From Refugee to NBA Star: 7’2″ Khaman Maluach Drafted Top 10 After Life-Changing Moment on a Ugandan Street
In one of the most remarkable stories of the 2025 NBA Draft, 7-foot-2 South Sudanese center Khaman Maluach has officially been selected in the top 10, capping off a journey that began not in a basketball gym—but on a street in Uganda, where fate changed the trajectory of his life forever.
Born in war-torn South Sudan, Maluach’s early years were shaped by instability, conflict, and displacement. Like millions of others, his family fled their home in search of safety, eventually settling in a refugee camp in Uganda. It was there, amid hardship and uncertainty, that the seeds of an extraordinary basketball career were first planted.
At age 12, while walking the streets of Kampala, Uganda’s capital, Maluach caught the eye of a local basketball coach who noticed his towering frame. That chance encounter proved pivotal. The coach introduced him to Giants of Africa, a basketball development program founded by Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri, which aims to use the sport to empower youth across the continent.
Maluach’s talent blossomed almost instantly. Within just a few years, he was dominating competition at the elite NBA Academy Africa in Senegal, an initiative designed to identify and nurture top basketball prospects across the continent. Coaches marveled not just at his height, but at his agility, coordination, and work ethic.
By age 17, Maluach was a standout on the international stage. He played for South Sudan’s national team, becoming one of the youngest players ever to appear in the FIBA World Cup. His shot-blocking, rebounding, and rim-running turned heads globally. More impressively, he carried himself with humility and purpose, often speaking about using basketball to uplift communities like the one he came from.
Now, just a few years after living in a refugee camp, Maluach has reached the NBA—a dream come true not just for him, but for a nation and a continent that sees him as a beacon of hope. Selected in the top 10 of the 2025 NBA Draft, his name was announced to thunderous applause, as tears welled up in the eyes of his family and supporters.
“This is more than basketball,” Maluach said after his selection. “This is for every child who thinks their circumstances define them. I’m proof that with faith, support, and hard work, anything is possible.”
Analysts project Maluach to be a defensive anchor and long-term project with All-Star upside. Teams were enamored with his ability to switch on defense, protect the rim, and finish above the rim with ease.
Beyond the hardwood, Maluach has already started giving back. He’s expressed a deep desire to build basketball infrastructure and education opportunities in South Sudan and Uganda, saying, “I want to be the one who comes back and makes sure the next me doesn’t need a miracle—they just need a court.”
From a Ugandan street to the NBA spotlight, Khaman Maluach’s story is one of resilience, destiny, and the transformative power of sport.
