J.M. Ezeilo

James M. Ezeilo

Data Engineer & Sports Analytics Developer

I'm a passionate data engineer (slash scientist, slash analyst) and basketball enthusiast with the goal of bringing more context to the game of basketball through HooperLabs. With a background in data and development, I've created a platform that transforms raw basketball statistics into more meaningful insights through advanced analytics.

As someone who has always been fascinated by the quantitative aspects of basketball, I found myself constantly seeking deeper insights beyond traditional box scores. This curiosity led me to develop HooperLabs as a comprehensive ecosystem of basketball analytics tools that bridge the gap between raw data and actionable intelligence.

My goal with HooperLabs is to democratize advanced basketball analytics, making sophisticated metrics and insights accessible to fans, analysts, and decision-makers without requiring deep technical knowledge. Each tool in the HooperLabs ecosystem is designed to answer specific questions about player performance, team dynamics, and contract valuations that go beyond traditional statistics.

My Journey

The path that led to creating HooperLabs and merging my passion for basketball with data analytics.

Early Basketball Passion

2004-2020

Developed a deep passion for basketball, studying the game beyond just watching highlights. Began analyzing player performances and team strategies through available statistics.

Information Technology Education

2020-2025

Pursued a degree in Information Technology with a focus on data analytics. Started exploring ways to combine technical skills with basketball knowledge.

Data Engineering Experience

2022-2024

Worked professionally as an automation developer, building ETL pipelines and database architectures. Gained expertise in data scraping, cleaning, and storage solutions. Also met my mentor who began teaching me advanced Python and data engineering.

Web App Development

2023-2025

Built and launched multiple basketball analytics web applications, now powered by HooperData, focusing on player comparisons, contract analysis, and advanced metrics.

HooperData Creation

2025

Developed the foundation of each project on HooperLabs with the creation of HooperData, a comprehensive basketball database with automated scraping and processing capabilities.

HooperLabs Launch

2025-Present

Fully launched the HooperLabs ecosystem, unifying all analytics tools under one platform and continuously adding new features and insights based on user feedback.

Skills & Expertise

The technical and basketball knowledge that powers HooperLabs.

Data Engineering

  • ETL Pipeline Development
  • Database Architecture
  • Data Scraping & Cleaning
  • PostgreSQL & SQL Optimization
  • Automated Data Processing

Web Development

  • Flask Framework
  • Frontend (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
  • Responsive Design
  • NGINX & Server Configuration
  • Web Application Deployment

Data Science

  • Statistical Analysis
  • Pandas & NumPy
  • Data Visualization
  • Machine Learning Basics

Basketball Analytics

  • Advanced Statistical Metrics
  • Player Performance Evaluation
  • Contract & Salary Analysis
  • Player Comparison Methodology
  • Team Composition Insights

Special Thanks

Alex Narayan

I'd like to express my deepest gratitude to my mentor, Alex Narayan, for his invaluable guidance, unwavering support, and belief in my ability to grow as an engineer/developer. His expertise and encouragement have been instrumental in bringing each and every project featured on HooperLabs from concept to reality. This journey would not have been possible without his mentorship.