Khaman Maluach steals the show at NBA Draft
18-year-old Duke center Khaman Maluach from South Sudan was picked 10th in the NBA draft. NBC News' Sam Brock reports on the emotional night for the basketball player who fought back tears as he hopes his improbable path inspires the next generation of African basketball.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Dallas Mavericks make history as white American is selected at No 1 in the NBA Draft for first time since 1977
In a move that comes as little surprise, Duke University freshman forward Cooper Flagg has been selected first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks won the lottery for the draft months ago, giving them the rights to select a generational talent in Flagg - making him the first white American to be taken first-overall in 48 years. It's hardly shocking that the Mavericks made this move. Flagg had been pegged as the top pick in this year's draft class ever since he re-classified to the Class of 2025 to join Duke a year early. Now, months after engineering one of the most earth-shattering trades in NBA history, Mavericks GM Nico Harrison didn't surprise anyone and went with the easy choice in Flagg. However, many NBA fans took issue with Dallas winning the lottery after owning such low odds - with one fan heard screaming 'Dallas was rigged!' on the ESPN broadcast. Flagg, a native of Newport, Maine, is the clearest-cut first-overall pick since Victor Wembanyama and the most obvious American first-overall pick since fellow Duke star Zion Williamson in 2019. In college, Flagg was named National Player of the Year, was a consensus first-team All-American, and led the Blue Devils to the Final Four. Yelling 'Dallas was rigged' at Adam Silver means he'll make sure it's never rigged for Dallas again — Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) June 26, 2025 Unfortunately for Flagg, he missed Duke's final shot of the game to blow a massive lead to Houston and failed to advance to the national title game. Months after that loss, the Mavericks won the lottery under dubious circumstances - with many conspiracy theories popping up after Dallas was victorious despite a 1.8 percent chance of taking the top pick. His arrival gives new hope to a Mavericks team and fanbase still reeling from the Luka Doncic trade back in February. Losing Doncic led to the Mavs missing out of the playoffs and many Dallas fans calling for Harrison to be fired. Now, Flagg will form an elite trio with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis. However, Irving's long-term future with the team remains up in the air as he's in talks with the team on a contract extension. Prior to the draft beginning, Flagg and other top prospects in the NBA Draft took to the red carpet - showing off their style on one of the league's biggest nights of the year. Flagg arrived in a dark navy suit paired with a white shirt, black tie, and an expensive looking watch. 2025 NBA Draft First-Round Selections 1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg, F, Duke 2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers 3. Philadelphia 76ers: VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor 4. Charlotte Hornets: Kon Knueppel, G, Duke 5. Utah Jazz: Ace Bailey, G/F, Rutgers 6. Washington Wizards: Tre Johnson, G, Texas 7. New Orleans Pelicans: Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma 8. Brooklyn Nets: Egor Demin, G, BYU 9. Toronto Raptors: Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina 10. Phoenix Suns (via HOU): Khaman Maluach, C, Duke 11. Portland Trail Blazers: Cedric Coward, G/F, Washington State (proposed trade to MEM) 12. Chicago Bulls: Noa Essengue, F, France 13. Atlanta Hawks: Derik Queen, C, Maryland (proposed trade to NO) 14. San Antonio Spurs: Carter Bryant, G/F, Arizona 15. Oklahoma City Thunder (via MIA): Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown 16. Memphis Grizzlies: Yang Hansen, C, China (proposed trade to POR) 17. Minnesota Timberwolves: Joan Beringer, C, France 18. Washington Wizards: Walter Clayton Jr, G, Florida (proposed trade to UTA) 19. Brooklyn Nets: Nolan Traore, G, France 20. Miami Heat: Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois 21. Utah Jazz: Will Riley, G/F, Illinois (proposed trade to WSH) 22. Atlanta Hawks: Drake Powell, G/F, North Carolina 23. New Orleans Pelicans: Asa Newell, F, Georgia (proposed trade to ATL) 24. Oklahoma City Thunder: Nique Clifford, F, Colorado State (proposed trade to SAC) 25. Orlando Magic: Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State 26. Brooklyn Nets: Ben Saraf, G, Israel 27. Brooklyn Nets: Danny Wolf, C, Michigan 28. Boston Celtics: Hugo Gonzalez, G/F, Spain 29. Phoenix Suns: Liam McNeeley, G/F, UConn (proposed trade to CHA) 30. Los Angeles Clippers: Yanic Konan Niederhauser, C, Penn State After taking interviews with reporters, he made his way inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to achieve his crowning moment in front of an international television audience. NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the official choice at 8:10pm ET, marking a new era in Mavericks basketball. Flagg, alongside his parents, put a Dallas cap on and walked on stage to meet his moment in front of a packed arena and likely millions watching around the world. Flagg's selection was obvious, but for months mock drafts projected a pair of Rutgers stars would follow behind him. Guard Dylan Harper had long been believed to be the second-overall pick, with teammate forward Ace Bailey right behind him at third overall. However, in the weeks leading up to the draft, questions surrounding Bailey began to pop up when he became the only American draft prospect to not take a meeting with any NBA teams. He