Apr 6, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Tyus Jones (5) celebrates with center Jahlil Okafor (15) as Duke defeats Wisconsin Badgers 68-63 in the 2015 NCAA Men's Division I Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Duke Basketball Champ Posting Big Numbers in Japan

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Matt Giles | Last updated Dec 10, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Levanga Hokkaido boasts a 16-4 record and sits No. 3 overall in Japan's B.League standings. And 2015 Duke basketball national champion Jahlil Okafor is one of the team's top producers.

Okafor, a 29-year-old big man from Chicago who starred as a one-and-done for the 2014-15 Blue Devils before hearing his name called No. 3 overall at the 2015 NBA Draft, has played in all 20 games and reached double-digit points in all but three of those contests for Levanga Hokkaido, which is now gearing up for three outings across the next five days.

Former Duke star Jahlil Okafor is averaging 15.8 points and 8 rebounds with Levanga Hokkaido in the Japanese B.League.

@levangakousiki pic.twitter.com/ggJxYIlJCR
— Blue Devil Voices (@DukeEchoes) December 9, 2025

Over the weekend, Okafor helped fuel the group's ninth straight win, a 100-94 road victory against Sun Rockers Shibuya, as the 6-foot-10, 270-pounder finished the bout with 22 points, three rebounds, and six assists, shooting 10-for-15 from the field and 2-for-2 at the foul line across his 31 minutes on the floor.

He's now averaging 15.8 points, 8.0 boards, and 3.1 assists as a full-time starter in what is his first campaign in Japan.

Only One Recent NBA Outing in the Duke Basketball Great's Pro Career

Despite career averages of 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds as an NBA player, Jahlil Okafor has seen action in only one NBA game over the last five seasons. That appearance, which included only three minutes of playing time, came last season for the Indiana Pacers after he had shined all year for the franchise's G League affiliate, the Indiana Mad Ants.

His previous stops in the league were with the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans, and Detroit Pistons.

Okafor, who signed with Levanga Hokkaido back in early July, was a five-star recruit out of Chicago's Whitney Young High School when he arrived in Durham for his freshman year under Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski over a decade ago.

He averaged 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.4 blocks for that bunch, earning ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, and USBWA Freshman of the Year honors as part of the program's fifth and still most recent national title squad.

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This article first appeared on Duke Blue Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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