Obi Toppin is an American professional basketball player who plays as a power forward for the Indiana Pacers in the NBA. Born on March 4, 1998, in Brooklyn, New York, he stands 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds.
Early Life and Education
Toppin spent his early years in Brooklyn before relocating to Florida, where he attended Heritage High School in Palm Bay and later Melbourne Central Catholic High School in Melbourne. He moved back to New York to enroll at Ossining High School for his junior year, averaging 20.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals per game as a senior.
After high school, he played a postgraduate year at Mt. Zion Preparatory School in Baltimore, Maryland, where he averaged 17 points, eight rebounds, and four assists per game. He committed to the University of Dayton, where he played college basketball for the Dayton Flyers.
College Career
During his sophomore year at Dayton, Toppin earned several prestigious honors, including National Player of the Year awards from the Naismith Trophy, NABC, and Associated Press. He was also named a consensus first-team All-American and received the Karl Malone Award as the nation’s top power forward.
Professional Career
Toppin was selected by the New York Knicks with the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. After three seasons with the Knicks, he signed a four-year, $58 million contract with the Indiana Pacers in July 2024.
Recent Performance
On March 18, 2025, Toppin scored 34 points, including a decisive 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left in overtime, leading the Pacers to a 132-130 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the following game on March 22, he contributed 10 points and grabbed five rebounds in a 108-103 win against the Brooklyn Nets.
Personal Life
Toppin’s mother, Roni, is of Italian and Jewish descent, while his father, Obadiah Sr., is of Barbadian descent and was known as a streetball player in Brooklyn. His younger brother, Jacob Toppin, is also a professional basketball player who has played for the Rhode Island Rams and the Kentucky Wildcats.