cancelled a workout with the Philadelphia 76ers, the team with the third overall pick, leading many to wonder if the swingman may fall down the draft board - potentially in a manner similar to that of Shedeur Sanders in the NFL Draft. Harper, for what it's worth, did not have any surprises come his way - with the San Antonio Spurs selecting him second overall. While Rutgers did not make the NCAA Tournament, Harper's on-court play was phenomenal as he averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. An elite scorer ant two-way player, Harper showed bright spots throughout the season and was tabbed by many as the best guard in the draft class. As time ticked on, the tension built around Bailey's selection. His camp tabbed him as top-three pick, but this was his last chance to match those expectations. It never came. The 76ers, possibly put off by Bailey's bold choice, took the equally talented Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe with the third overall pick. Edgecombe overcame injury early in his freshman season at Baylor to drop 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists. But that meant shock and for Bailey, who was likely to not be taken by the Charlotte Hornets, the team with pick No. 4. With that pick, the Hornets took Flagg's Duke teammate Kon Knueppel - an elite and consistent shooting guard. Bailey's fall proved to only be small, with the Utah Jazz eventually selecting him fifth overall. Despite his blasé attitude toward meeting with teams, Bailey's ability is clear - averaging 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Rounding out the top-10, the Washington Wizards took star Texas freshman guard Tre Johnson sixth overall. After him, the Pelicans drafted Jeremiah Fears from Oklahoma - adding a ninth guard to their roster. The Brooklyn Nets had the first truly shocking pick of the night when they selected Egor Demin out of BYU. A Nets roster that already had solid starting guards in D'Angelo Russell and Cam Thomas decided to bulk their depth at that position rather than a position of need, like a big man. The last pick in the top ten was the first center of the night: Khaman Maluach, a fourth Duke freshman. He was picked by the Houston Rockets, but will be going to Phoenix as part of the trade for Kevin Durant. Throughout the evening, a number of trades were agreed upon which the NBA will later confirm after the draft ends. The Portland Trail Blazers traded down to the 16th pick, giving the Memphis Grizzlies pick No. 11. At 11, Memphis took Washington State swingman Cedric Coward. Portland then used that 16th pick to make the most surprising and controversial selection of the evening, when they took a project center in China's Yang Hansen - despite already having three centers on their roster, including the expiring contract of DeAndre Ayton and an All-Rookie Team selection in Donovan Clingan. Two picks later, the New Orleans Pelicans decided to trade up to the 13th pick and sent the Atlanta Hawks pick No. 22. New Orleans drafted Maryland center Derik Queen 13th, while Atlanta took Asa Newell at No. 23. Later in the night, the Washington Wizards moved down to pick No. 21 as the Utah Jazz jumped up to pick No. 18. The Jazz took Florida guard and Final Four Most Outstanding Player Walter Clayton Jr. Three selections later, the Wizards took Illinois swingman Will Riley. Meanwhile, Asa Newell (L) and Liam McNeeley (R) were some surprise names to fall down While Bailey's fall was a surprise, it wasn't as shocking as some other slides and selections. For starters, the Brooklyn Nets entered Thursday night with a whopping four first-round picks. Many experts believed they would trade away at least one of them. But instead, Brooklyn used all four. After picking Demin, they took French guard Nolan Traore at 19th overall, Israeli guard Ben Saraf at 26th, and Michigan big man Danny Wolf at 27. As for the biggest slides of the night, most mock drafts projected that Georgia forward Asa Newell and UConn wing Liam McNeeley would be selected somewhere with in the first 20 picks. Instead, Newell - mocked at No. 19 by ESPN - fell all the way down to No. 23 when he was picked by the New Orleans Pelicans (set to be traded to the Atlanta Hawks). Then there's McNeeley, whose camp didn't expect him to fall below No. 21 according to CBS's Matt Norlander. But McNeeley fell far - getting finally selected 29th overall by the Phoenix Suns, but will actually be going to the Charlotte Hornets. For the first time in years, the first and second rounds of the draft were not completed in the same night. Round 2 of the draft begins at 8:00pm ET on Thursday.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Cooper Flagg will go No 1 in the NBA draft. He also broke the Duke supervillain stereotype
The NBA draft takes place on Wednesday night, and Cooper Flagg – the phenom out of Maine – is the clearcut, consensus No 1 pick, held by the Dallas Mavericks. And it's not just his game that's earned him near-universal praise; it's the way he carries himself. In his freshman year at Duke, Flagg accomplished something remarkable: he became the first player in the last 25 years to tally 500 points, 100 assists, and 30 blocks in a single ACC regular season. He led the Blue Devils to both the ACC Championship and the Final Four, averaging 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. But stats alone don't capture the 18-year-old's impact. He was relentless on both ends of the floor – disruptive with cat-like reflexes, explosive with athleticism, and committed to the little things: diving for loose balls, celebrating teammates, talking trash, flexing after dunks, and scoring from anywhere on the court. Flagg dominated college basketball and has been