Khaman Maluach’s selection in the 2025 NBA Draft wasn’t just a moment for South Sudan — it was a proud day for Uganda, too.
At just 18, Maluach became the highest-drafted African player in NBA history when the Houston Rockets picked him 10th overall on Wednesday night.
While he was born in Rumbek, South Sudan, it was in Uganda where his basketball dream began — specifically in a refugee camp in Kawempe, on the outskirts of Kampala.
Ugandans who watched the NBA Draft on TV saw a young man who once walked the dusty streets of Kawempe overcome the odds and step onto basketball’s biggest stage.
Maluach moved to Uganda in 2013, fleeing the civil war in South Sudan. He lived with his family in a refugee settlement where basketball courts were few and far between.
But one day, a boda rider stopped him on the road and, impressed by his height, suggested he try basketball.
He eventually took the advice seriously after attending a basketball camp hosted by former NBA star Luol Deng in 2019. The tournament changed his life.
“I didn’t know anything about basketball,” Maluach once said, recalling how he used to walk 45 minutes to find a court in Kampala. “There were no facilities.”
Standing at 7-foot-2, he towered over his peers in Kawempe. That height, matched with hard work, earned him a place at the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal.
From there, his journey accelerated. In 2024, he joined Duke University in the US — one of the top college basketball programs.
And now, in 2025, he’s heading to the NBA.
Although the Rockets announced the pick, Maluach will suit up for the Phoenix Suns next season. His draft rights were traded earlier in a deal involving superstar Kevin Durant.
Maluach’s connection to Uganda runs deep.
Before the draft, he proudly opened his jacket to reveal flags from both Uganda and South Sudan stitched inside. After the ceremony, he said he’d send his draft hat back to Uganda — to the two coaches who first taught him the fundamentals of the game.
“My parents are still in Uganda,” he said. “They raised me right. I want to bring my mom to the US and change her life.”
Maluach’s story has become a source of inspiration for young players across Uganda.
Coaches, players, and fans are celebrating him not just as a South Sudanese success, but as a symbol of what’s possible for any child growing up in East Africa with a dream.
