Former Florida State basketball participant Michael Ojo has died at the age of 27, the college and his former club Red Star Belgrade established Friday.Ojo, a 7-feet-1 center from Nigeria, was conducting an individual practice in Belgrade when he collapsed, was taken to a neighborhood health center and could no longer be resuscitated, in accordance to Serbian news outlets. A Red Star professional could no longer verify the cause of his demise as the club awaited outcomes of an autopsy.
“In all of my years of coaching, I’ve in no way been round a person who captivated the emotions of all and sundry he came into contact with like Michael,” Florida State educated in Leonard Hamilton said in a statement. “He had to be the most famous individual in Tallahassee, and, definitely at Florida State University.
“Michael Ojo was a wonderful, magnificent human being. He was a awesome teammate and truly represented what the Seminole spirit is all about. He was once one of the purest Seminoles that I have ever been around; he will be overlooked notably by using the complete Seminole nation.”Ojo had performed professionally in Serbia for the past three seasons due to the fact that graduating from FSU, the place he used to be named to the ACC tutorial honor roll after completing a master’s degree in global studies. He started his professional profession with FMP Belgrade and then moved to Red Star Belgrade, which played in the EuroLeague last season.
“Not only did Michael Ojo educate me to be a leader, he taught me how to love others,” said former FSU player Terance Mann, who was a second-round pick of the LA Clippers in 2019. “He taught me that there is more to existence than basketball. … He would continually inform me he has extra friends than just our teammates. He stimulated me to get out of my shell and meet new humans and taught me how to love FSU for what it all has to offer.”Visa troubles had avoided Ojo from returning to the United States all through the coronavirus pandemic, so he elected to continue residing in Belgrade whilst fielding gives from international teams. He was conducting an person coaching session at Partizan Belgrade’s facility when he collapsed.
Ojo’s huge break came in 2010 at the Giants of Africa camp, centered with the aid of Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri. After taking part in soccer for a good deal of his life, Ojo had a late growth spurt that saw him shoot from 6-foot-6 to 7-foot-1 — opening up opportunities to come to the U.S. to in addition his education and try to gain a college scholarship.
Unpolished as a freshman, Ojo step by step improved to the factor that he used to be invited to work out privately for NBA teams following his senior year, when he performed an essential function defensively for a Florida State team that went 26-9.A member of FSU’s teaching body of workers validated to ESPN that Ojo had gone through a battery of physical testing for the duration of his time in Tallahassee and that he did now not show any signs and symptoms of heart issues in the course of his time in college.
