Brandon Paul
April 5, 2021
Obi Kyei
- Nationality: AUS/GBR
- Date of Birth: 3/12/94
- Place of Birth: Sydney (NSW)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 206
- Weight (KG): 90
- Junior Assoc: NSW - Sydney
- College: Metro State University (2013-2015) / Eckerd College (2015-2017)
- NBL DEBUT: 12/10/19
- AGE AT DEBUT: 24
- LAST NBL GAME: 15/02/20
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 25
- NBL History: Adelaide 2020
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Obiri Yeboah Kyei was born in Sydney (NSW) and attended Sydney Secondary College. He played his junior basketball in New South Wales and went on to play college basketball for NCAA Division II schools Metro State and Eckerd College.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Obi Kyei made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 24 years of age. He scored three points in his first game.
After finishing 14-14 and missing the playoffs on points percentage the previous season, Adelaide lost Nathan Sobey (to Brisbane), Jacob Wiley (to Spain), Majok Deng (to Cairns), Demitrius Conger (to Spain) and Shaun Bruce (to Sydney). Joey Wright remained as head coach, adding Jerome Randle (via Sydney), Eric Griffin (via Israel), Kevin White (via Illawarra), Daniel Dillon (via Paris) and young Australian big man Obi Kyei (via Spain).
Kyei signed a two-year deal with Adelaide after previously playing in Germany, England and Spain and spending the 2018 offseason with Logan in the QBL. Wright had targeted an athletic Australian frontcourt player who could replace some of the size and athleticism lost with Deng’s departure.
Adelaide opened its season against Sydney at Qudos Bank Arena on October 12, where Kyei (3 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) played 23 minutes in his NBL debut. Johnson (26 points and 7 rebounds) and Randle (16 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists) led Adelaide, while Newley (18 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) led Sydney to a 102-80 win.
Kyei (3.4 points and 4.3 rebounds across 28 games) appeared in every game during his only NBL season and did not miss any games through injury, providing athleticism and rebounding behind Adelaide’s established frontcourt players.
Kyei’s best game came against Cairns at the Cairns Convention Centre on December 22, where Kyei (15 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block) recorded his season-high in scoring in 16 minutes. Randle (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Johnson (15 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists) provided support, but Newbill (26 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Oliver (21 points, 15 rebounds, 2 steals, and 4 blocks) led Cairns to a 94-86 win which dropped Adelaide to fifth.
Randle (19.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists) led Adelaide in scoring and assists, while Johnson (18.1 points and 8.3 rebounds), Griffin (14 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks), Drmic (10.5 points and 4.7 rebounds), Moore (7.8 points), Froling (7.3 points and 3.5 rebounds), McVeigh (6 points) and Teys (5.2 points) were the other major contributors.
During the extended offseason following the season, Kyei requested and was granted a release from the second year of his contract to focus on business interests.
Adelaide finished its season against Perth at RAC Arena on February 15, where Kyei (6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block) played 17 minutes, while Johnson (18 points and 11 rebounds) and McVeigh (16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led Adelaide and Kay (23 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) led Perth to a 94-79 win as the 36ers finished seventh with a 12-16 record.
Obi Kyei played one season in the NBL. He averaged 3.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 28 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 25 | Adelaide | 12-16 (7) | 28 | 370 | 96 | 121 | 16 | 39 | 82 | 21 | 16 | 26 | 74 | 35 | 93 | 38% | 1 | 12 | 8% | 25 | 50 | 50% | 41% | 38% | 15 | Totals | 28 | 370 | 96 | 121 | 16 | 39 | 82 | 21 | 16 | 26 | 74 | 35 | 93 | 37.6% | 1 | 12 | 8.3% | 25 | 50 | 50.0% | 42% | 38% | 15 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 25 | Adelaide | 12-16 (7) | 28 | 13.2 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 38% | 0.0 | 0.4 | 8% | 0.9 | 1.8 | 50% | 41% | 38% | 15 | Total | 28 | 13.2 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 37.6% | 0.0 | 8.3% | 0.0 | 0.4 | 50.0% | 42% | 38% | 15 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 15 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Sydney (2012–2013, 2024), Albury Wodonga (2017), Logan (2018, 2021–2022)
Kyei joined Sydney Comets for the 2012 Waratah League season and was named the team’s player of the year while also earning Waratah championship rookie of the year honours.
