Some professional athletes have unfortunately had to learn the hard way that having the wrong people in your inner circle could contribute to your downfall.
While some athletes may choose to combat this potential pitfall by limiting the number of people around them to begin with, NBA player Josh Okogie has seen the benefit of having an entourage in his life that he can trust.
During an appearance on the One 54 Podcast, Okogie, who currently plays on the Utah Jazz roster, explained why NBA players specifically can thrive in their personal and professional lives by having a solid entourage.
“You need [an entourage],” Okogie said. “In the NFL, it’s easier to have a normal life because you don’t leave the house that often. So whatever city that you’re in, you live there.”
“In the NBA we’ll leave for two weeks, come back. Do this, come back,” Okogie added. “Just from like a safety perspective, and people don’t understand our schedules are public, people know when you’re not home.
“People can rob your house and see, ‘Oh I know when he come back home I see him on TV.’ They will rob your house while watching you on TV. People don’t understand you need kinda like that support [from an entourage].”
Okogie went on to explain that his friends have helped him deal with household responsibilities like maintenance appointments or tending to his dogs when he is on the road with his NBA teammates.
“We play a lot of games,” Okogie said. “Sometimes you need somebody to talk to, grab some wine. Your homies right there the whole season. Some of them will fly home, come through. [Their] parents will fly in [and their family members] to visit [us].”
Okogie was born in Nigeria before moving to the United States with his family as a 3-year-old. He grew up in Snellville, Georgia, where he attended Shiloh High School.
While he was not considered to be among the elite recruits coming out of high school, the 6-foot-4 Okogie spent two seasons playing college basketball at nearby Georgia Tech in Atlanta. He produced enough to become the 20th overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of 2018 NBA draft.
Okogie spent his first four NBA seasons in Minnesota, primarily as a reserve player, and then signed a free agent deal with the Phoenix Suns in July 2022. He remained with the Suns until a trade landed him with the Charlotte Hornets in January 2025.
The Hornets waived Okogie in July 2025, clearing the way for him to sign a one-year, $3.08 million contract with the Houston Rockets ahead of last season. Despite playing in 78 of Houston’s 82 regular season games last year, the team chose not to bring him back for the current season.
Okogie instead signed with the Utah Jazz on a two-year, $12 million pact, although the Jazz have the option to opt out of the second year of the contract ahead of next season.
Okogie has appeared in 11 of Utah’s first 12 games this season, averaging 4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists over 18.4 minutes per game. Injuries to multiple Jazz starters have not helped, but Utah and Milwaukee Bucks are currently tied for the worst record (1-11) in the NBA through their first 12 contests.