New York Knicks backup center Precious Achiuwa showed his physical toughness on the court last season, and he displayed that further in a viral video posted to his Instagram account on Monday depicting the 6’8” big man walking with two lions – yes, two actual lions – along a forest in Zambia.
The video generated hilarious reactions from fellow NBA players, including Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony who replied in a comment saying, “Bro got paid and started doing side quests,” referencing Achiuwa’s one-year, $6 million contract he signed with the Knicks earlier this offseason. Clearly, Achiuwa is not intimidated by the presence of wild animals just like how he is not intimidated by his opponents on the NBA court.
Precious Achiuwa was a solid contributor for the Knicks last season
The 24-year-old Nigerian native came over to the Knicks in the same deal that brought OG Anunoby to New York midseason last year. During Mitchell Robinson’s absence, he filled in nicely as the team’s backup center to Isaiah Hartenstein and was huge for them with Julius Randle missing the rest of the season due to his shoulder injury.
As a member of the Knicks last season, Achiuwa averaged 7.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 49 regular season games. He was huge for them in the postseason as well, most notably for his strong performance guarding Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid in Game 4 of the first round when Mitchell Robinson was forced to sit with an ankle injury.
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Achiuwa could have a big role for the Knicks in 2024
Heading into 2024, Achiuwa looks to be the Knicks’ full-time backup big man, this time playing behind Mitchell Robinson after Isaiah Hartenstein’s departure to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Knicks could benefit from his grit and talent level on the defensive side of the ball to provide positive results, and will be relied upon heavily if Robinson were to go down with an injury.
While he won’t be walking into Madison Square Garden with a pair of lions attached to his hip each night, the Knicks are certainly looking forward to getting a fearless big man return to a team with major championship aspirations next season.
