# Semi Ojeleye
**Semi Ojeleye** (Jesusemilore Talodabijesu Ojeleye; born 1994) is an American professional basketball player from Kansas who played five NBA seasons with the [Boston Celtics](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-celtics), Milwaukee Bucks, and [Los Angeles Clippers](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-clippers) before continuing his career in Europe with Virtus Bologna, Valencia Basket, and Crvena Zvezda Belgrade.[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628400/scoring) • [2](https://as.com/baloncesto/acb/ojeleye-quiero-construir-algo-grande-aqui-n/) A 6-foot-6, 240-pound forward, he was drafted 37th overall by Boston in 2017 after being named American Athletic Conference Player of the Year at SMU.[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628400/scoring) • [3](https://smumustangs.com/news/2017/6/22/mens-basketball-ojeleye-brown-selected-in-2017-nba-draft)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1994, Kansas, USA; 6'6" (1.98 m), 240 lb (109 kg)[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628400/scoring) • [2](https://as.com/baloncesto/acb/ojeleye-quiero-construir-algo-grande-aqui-n/) |
| College | Duke (2013-15), SMU (2016-17); AAC Player of the Year in his lone SMU season[4](https://www.nba.com/news/semi-ojeleye-duke-smu-forward-appreciates-journey-nba-draft) |
| Draft | 2017 NBA Draft, second round, 37th overall, Boston Celtics[3](https://smumustangs.com/news/2017/6/22/mens-basketball-ojeleye-brown-selected-in-2017-nba-draft) |
| SMU season | 18.9 points (48.8% FG, 42.4% 3PT, 78.5% FT), 6.8 rebounds, 34.1 minutes in 35 games[5](https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/pressrelease/boston-celtics-sign-semi-ojeleye) |
| NBA career | 284 regular-season games and 38 playoff games over 5 seasons; 3.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.4 assists per game[6](https://www.landofbasketball.com/nba_players_season_stats/index/semi_ojeleye.htm) • [1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628400/scoring) |
| High school | Kansas career scoring record, 2,763 points at Ottawa High School; No. 32 prospect in the class of 2013[7](https://www.si.com/college/2017/02/28/semi-ojeleye-smu-mustangs) |
| Europe | Virtus Bologna (2022), Valencia Basket (2023-25), Crvena Zvezda (2025- )[2](https://as.com/baloncesto/acb/ojeleye-quiero-construir-algo-grande-aqui-n/) • [8](https://as.com/baloncesto/acb/ojeleye-rescinde-con-el-valencia-y-ficha-por-el-estrella-roja-n/) |
## High school and recruiting
Ojeleye attended Ottawa High School in Kansas, where he set the state's career scoring record with 2,763 points and also set a single-season record of 952 points.[7](https://www.si.com/college/2017/02/28/semi-ojeleye-smu-mustangs) • [4](https://www.nba.com/news/semi-ojeleye-duke-smu-forward-appreciates-journey-nba-draft) He was ranked the No. 32 prospect in the class of 2013 by the Recruiting Services Consensus Index and signed with Duke, joining a recruiting class headlined by [Jabari Parker](https://www.edgepedia.org/jabari-parker).[7](https://www.si.com/college/2017/02/28/semi-ojeleye-smu-mustangs)
## College career
**Duke.** Ojeleye joined Hall of Fame coach [Mike Krzyzewski](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-krzyzewski)'s program in the fall of 2013 as a 6-foot-7, 235-pound combo forward. He appeared in 17 games as a freshman and 6 games in an abbreviated sophomore season, amassing 143 minutes and 46 points in barely more than one season at Duke.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/semi-ojeleye-duke-smu-forward-appreciates-journey-nba-draft) • [7](https://www.si.com/college/2017/02/28/semi-ojeleye-smu-mustangs) He later said he was not prepared mentally or physically for "the intensity of Duke basketball" and left after the first semester of his sophomore year.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/semi-ojeleye-duke-smu-forward-appreciates-journey-nba-draft)
**Transfer and redshirt.** His former AAU coach, Rodney Perry, arranged a meeting with SMU coach [Larry Brown](https://www.edgepedia.org/larry-brown), and Ojeleye enrolled at SMU in January 2015. Under NCAA transfer rules he sat out the rest of that season, and he chose to redshirt the entire 2015-16 season to preserve a full year of eligibility, a decision made easier because SMU was banned from postseason play that year for recruiting violations under Brown.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/semi-ojeleye-duke-smu-forward-appreciates-journey-nba-draft) He did not log a single second of competitive floor time between November 30, 2014 and November 11, 2016, and used the layoff to shoot, by his own account, about 300 shots a day at game speed.[7](https://www.si.com/college/2017/02/28/semi-ojeleye-smu-mustangs)
**SMU, 2016-17.** In his lone season on the court for the Mustangs under coach Tim Jankovich, Ojeleye averaged 18.9 points on 48.8% shooting from the field, 42.4% from three-point range, and 78.5% from the free-throw line, with 6.8 rebounds and 34.1 minutes in 35 games, and was named an Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press.[5](https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/pressrelease/boston-celtics-sign-semi-ojeleye) He finished third in the [American Athletic Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-athletic-conference) in scoring at 19.0 points per game and collected AAC Player of the Year, Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and conference tournament Most Outstanding Player honors as SMU went 30-5 (17-1 in the AAC) and reached the NCAA tournament.