Daniel Akin

Daniel "Dan" Akin (pronounced Ah-kin, born 16 June 1998) is a British professional basketball player for Kolossos Rodou of the Greek Basketball League.

Early life Akin had been active in several different sports as he competed internationally in team handball and was ranked third in England in the high jump. His fascination with basketball grew when he watched it at the 2012 London Olympics. He also hit a growth spurt and a physical education teacher made sure he found his way to the basketball court.

Later, he won the British Division 1 men's title and Elite Academy Basketball League (EABL) final's MVP with Barking Abbey. Akin was an integral part of the 2020–21 UMBC Retrievers team as they chased down a 14–6 record, going 10–4 in the America East and earning a share of the regular-season crown.

On 22 June 2024, he signed with Darüşşafaka of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL).

On September 4, 2024, he signed with Scafati Basket of the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA).

On July 7, 2025, he signed with Kolossos Rodou of the Greek Basketball League (GBL).

National team He represented England's national under-18 team and Great Britain's national under-18 team.

Playing style Akin does a lot of the “dirty work” around the basket. His UMBC coach Odom said: “Dan’s the best athlete on the team. He’s a great rebounder, a guy that really gets your attention inside when he catches the ball. If you don’t get bodies around him he has the quickness to get right around you. Defensively, he’s really versatile. He can guard one through five.”