London Lions captain Ovie Soko will retire from basketball after leading his team against Cheshire Phoenix in the Super League Basketball play-off final today. The championship game begins at 4.30pm at the O2 Arena in London.
The 34-year-old, 6ft 7in athlete is completing his third trophy-laden stint with the London Lions. He hopes to end his career by lifting the play-off trophy once more.
Reflecting on his decision to step away from playing, Soko expressed gratitude for his career journey. "The ups, the downs, the lessons, the relationships and miles travelled, I would not change a thing," Soko said when announcing his retirement. "Grateful I did it my way."
Beyond his achievements on the court, Soko has built a massive profile off it, boasting 1.4 million followers on Instagram. Over the years, he has partnered with major brands including ASOS, Louboutin, and Mercedes F1.
Basketball Beginnings and Move to America
Basketball was Soko's primary goal, though his athletic journey began in a different sport. As a child in London, he originally focused on soccer before switching sports as a teenager.
"I didn't start playing basketball until I was about 12 or 13," Soko said. "It was tough to decide which direction to go, because I had always loved soccer."
"But I started getting taller and just kept growing, and eventually basketball won out. I guess I grew into it," he added.
Determined to reach the top level, Soko left London as a teenager to finish high school in the United States. Growing up in England, he used to stay up late at night just to watch NBA stars like Tracy McGrady.
"I wanted to challenge myself to play at the highest level possible, and that meant coming to America where the best players are," Soko explained.
College Career and Professional Overseas Play
Soko dominated at the high school level in America and was recruited by the University of Alabama at Birmingham. However, he struggled with the transition to college basketball, which proved far more physical than the game in the United Kingdom.
He later spent a season playing for the Duquesne Dukes before entering the 2014 NBA Draft. The annual draft offers college players the opportunity to be selected by one of the 30 NBA teams, but Soko was not selected.
Despite missing out on the NBA, Soko forged a successful professional career across several countries. He played professionally in France, Italy, Spain, and Japan, alongside his multiple stints back in the UK with the London Lions.
Love Island Stint and Reality Television Success
In 2019, Soko reached national renown in the UK after joining the reality television show Love Island. He entered the series at Casa Amor and reached the final alongside India Reynolds, though the couple later split up after the show ended.
Viewers praised Soko for appearing understated, emotionally intelligent, and authentic compared to other contestants. He also became famous for shouting "message" whenever an Islander received a text, a catchphrase referencing the 1996 Wayans Brothers film Don't Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood.
Soko later admitted that he had little knowledge of how popular the series was before signing up. He had attended school with Alexandria, a contestant on a previous season, and watched only one or two episodes to see her on television.
"After I had seen her, I never really watched it because I've always been doing the ball thing," Soko said. "So every time I'm back in the summers, I'm with the mandem, I'm going out. I'm not really watching TV."
He added: "I hear people talk about it so when I went on the show it felt like everyone around me they knew more than I knew. I was like, 'It's a chance to go on TV'. So I just took it from that perspective. When you get in there you see mad cameras. After three or four days you forget."
Focus on Basketball and Villa Stipulations
Despite the sudden television fame, Soko remained focused on continuing his basketball career after leaving the villa.
"The plan was to always go back to ball," Soko said. "I had no idea it was going to pop off or it was going to blow [up] like it did."
Before agreeing to enter the villa, Soko insisted on a strict contractual requirement so he would not miss out on professional sports opportunities.
"My whole thing was before I went into the [villa] I told them my only stipulation was my basketball contract, if my agent has to be able to call someone and tell me what contract offers I have, so I could still negotiate my basketball contract from while I was in there," Soko explained.
Injury Hiatus and Rejecting All Stars Return
Before returning to the London Lions in 2024, Soko took a 19-month hiatus from playing basketball due to ongoing injury struggles. During that break, he explored broadcasting by trying his hand at punditry and podcasting.
He has also turned down opportunities to return to reality television. Last year, Love Island All Stars executive producer Mike Spencer revealed that he wanted Soko to join the spin-off show, but Soko declined the offer.
Faith, Family, and Staying Grounded
Despite his social media fame and commercial opportunities, Soko relies on his Christian faith and family to remain grounded.
"I ask my mum. I go to my dad. I've got a big brother who I lean on for advice, I've got a group of friends that I bounce ideas off of and friends who will let me know if they think I've got it wrong in certain situations. And I pray," Soko told The Sun in 2021.
"Sometimes we try to be too smart as humans, and we don't have all the answers," Soko added. "Science doesn't know everything. Technology isn't 100 per cent perfect. I reach out to God, see what advice he can help me out with. I'm a Christian."
Soko noted that he aims to communicate principles that resonate with everyone. "I like to, when I'm giving answers to people, put it in a way everyone can take something from. I appreciate everyone might not share the same beliefs as myself, however, there's principles that can help everyone regardless of your beliefs," he said.