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/semi-ojeleye-duke-smu-forward-appreciates-journey-nba-draft)
## NBA career
The Boston Celtics selected Ojeleye in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft, 37th overall, and signed him that summer.[3](https://smumustangs.com/news/2017/6/22/mens-basketball-ojeleye-brown-selected-in-2017-nba-draft) • [5](https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/pressrelease/boston-celtics-sign-semi-ojeleye) He spent four seasons in Boston, appearing in nearly 300 games for the club, in a reserve role built around strength defense and corner three-point shooting.[2](https://as.com/baloncesto/acb/ojeleye-quiero-construir-algo-grande-aqui-n/) Across five NBA seasons he played 284 regular-season games and 38 playoff games, with career averages of 3.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game.[6](https://www.landofbasketball.com/nba_players_season_stats/index/semi_ojeleye.htm) • [1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628400/scoring)
In the summer of 2021 he agreed to a one-year deal with the [Milwaukee Bucks](https://www.edgepedia.org/milwaukee-bucks), and he also appeared for the Los Angeles Clippers, completing his five-season NBA run with three teams.[2](https://as.com/baloncesto/acb/ojeleye-quiero-construir-algo-grande-aqui-n/)
## European career
Ojeleye moved to Europe in the summer of 2022, signing with Virtus Bologna in Italy.[2](https://as.com/baloncesto/acb/ojeleye-quiero-construir-algo-grande-aqui-n/) In 2023 Valencia Basket signed him after paying Virtus a 300,000-euro buyout clause.[2](https://as.com/baloncesto/acb/ojeleye-quiero-construir-algo-grande-aqui-n/) • [8](https://as.com/baloncesto/acb/ojeleye-rescinde-con-el-valencia-y-ficha-por-el-estrella-roja-n/) In his first Valencia season he was the team's highest-rated player in the [EuroLeague](https://www.edgepedia.org/euroleague) and its second best in the Liga Endesa, averaging 13 points on 45.2% three-point shooting with 4.1 rebounds and a 13.6 performance index rating; the following season he produced 10.8 points, 38.5% from three, 3.1 rebounds, and a 9.2 rating across Liga Endesa and Eurocup play.[8](https://as.com/baloncesto/acb/ojeleye-rescinde-con-el-valencia-y-ficha-por-el-estrella-roja-n/)
In June 2025, Valencia announced the resolution of his contract, which had run to June 2026, and Crvena Zvezda Belgrade officially signed him to a deal through June 2027.[8](https://as.com/baloncesto/acb/ojeleye-rescinde-con-el-valencia-y-ficha-por-el-estrella-roja-n/) • [9](https://cadenaser.com/comunitat-valenciana/2025/06/30/valencia-basket-anuncia-la-desvinculacion-de-ojeleye-cuyo-salario-disponible-facilita-la-renovacion-de-jean-montero-radio-valencia/)
## Playing style
Ojeleye's game has rested on a combination of physical strength and perimeter shooting that scouts considered unusual for his body type. SMU coach Tim Jankovich described him as a matchup problem who could post up smaller players or draw big men beyond the three-point line, and noted that few players combine that strong a frame with so soft a shooting touch.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/semi-ojeleye-duke-smu-forward-appreciates-journey-nba-draft) Draft profiles described him as one of the most muscular players in the 2017 draft class, capable of playing both forward positions.[10](https://www.nba.com/nuggets/news/2017-draft-profile/semi-ojeleye) In the NBA he settled into a specialist role as a physical wing defender and spot-up three-point shooter.[2](https://as.com/baloncesto/acb/ojeleye-quiero-construir-algo-grande-aqui-n/)
## References
1. [Semi Ojeleye player profile, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628400/scoring)
2. [Ojeleye: "Quiero construir algo grande aquí", AS.com](https://as.com/baloncesto/acb/ojeleye-quiero-construir-algo-grande-aqui-n/)
3. [Ojeleye, Brown Selected In 2017 NBA Draft, SMU Athletics](https://smumustangs.com/news/2017/6/22/mens-basketball-ojeleye-brown-selected-in-2017-nba-draft)
4. [Despite obstacles, Semi Ojeleye appreciates journey from Duke to SMU to NBA Draft, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/semi-ojeleye-duke-smu-forward-appreciates-journey-nba-draft)
5. [Boston Celtics Sign Semi Ojeleye, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/pressrelease/boston-celtics-sign-semi-ojeleye)
6. [Semi Ojeleye Stats by Season, Land of Basketball](https://www.landofbasketball.com/nba_players_season_stats/index/semi_ojeleye.htm)
7. [From Duke to SMU, Semi Ojeleye's long, crooked journey is finally paying off, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/college/2017/02/28/semi-ojeleye-smu-mustangs)
8. [Ojeleye rescinde con el Valencia y ficha por el Estrella Roja, AS.com](https://as.com/baloncesto/acb/ojeleye-rescinde-con-el-valencia-y-ficha-por-el-estrella-roja-n/)
9. [Valencia Basket anuncia la desvinculación de Ojeleye, Cadena SER](https://cadenaser.com/comunitat-valenciana/2025/06/30/valencia-basket-anuncia-la-desvinculacion-de-ojeleye-cuyo-salario-disponible-facilita-la-renovacion-de-jean-montero-radio-valencia/)
10. [2017 Draft Profile: Semi Ojeleye, Denver Nuggets, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/nuggets/news/2017-draft-profile/semi-ojeleye)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › NBA players, 2011–2018 › NBA forwards, 2011–2018*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license