Kyei remained with Sydney Comets in 2013, continuing his early state league development before heading to the United States for college basketball.
Kyei joined Albury Wodonga for the 2017 SEABL season and had a one-game stint with the Bandits in July as a frontcourt addition.
Kyei joined Logan for the 2018 QBL season and produced 20.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game across 18 contests, with another profile from the same stint listing him at 20 minutes, 9.0 points and 2.0 assists per game before he moved on later that year.
Kyei rejoined Logan for the remainder of the 2021 NBL1 North season on 21 June 2021 and, as provided, averaged 11.2 points and 10.2 rebounds in five games, with his return coming after his earlier 2018 spell with the club. Logan reached the 2021 finals, but he missed the post-season because of COVID border restrictions.
Kyei returned to Logan for the 2022 NBL1 North season and averaged 10.1 points and 11.4 rebounds across 11 games.
Kyei joined Sydney Comets for the 2024 NBL1 East season and his strong start brought renewed NBL attention. In mid-July he earned NBL1 Player of the Week honours after posting 32 points and 13 rebounds in a win over Albury Wodonga, and during that stage of the season he was averaging 19.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. Sydney advanced to the NBL1 East Final 4 in 2024, and Kyei had 20 points, 10 rebounds and three steals in the semi-final loss to Manly Warringah.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Great Britain - Leeds Force (2017) | Germany - Cuxhaven BasCats (2017) | Spain - Força Lleida CE (2018–2019)
Kyei joined Cuxhaven BasCats for the 2017–18 German ProB season, playing his first season in Germany, and he played 10 games between September 23 and November 18 while averaging 11.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.9 steals.
Kyei then joined Leeds Force for the 2017–18 British Basketball League season in Great Britain, where he played two games between November 26 and December 1 and averaged 4.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.
Kyei joined Força Lleida CE for the 2018–19 LEB Oro season in Spain after signing in August 2018, and he appeared in 33 games while averaging 4.3 points and 4.0 rebounds.
COLLEGE
Obi Kyei’s NCAA run began at Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver), where he worked into the rotation as a true freshman in 2013–14, playing 27 games on a team that won both the RMAC regular-season and RMAC tournament championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament semifinals.
In 2013–14, Kyei’s contributions came in efficient, low-usage minutes, as he averaged 1.6 points and 1.1 rebounds while shooting 58.6% from the field, totaling 44 points and 30 rebounds across the season, with his first collegiate point coming at the line against West Texas A&M (Nov. 16).
He returned for 2014–15 at MSU Denver and saw an expanded role, playing 31 games with six starts, as the Roadrunners captured a share of their third straight RMAC regular-season title and reached their seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
Across 2014–15, Kyei averaged 2.2 points and 2.4 rebounds, with season totals of 67 points, 74 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals, and nine blocks, while also producing two double-figure scoring games during the year.
Kyei then transferred to Eckerd College and immediately became a major frontcourt piece in 2015–16, starting 31 games and finishing the season with 287 points (9.3 ppg), 230 rebounds (7.4 rpg) and 53 blocks, combining rim protection and board work with steady scoring in a heavier-minute role.
His most productive collegiate season came in 2016–17, when he started all 30 games for Eckerd and averaged 11.1 points and 8.0 rebounds, adding 80 assists, 33 steals, and 22 blocks, while shooting 49.6% from the field as Eckerd finished 21–9 overall and 13–5 in conference play.
Within that 2016–17 campaign, Kyei led Eckerd in total rebounds (239) and rebounds per game (8.0), finished among the team leaders in scoring at 334 points, and produced a high-volume interior workload that also put him at 98 made free throws on 156 attempts across the season.
A notable recognition point came during his senior year when he was named Sunshine State Conference Defensive Player of the Week (Dec. 12, 2016) after a week that included a 21-point, 13-rebound, four-block performance in a win over Saint Michael’s.
LIFE AFTER BASKETBALL
Kyei creates sustainable fashion for his label Obiri using vintage clothes and deadstock fabrics to produce new clothing. He fronted the campaign for Champion Australia's sustainable Re:Bound collection in 2021.
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