“In the 10th pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets chose Kamanmaruach,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced at the highly anticipated draft night of the world's most popular basketball league in New York.
“From Rambeck, Sudan, South Sudan, from NBA Academy Africa in Senegal and Duke (University)” Silver was added as the camera was cut into an emotional Mallach.
The 18-year-old eventually wiped away tears and stood up to high five from his nearest circle before walking to the stage to pick up his draft hat.
Clips from the moving scene were quickly shared on social media, with one fan saying, “Khaman Maluach's reaction to being drafted is everything about the sport.”
The young player concluded his incredible journey from Africa's refugee camps to the highest stages of basketball, and he said it was a day he would never forget in his life.
Everything you need to know about Mallach:
Who is Khaman Maluach?
Born in Rambeck, a city in the heart of South Sudan on September 14, 2006, Mallach moved to nearby Uganda after the outbreak of the Civil War in his home country in 2013.
In Uganda, he grew up in a refugee camp in Kawenpe, an area outside the capital, Kampala.
When and how did Haman Maulach start playing basketball?
Mallach picked up basketball at the age of 13. The push to the game came from an unexpected source, when he saw Marhach walking down the Ugandan path, offering unfulfilled but prophetic advice.
“He recalls, 'Yeah, you have to start playing basketball. In three or four years, you'll be that taller,'” Marhach recalled in 2023 when he spoke to the Olympic Games website.
After taking part in a local championship hosted by South Sudan's Basketball Grelle Olden in 2019, the soft talker began playing seriously.
“I didn't know basketball for a long time due to a lack of facilities (in Uganda),” he told basketball website Pro Insight in 2023.
“That's not true. I had to walk at least 45 minutes to play basketball.”
How tall is Khaman Maluach?
At a height of 7 feet 2 (218 cm), Maluaha stood out among boys of his age in the hometown of his adopted son Kawenpe in Uganda.
“When I went to the Deng tournament, I saw my height and felt like I belonged (on the basketball court),” Maluach said in an interview.
Will Mallach go to the NBA?
Mallach realized his long-term dream of playing in the NBA when he was selected in Wednesday's draft.
“(It was) paranoid about my dreams and I believed that one day I would arrive in the NBA. Now I've been drafted here.
Mallach, a proud African, says that when he sees children on his continent inspired by his story, he will keep him moving.
“I tell them it's not rocket science, it's not crazy (to play in the NBA).
“Sometimes, they're paranoid about your dreams and they can happen.”
He is the most drafted former NBA Academy Africa player to date.
How did Mallach go to the NBA from South Sudan?
Mallach was selected to Senegale's NBA Academy Africa in 2021, where he worked hard to hone his basketball skills and add muscle to the thin frame.
He believes the academy has placed him on the path to success.
“They led me, put me in the right place and allowed me to succeed,” Malhach told ESPN a day before the NBA Draft.
In 2024 he headed to the US after signing with one of Duke University's country's top college basketball programs.
Which NBA teams will play Mallach?
Mallach's pick was announced by the Houston Rockets on draft night, but he will play for the Phoenix Suns in his NBA rookie season as his draft rights were already trading with the Arizona club in trades involving superstar Kevin Durant earlier in the week.
The Phoenix failed to qualify for the 2024-25 NBA playoffs after finishing with a 36-46 regular season record.
What did Mallach say after the draft?
“It's a very special moment for me (it's chosen),” he said while crying right after the draft.
“I was very happy, my family was there with me and started taking my head coach and my circle around me.
Mallach spoke with embarrassment and great pride about his African background.
“I represent the entire African continent here,” he said.
Before the show, the smiling Mallach showed off the inside of her jacket.
“Living in Africa, I put the entire continent on my back, giving hope to young children and inspire them and the next generation of African basketball players.”
Mallach said he would send his draft hat back to Africa.
“We'll send it to two coaches who showed us the basics of Ugandan basketball.”
Khaman Maluach:
Born in South Sudan
Growing up in Uganda ☑
Standing tall all over the continent 🌍 #nbadraft pic.twitter.com/uzmcwzdhyv– NBA Africa (@NBA_AFRICA) June 26, 2025
Where is Kaman Mallach's family?
Mallach had seen his parents watch the NBA Draft in Uganda, but some of his family members surrounded him when his name was announced.
He later thanked his parents for making him a “good young man.”
“I want to thank them for raising me the way they raised me – the right way – and show me the good value of life.”
In a previous interview, Mallach said he wanted to change her mother's life by taking her to the US.
Did Kaman Mallach play in South Sudan?
Mallach was the youngest player in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 when he represented his hometown of South Sudan in the Philippine tournament.
He was also part of their team at the 2024 Parisiolmpics.
Will Trump's “African Visa ban” affect Kaman Maluaha?
When the US government canceled all existing visas issued to South Sudan passport holders and banned further entry of national citizens due to the failed deportation incident in April, it marked a escalation of a sweep for immigrants in the Trump administration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denounced African countries' transitional governments for lack of “full cooperation,” and South Sudan has accused Washington of “utilizing” the move. This was the first such blanket sanction in any country since President Donald Trump took office.
At the time of the announcement, Mallach was still in Duke on a student visa and said the university “knows the announcement.”
However, his expected move to the NBA will likely change Maluach's Visa category, which could lead to obstacles for his team, the Phoenix Suns.
Which rank does South Sudan basketball rank?
African countries rank 23rd in the FIBA rankings, but are the top-ranked teams on the continent.
Why is South Sudan so good at basketball?
In addition to being the youngest country at the FIBA World Cup 2023, South Sudan became the only African team to directly qualify for the Parisiolmaster in 2024.
The players' resilience and hard work have been recognized for their success, according to Royal Ivy, the team's head coach.
“They know how to work, they moved on, they fought during the day, they went out during the day, we came here for the effort and sweat we put in every day,” the Brightstars coach said at the World Cup.
Deng, a former two-time NBA All-Star, took over as president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation in 2019, recruiting South Sudan players from the diaspora and coaching the team for a short time.
South Sudan's leading scorer, Chicago Bulls' Carrick Jones, believes Den is one of the main reasons for developing the game in a conflict-heavy country.
“He's giving back to developing the game. He's helping out with things on the court and things off the court,” Jones told Al Jazeera in 2023.
