Meet the 7ft 2in teenage Olympian set for the NBA

When you are 7ft 2in tall it is pretty tough to keep a low profile but for Khaman Maluach it is likely to get even harder over the next 12 months.

The 17-year-old basketball phenomenon, who is competing for South Sudan at the Olympics, is expected to be one of the hottest properties in next year’s National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft, with a host of teams already said to be clamouring for his signature.

Maluach continues to show rapid growth in his game, but there is a lot more to the teenager’s remarkable story than his abilities on the court.

“Basketball means a big thing to me. I believe it’s a gift God gave me to impact other people’s lives and to change my family’s life,” he told BBC Sport Africa.

“The orange ball has taken me so far.”

Born in 2006, his family fled to neighbouring Uganda to escape the long-running conflict which eventually led to South Sudan gaining independence from Sudan in 2011.

Maluach was raised in Kawempe, a town on the outskirts of the Ugandan capital Kampala which is home to many disadvantaged communities.

He spent most of his time with his mother, six siblings and relatives from his mother’s side since his father was mainly in South Sudan.

He was first encouraged to play basketball after a chance encounter on the side of the road while walking back from school.

“A guy was on a bike and he suddenly stopped in front of me,” Maluach recalled.

“He told me ‘’You should start playing basketball. I can get you shoes, I can get you the ball’ if I started playing right away.”

Maluach’s closest public basketball court was a one-hour walk from his home, and it was often packed.

Yet the distance was not the only thing threatening his daily games. Scarcity of basketballs and a lack of shoes was a big concern – with Maluach already a size 14 by the age of 13.

He was forced to play his first game in a pair of Crocs, but made an immediate impression on local coaches Wal Deng and Aketch Garang.

“The first time I saw Khaman, I saw so much potential,” Deng told BBC Sport Africa.

“I knew he was going to develop and become a better player. He learned so quick. I told Aketch that this kid will be the next big thing.”

In 2021, just a year after he started playing basketball, Maluach was invited for a try-out by the NBA Academy Africa.

Maluach had taught himself several moves by watching YouTube videos, learning from two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and 2023 MVP Joel Embiid.

The fact that these two superstars have their roots in Africa inspired the centre to work even harder.

“Me and my brother would do this thing called a ‘night shift’,” Maluach explained.

“When it reaches 12 midnight, they [the telecommunications company], give you a lot of [mobile data] at a cheaper price. The whole time, I would watch those guys.

“I used to see Giannis’ jab step, and then with Joel I learned the shimmy. If they can make it there, I can make it there too.”

His hard work paid off, and coach Deng was among those who convinced him to take a scholarship with the NBA Academy Africa in Dakar, Senegal, although the move has meant personal sacrifices.

Maluach has not seen his family in Kawempe for the past two years while he concentrates on developing his game and his academic studies.

“The Academy has helped me grow in so many ways,” Maluach said.

“On the court, competing against the best talent on the continent kept me getting better all the time.

“One of the main reasons I took basketball to the next level is to get education. There was a time I spent two terms without going to school in Uganda.”

His brother Majok keeps up the ‘night shift’ tradition to keep track of his younger sibling.

“I like watching him on YouTube because if I watch him on TV, I get emotional,” he said.

Fast forward three years and Maluach is a projected third pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, becoming eligible after committing to playing college basketball for Duke in the USA.

Playing in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) has also been critical in the teenager’s development.

It has given him a chance to play against top talent from across the continent in pressurised situations since making his debut, aged just 15, for South Sudan’s Cobra Sport in 2022.

The following year he went all the way to the final with AS Douanes of Senegal, while earlier this year he featured for City Oilers of Uganda.

Away from the BAL, he won the MVP award at the 2023 Basketball Without Borders Africa event in Johannesburg where he was tutored by Miami Heat All-Star Bam Adebayo.

With his own place in the NBA on the horizon, Maluach has lofty goals to match his height.

“I want to be a Hall of Famer,” he said.

“That’s one of my long-term goals. Playing on the same court with Giannis and Joel Embiid.”

One man crucial to Maluach’s development into an international player has been Luol Deng, the former Chicago Bulls and Great Britain forward who was born in what is now South Sudan and grew up in London.

President of South Sudan’s basketball federation since 2019, the 39-year-old has been impressed with the professional demeanour and mental determination that Maluach has shown.

“With Khaman, I see a lot of myself in him,” he told BBC Sport Africa.

“I’ve been around a lot of players [and] noise will distract them and stop them from their greatness.

“For him, he wants it. He knows what it takes to achieve it, and that’s what makes him unique.”

Last year Maluach, then aged 16, helped South Sudan qualify for the Olympics for the first time via the Fiba World Cup.

He hopes the performances of the Bright Stars at Paris 2024 can inspire others on the African continent to realise their own potential.

“My long-term goal is putting Africa on the map, getting a lot of opportunities for kids because Africa has a lot of undiscovered talent,” he said.

“All they need is an opportunity and a chance.

“I believe kids in my country are motivated and this Olympic thing is going to bring all of us together.”