Joe Ikhinmwin


Joseph "Joe" Blessing Ikhinmwin is a British professional basketball player, team captain of the London Lions.

Biography

Early life

Ikhinmwin began playing basketball at the age of 14. He started his career at East London Royals Junior program based in Whitechapel under the supervision of Humphrey Long and the Late Chris Morgan.

High school career

In 2006 he entered Barking Abbey Basketball Academy, started playing for the Great Britain U20 team and became the team captain in 2007. In 2006-2007 he played for the London Leopards.

College career

After graduating from Barking Abbey School sixth form he left Britain to study at Seminole State College in Oklahoma, where he played from 2008 to 2010 for the "Seminole State Trojans". He sat out his first year due to a back injury but showed good performance in the last two seasons and transferred to NCAA South Carolina State Bulldogs in the MEAC for the 2010-2012 seasons where he averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds per game.

Professional career

Ikhinmwin played his rookie season in 2012/2013 as a member of Newcastle Eagles and finished with runners-up medals in the BBL regular season, play-offs and Cup before leaving the team and signing to his hometown.
He started his London Lions career in September 2013. Over the first year he played multiple positions averaging just over 8 points and 4 rebounds per game while shooting 46% from the floor.
On 31 March 2014 Ikhinmwin won the 2014 BBL Trophy Slam Dunk contest in Glasgow’s Emirates Arena at the BBL Trophy Finals. On the same day he represented the England team at an International Friendly against Scotland and scored 15 points.
In September 2014 his contract with Lions has been signed for another 2 years but was pulled off after 2 months. Joe re-established his contract and returned to Lions on December 2014.
2014/2015 season was a real comeback for the Lions, the team had made it to the BBL Play-Off final in May 2015 but lost to the Newcastle Eagles. In July 2015 Ikhinmwin became Lions’ team captain. In November 2015 Ikhinmwin's contribution helped the Lions in the game against Worcester Wolves earn a place in the semi-finals of the Cup.
In August 2017 he renewed his contract with the Lions for the next 2 seasons.
In September 2017 Ikhinmwin captained the Lions to their first national championship since making the move from Milton Keynes to London. He re-signed with the Lions on July 14, 2020.

Charity involvement

Ikhinmwin supports a number of charity projects, being a GLL supported athlete and the ambassador of the GLL Sport Foundation, All Sports for Schools fund and London Sports Trust "Bounce for Change" initiative.