Chuma Okeke realized he was in the NBA once he saw his Magic jersey

Okeke finally felt like an NBA player once he saw his jersey in the locker room prior to the Magic’s preseason opener on Friday.

Chuma Okeke spent much of the 2019-20 season around the Orlando Magic team facility rehabbing from an ACL tear suffered in March 2019 but it wasn’t until Friday night that he finally felt like an NBA player.

Okeke made his long-awaited Magic debut almost two years after suffering a major knee injury in the NCAA Tournament with the Auburn Tigers. The game on Friday marked the end of painstaking work to get back out onto the court, an experience he cherished.

“It felt really good out there, especially with it being my first time on the court in a long, long time,” Okeke said on a Zoom call with reporters after the game. “It was very fun. I just gotta keep working to be where I want to be at but my first NBA experience was really fun.”

Okeke recorded nine points, three rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot in 14 minutes off the bench in a 116-112 win over the Atlanta Hawks. He shot 3-of-8 from the field, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, in the Magic’s preseason opener.

Magic head coach Steve Clifford said after the game that he thought Okeke and fellow rookie Cole Anthony did some good things on the court in their first game. Okeke said he knew there are several adjustments that need to be made but just overall enjoyed his first game.

After such a long delay, Okeke finally felt like an NBA player prior to the game.

“I realized it when I was sitting down on the bench,” Okeke said. “It was like, ‘Dang, I’m really here.’ I really noticed it when I first picked up my jersey in the locker room like, ‘Dang, this is really my jersey.’ It was a good experience and, hopefully, I can just build from here.”

The preseason will serve as a great opportunity for Okeke to get a taste of the speed of the NBA ahead of the regular-season opener on Dec. 23. The Magic believe he can impact games on both ends of the floor and certainly have high hopes for him this season.

Orlando returns to action on Sunday versus the Hawks at 5 p.m. EST.

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