Ooni of Ife bestows Yoruba name on NBA star Jaylen Brown

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, hosted NBA player Jaylen Brown at his palace in the historic city of Ile-Ife. During the visit, the traditional ruler bestowed upon the Boston Celtics star the traditional Yoruba name, ‘Babatunde’.

According to a statement from the palace, the name Babatunde translates to ‘the father has returned’ or ‘ancestor has returned’. The Ooni described the name as an ancestral identity intended to formally connect Brown with his Yoruba heritage and roots.

During the ceremony, the Ooni emphasized the historical and spiritual importance of Ile-Ife as the center of Yoruba civilization. He noted that slavery and forced migration historically separated families across the African diaspora and encouraged people of African descent to reconnect with their ancestral history and culture.