South Sudanese basketball prodigy Khaman Maluach made history on Wednesday night, becoming the first South Sudan-born player ever selected in the top 10 of the NBA Draft. Picked 10th overall by the Houston Rockets and immediately traded to the Phoenix Suns, the 18-year-old centre’s journey from refugee camps to NBA stardom marks a major milestone for African basketball. Born in South Sudan and raised in Uganda after fleeing civil conflict, Maluach only began playing basketball at 13. Within a year, he became the youngest recruit ever to join an NBA Academy, enrolling in the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal. His meteoric rise has inspired young athletes across the continent.
“It was emotional,” Maluach said at the draft held in Brooklyn, New York. “I represent the continent of Africa. Everything was just going through my head — my journey, my people, and how far we’ve come.” Standing 2.13 meters (7 feet) tall, Maluach played three years of professional basketball in the Basketball Africa League before joining Duke University, where he became the third Blue Devil in the 2025 draft to be selected in the top 10.
He joins an elite group of NBA Academy alumni to be selected in the first round and is expected to play a pivotal role in the Suns’ rebuilding plans. His selection not only underscores his personal achievement but also highlights the growing influence of African talent on the global basketball stage.
