OG Anunoby returned to Jefferson City, Missouri, for a ceremony that celebrated more than his NBA achievements. On Monday, Jefferson City High School unveiled the Ogugua “OG” Anunoby Court, naming its basketball floor after the former student who went on to win championships with the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks.
The ceremony featured speeches from former teachers and coaches, a few jokes at Anunoby’s expense and a reminder of the community that supported him long before he reached the NBA.
One of the afternoon’s funniest moments came from his eighth-grade teacher, Suzanne Luther, who recalled telling a young Anunoby,
“OG, there’s more to life than basketball!”
With her former student now a two-time NBA champion, Luther offered a public apology for the advice.
“It haunts me to this day,” she joked.
Anunoby accepted the apology before reflecting on what Jefferson City has meant to him.
“I moved to Jefferson City when I was 4,” he said. “I’m blessed to have grown up around so many amazing people.”
He spoke about his path from Jefferson City to college basketball at Indiana and eventually the NBA, but made clear that his accomplishments were rooted in the encouragement he received growing up.
“But it all started with the people who believed in me in Jefferson City, supporting me from day one,” Anunoby said.
His former coaches offered their own memories. Jordan Chapman joked that basketball was not always Anunoby’s only athletic ambition.
“OG thought he was a baseball player,” Chapman said. “Actually I’m pretty sure OG still thinks he’s a baseball player.”
Chapman also said that the person fans see today is the same person his hometown has known for years. Another former coach, Ray Hughes, emphasized that Anunoby’s character mattered more to him than anything the forward has accomplished on the court.
“The person is a million times better than the basketball player,” Hughes said. “His character, who he is and what he stands for. That’s what I’m so honored to be a part of.”
“OG, there’s more to life than basketball!”
–– OG Anunoby’s 8th grade teacher Suzanne Luther
On Monday as the Ogugua “OG” Anunoby Court was unveiled at his alma mater Jefferson City High School, Luther formally apologized to the NBA champion for uttering this blasphemy… pic.twitter.com/YWmN8TxG5t
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) September 22, 2026
The event included a tribute to another part of Anunoby’s school life: music. He was presented with his old violin, which he signed for display in the school’s orchestra room.
Anunoby remains connected to the basketball court that now bears his name. He returns to Jefferson City each summer to host a free camp for boys and girls, giving local children the chance to learn on the same floor where he once played.
As Anunoby helped unveil the court during Monday’s ceremony, the occasion brought together the different parts of his story: the teachers who challenged him, the coaches who believed in him and the hometown he continues to support.
His name is now on the floor, but the celebration made clear that Anunoby sees Jefferson City as an essential part of everything he has achieved.
