75 million per film. Wilson is associated with filmmaker Wes Anderson, having starred in a number of his films. He also frequently appears in so-called “Frat Pack” movies alongside figures like Ben Stiller, his brother Luke Wilson, and Vince Vaughn. Early Life: Owen Cunningham Wilson has born on November 18th of 1968 in Dallas, Texas. He was raised alongside two brothers who would also become actors and filmmakers. His artistically-minded parents encouraged the boys to read and often forbade them from watching television. Wilson’s life took a turn when he was expelled from school after stealing his teacher’s Geometry textbook. Although he planned to copy the answers in order to ace an upcoming exam, Wilson’s plan backfired, and he was sent to military school in New Mexico. Upon his return, he attended the University of Texas at Austin and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Career: While at military school, Owen Wilson met a fellow student who would later introduce him to Wes Anderson. Through this connection, Wilson starred in 1999’s Bottle Rocket, his first film. Although the film was a commercial flop, it later gained a massive cult following. Wilson later appeared in many of Wes Anderson’s later films, including Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. After Bottle Rocket, Wilson was cast by director Ben Stiller in The Cable Guy. Further roles soon followed with films such as Anaconda, Armageddon, The Haunting, Permanent Midnight, and The Minus Man. These films significantly raised Owen Wilson’s profile and proved that he was capable of both comedic and dramatic roles. In the year 2000, Wilson’s career took another major step forward when he starred alongside Jackie Chan in the Western Shanghai Noon. The film received positive reviews and generated a respectable $100 million at the box office on a budget of about $55 million. Another major breakthrough came with a central role in 2001’s Zoolander, a film that raked in $60 million at the box office. Wilson then switched gears and appeared in the action film Behind Enemy Lines, which earned over $92 million despite receiving poor reviews. During the next few years, Owen Wilson appeared in movies like Spy, the sequel Shanghai Knights, Starsky & Hutch, and Around the World in 80 Days. Meet the Fockers was a notable career moment for Wilson, and he also booked a small but important role in Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic. More financial success came with 2005’s Wedding Crashers, which pulled in more than $200 million at the box office. In 2006, Wilson started voicing the character Lightning McQueen in the Cars animated film franchise. He expanded on his voice acting career with Wes Anderson’s animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox and in Free Birds. Further roles during this period came with You, Me, and Dupree, Drillbit Taylor, No Escape, She’s Funny That Way, and Night at the Museum (and later its sequels). He also won a Golden Globe Award in 2011 for his performance in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. Relationships: Owen Wilson has been in relationships with celebrities such as Sheryl Crowe, Kate Hudson, Gina Gershon, and many others. In 2011, Owen Wilson fathered a son with girlfriend Jade Duell, although they later ended their relationship. In 2014, Wilson fathered a second son with Caroline Lindqvist, another ex-girlfriend. In 2018, he and another girlfriend called Varunie Vongsvirates had a daughter together before also ending their relationship. Speaking in 2019, Vongsvirates admitted that Wilson had never seen his daughter. It is also alleged that Wilson pays her $35,000 per month in child support, which works out to about $435,000 per year. It is not known whether the mothers of his other children receive the same degree of child support. Suicide Attempt: In 2007, Owen Wilson attempted suicide. Reports surfaced that he had tried to overdose on pills, and he was rushed to the hospital to receive treatment. Allegedly, Wilson had been battling depression after going through a bad breakup. Film Salaries: Owen earned a career-high $15 million for the movie Little Fockers. He also earned a salary of $10 million in both Wedding Crashers and Starsky & Hutch. During his career, Wilson has earned a total of around $90 million from film roles alone – before taxes, managerial fees, and other costs (as of 2020). Real Estate: Owen has invested his net worth into an especially lucrative real estate portfolio over the years. Owen owns several homes in the LA area, including a Malibu beach house and a large, double-lot property in Santa Monica. He expanded an initial Santa Monica property purchased in 2000 for $755,000 by buying the house next door for $1.6 million, demolishing it, and replacing it with a lawn. In 2007, Wilson purchased two side-by-side parcels of land (one of which is oceanfront) on the island of Maui in Hawaii for $5.85 million. In 2012, he acquired a 1,980-square-foot, $1.235-million property in the Westdale neighborhood of LA. In 2014, Owen Wilson added to his portfolio after spending $1.524 million on a property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of LA. Coming in at roughly 1,500 square feet, the three-bedroom property isn’t exactly befitting of a celebrity like Owen Wilson, leading many to believe the acquisition was solely for investment purposes. In fact, the majority of Wilson’s properties are likely long-term investments rather than serving as actual residences for the film star. This would explain the fact that his real estate portfolio alone is likely worth $40-50 million, which is the majority of his entire net worth. In seems that Owen Wilson is a savvy investor who prefers to leave his funds in bricks and mortar rather than in a bank account.
Read More