Scoreless James Nnaji propels Barcelona past Zunder Palencia

Nigeria's James Nnaji did not score but was pivotal as Barcelona defeated Zunder Palencia.

Prior to the journey to Real Madrid, Barçelona Basket had to fight all the way to defeat Zunder Palencia (83-84) in a game that went down to the wire.

There wasn't a free seat in the house for Palencia's first-ever match in the top division, and despite the atmosphere being soon dampened by a strong blaugrana start, the host team was back in the game (18-19) by the end of the first period thanks to some effective 3-point shooting.

Palencia was beginning to rise to the occasion with Barcelona struggling.

Barça finally achieved the dominance that might have been predicted on paper with an 11-2 run.

However, the home team was determined not to lose easily as they not only got back into the game but also took the lead.

Barça appeared to have lost all offensive focus, and with five minutes left, they found themselves six points behind.

In the waning seconds, Laprovittola purposefully missed a free throw to quickly make a two to tie the game and send it into overtime.

Barça were let off the hook in the most dramatic of ways, and the extra five minutes were complete mayhem.

It came down to who would be in front when the final buzzer sounded as the Catalans hung on for the victory on the road in an outstanding basketball contest.

James Nnaji shines for Barcelona

Nigerian professional basketball star James Nnaji played a pivotal role for Barcelona in the victory.

The 19-year-old Nnaji did not find the score and missed two shots.

However, in 14 minutes of action, he grabbed five rebounds and was able to produce two spectacular blocks late in the game for the win.

Barcelona gives James Nnaji the number 23 jersey

Barcelona basketball players have already been awarded the numbers they will wear ahead of the new season.

Barcelona announced the new numbers on their official social media platforms.

Nnaji is one of the team players who made a jersey number switch in the new season.

The 19-year-old will now wear the iconic number 23 as opposed to the number 46 he wore last season.

Nnaji's jersey change now officially cements his promotion from the youth setup to the first team.

With six NBA teams retiring the number 23 and two of the game's greatest players, Lebron James and Michael Jordan, both donning the number, the number 23 is an iconic number in the NBA.

Charlotte Hornets send James Nnaji back to Barcelona

The Charlotte Hornets made a draft-day trade to obtain James Nnaji by swapping their 34th and 39th picks.

Nnaji became well-known thanks to his efforts for Barcelona last season.

He possesses NBA-caliber athleticism but is still an exceptionally undeveloped big-man prospect.

Fans of the Hornets, though, will not have the chance to watch their young potential play this summer.

After making moves to acquire Nnaji in the NBA Draft, the Hornets brought him to the United States for the Las Vegas Summer League to get a closer look at their new big-man prospect.

He is staying in Spain to continue developing in one of the best leagues in Europe.

The Hornets will have team control over one of Europe's top big-man prospects by allowing Nnaji to grow in Europe.

It's just a matter of honing Nnaji's game and expanding his skill set because he already possesses the physical tools required to succeed at the NBA level.

Nnaji returns to action when Barcelona takes on Real Madrid on Sunday, October 1, 2023.

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