Solomon Alabi
Makafan Solomon Alabi | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 21, 1988 near Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria |
| Occupation(s) | Professional basketball player (retired), real estate professional |
| Years active | 2010–2018 (basketball) |
| Known for | NBA player for Toronto Raptors, Florida State Seminoles basketball |
Makafan Solomon Alabi (born March 21, 1988) is a retired Nigerian professional basketball athlete. At age 17, he relocated to the United States to enroll at Montverde Academy. During his collegiate career, Alabi played for the Florida State Seminoles, where he earned ACC All-Defensive team recognition in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. Selected 50th overall in the 2010 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks, he ultimately competed in the NBA for two seasons with the Toronto Raptors. Following a stint in the NBA Development League, Alabi concluded his playing career internationally across Greece, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Japan.
Early life
Alabi grew up near Zaria, in Kaduna State. His father served as a police officer before retiring, and Solomon has five siblings. In his youth, he engaged in various sports such as soccer, tennis, volleyball, and field hockey. The closest basketball facility was a sandy court mainly used for soccer. His commitment to basketball intensified during his teenage years after recognizing its potential to secure a college scholarship. After participating in a camp led by Masai Ujiri, he was awarded a scholarship to attend Montverde Academy.
In June 2005, Alabi moved to the United States and trained under coach Kevin Sutton at Montverde. As a senior, he played a pivotal role in guiding Montverde Academy to an undefeated 30–0 season, averaging 17.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, and six blocks per game.
College career
Ten games into his freshman year, Alabi suffered a leg fracture that led him to take a medical redshirt. Returning as a redshirt freshman, he earned a spot on the All-ACC Freshman Team by posting an average of 8.4 points per game and leading the conference with 2.1 blocks per game. His defensive prowess earned him ACC All-Defensive team honors during the 2008–2009 season.
In his redshirt sophomore year, Alabi improved his scoring average to 11.7 points per game and ranked 26th nationally with 2.39 blocked shots per game. On April 23, 2010, he announced his decision to enter the 2010 NBA draft.
Professional career
On June 24, 2010, Alabi was selected by the Dallas Mavericks as the 50th overall pick but was immediately traded to the Toronto Raptors for cash considerations.
He inked a contract with Toronto on July 8, 2010. Throughout the 2010–11 season, Alabi was assigned multiple times to the Erie BayHawks of the NBA D-League and recalled on several occasions. On January 4, 2012, he was sent to the Bakersfield Jam D-League team before being recalled on January 22. In the final regular-season game on April 26, 2012, Alabi posted career-best numbers with 11 points, 19 rebounds, and three blocks against the New Jersey Nets.
Alabi signed with the New Orleans Hornets on October 1, 2012; however, he was released later that month. He then joined the Idaho Stampede on December 28, 2012, but was waived on March 1, 2013. Later that month, he signed with Greek top-tier club Ikaros Kallitheas B.C..
On September 28, 2013, Alabi agreed to terms with the Philadelphia 76ers, but was waived shortly after on October 5. Subsequently, he competed for Taiwan's Yulon Dinos during the 2013–14 season.
In January 2015, Alabi became part of the Barako Bull Energy roster for the 2015 PBA Commissioner's Cup.
He retired from professional basketball in 2018 to dedicate more time to his family life.
National team career
Alabi represented the Nigerian Junior National Team during the 2007 Nike All-American camp and played a key role in Nigeria's qualification for the 2007 FIBA Under-19 World Championship. He was also chosen to join the 2007 Nike Hoop Summit World Select Team, where he led all participants in blocked shots.
Regular season
|- | align="left" | | align="left" | Toronto | 12 || 0 || 4.9 || .200 || .000 || .000 || 1.2 || .2 || .2 || .2 || .5 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Toronto | 14 || 0 || 8.7 || .361 || .000 || .875 || 3.4 || .2 || .1 || .6 || 2.4 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 26 || 0 || 7.0 || .314 || .000 || .700 || 2.3 || .2 || .2 || .4 || 1.5
Regular season
|- | align="left" | 2010–11 | align="left" | Erie | 22 || 16 || 18.6 || .517 || – || .714 || 5.3 || .4 || .5 || 1.8 || 7.2 |- | align="left" | 2011–12 | align="left" | Bakersfield | 9 || 8 || 21.3 || .473 || – || .750 || 7.7 || .8 || .8 || 1.9 || 9.1 |- | align="left" | 2012–13 | align="left" | Idaho | 18 || 6 || 15.6 || .513 || – || .533 || 5.5 || .2 || .4 || .9 || 4.9 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 49 || 30 || 18.0 || .504 || – || .688 || 5.8 || .4 || .5 || 1.5 || 6.7
Personal life
Since relocating to Seattle, Washington in 2015, Alabi and his wife have raised their two children there.
He completed his Bachelor of Science degree in interdisciplinary social science at Florida State University in 2020 after returning to finish his studies.
Beginning in 2020, Alabi has been employed as a real estate professional based in Seattle.