South Sudanese basketball player (born 2006)
Khaman Madit Maluach (born 14 September 2006) is a South Sudanese basketball player who currently plays for the NBA Academy Africa. Standing at 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m), he plays the center position. He is also a current member of the South Sudan national team, whom he joined at age of 16.
Khaman met a friend called Wal Deng who helped him reach for the stars
Early life and career
Born in Rumbek, South Sudan, Maluach grew up in neighbouring Uganda as a refugee with his siblings and mother. There, in 2019, he was encouraged to play basketball by a motorcyclist who had stopped down when he saw the tall Maluach walking along the road. He attended a local camp organised by Luol Deng and started playing basketball.[1] He later joined the NBA Academy Africa in Saly, Senegal, where basketball is combined with education.
Maluach played for South Sudanese professional team Cobra Sport in the 2022 BAL season, as part of the BAL Elevate program. Through this programme, one NBA Academy player was assigned to each BAL team.[2] He made his BAL debut on April 9 against defending champions Zamalek, scoring two points and recording two rebounds in seven minutes.[3]
In March 2023, Maluach played in his second BAL season after he was drafted by the AS Douanes, the defending Senegalese champions. The Douanes reached the final, in which Maluach started and contributed 2 points and 4 rebounds, as they lost to Al Ahly.[4]
He attended the 2023 Basketball Without Borders in Johannesburg, South Africa, and was named the camp's MVP.[5][6]
National team career
In August 2023, Maluach was selected for the South Sudan national team roster for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. At age 16, he was the youngest player on the Bright Stars' roster.[7] On 28 August, he made his debut in a victory against China, becoming the third-youngest player to appear in a World Cup game.[8] Maluach and South Sudan were the best-ranked African team in the tournament, and thus qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, another milestone in the national team’s history.