universally praised all season, even by those who have historically hated everything Duke. The question is why? Why is Cooper Flagg embraced by all and not hated like most white Duke superstars? First, it's worth looking at WNBA phenom Caitlin Clark. There has been speculation that racial animosity and jealousy is at play due to the fact that Clark is excelling in the traditionally Black space of the WNBA. But there seems to be no accusations of backlash, jealousy or animosity against other elite white WNBA players such as Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, Kelsey Plum, Diana Taurasi, Sabrina Ionescu and Paige Bueckers. So what makes Clark different? One could argue it's less about her race and more about her demeanor. Take, for example, her recent game against the Connecticut Sun. When Jacy Sheldon told Clark, 'You can't do that,' Clark fired back with a defiant stare and snapped, 'I can do whatever the [expletive] I wanna do,' before shoving her. She's also been seen repeatedly yelling at referees – often without receiving a technical. Fox Sports' Nick Wright put it plainly: she 'picks fights, then plays the victim.' Podcaster Trysta Kick said on her show, that it 'kind of feels like Caitlin Clark is one more cheap shot away from becoming the villain everyone tried to make her out to be her rookie year. She's about to become the female Bane' These sentiments have brought an unfortunate cloud of resentment over the head of an incredibly talented player. Not for her color, but more for her exhibited attitude (in addition to the portion of her fanbase who use her to further their own bigotry and racism, something Clark has consistently pushed back on). Flagg, by contrast, has neither been used as a symbol of bigotry and hate, nor has he exhibited any of the on court demeanor of Clark. Even after a questionable over-the-back call against Houston in the Final Four of this year's NCAA Tournament – a moment that helped end Duke's season – he didn't pout or throw a tantrum. Sure, he looked frustrated, but he quickly moved on. This is part of what makes Flagg so admired. He's not just appreciated across fanbases; he's practically celebrated – something that's been historically unthinkable for many white Duke superstars. That distinction matters. Because very few people hated Duke stars such as Grant Hill, Elton Brand, Nolan Smith, Sheldon Williams, Paolo Banchero, Kyrie Irving, Quinn Cook, Carlos Boozer and Marvin Bagley III. But when it comes to many white Duke stars, the vitriol has been almost a rite of passage. Let's look at some of the most well known. Grayson Allen: The Dirty Player Allen gained a reputation for cheap shots and dirty play – most notably for tripping opponents multiple times. After each incident, he'd act surprised, as if it were accidental. But the pattern was undeniable. He earned a suspension – and widespread hate. Flagg though? No dirty play. No theatrics. Just hard-nosed basketball. JJ Redick: The Arrogant Sharpshooter Redick, who is now the head coach of the Lakers, was a sniper on the court and a lightning rod off it when he was at Duke. While his shooting wowed fans, his apparent arrogance and media overexposure rubbed many the wrong way. He seemed to enjoy playing the villain – embracing the boos rather than trying to win over the crowd. Flagg, again, is different. Confident but not cocky. Intense but not Ferry: The Smug Prodigy Ferry was a great player – but also the blueprint for the 'rich, smug, entitled Duke kid' archetype. He slapped the floor on defense, barked at refs, and carried the swagger of a country club brat. Think Topper or Rafe from Outer Banks – golf shirts tucked in, collar popped, dripping with entitlement. Flagg? A humble kid from Maine, couldn't be further from that Laettner: The Ultimate Villain Laettner was so hated that ESPN even made a documentary on the subject. I met Laettner when we became NBA teammates, and the first thing I said to him was that I grew up hating him. He laughed and said, 'Yeah, all the brothas hate me.' I said, 'No, all jokes aside, I always said if I ever met you, I was going to punch you in the face on sight.' In a flash, he replied: 'Well, if you still feel that way after two months, I'll give you a free shot.' Turns out, Laettner was one of the coolest cats on the team. Later, when we were traded to the Washington Wizards together, his locker was right next to mine and we talked all the time. He was the nicest guy. Got along with everyone in the locker room. Played hard every night. Mentored the young guys. Encouraged young guys who were having a difficult transition to the NBA as many did, including myself. When guys back home asked about who I liked on the team and I would include Laettner, they'd always stop me short. The Christian Laettner? Duke Christian Laettner? The preppy, privileged Christian Laettner even white people hate? 'Yup,' I would say, 'and everything we thought about him all these years is wrong.' But at Duke, he was the perfect villain. On the court, he stomped on Kentucky's Aminu Timberlake and got a slap on the wrist. He elbowed, bumped, and jawed his way to villainy – and yet he was never punished. That's what made him Laettner. He got away with it, like Duke always did, and then had the privilege of hitting the game-winning shot. Flagg though? He's just not the guy Laettner was perceived to be by many when he was at Duke. He's not dirty, arrogant, smug or elitist. He doesn't whine, throw tantrums when he doesn't get his way, he doesn't flop, doesn't bark at refs or exude white privilege. He just hoops. And he respects the game. And when his name is called with the first pick for the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night, there will be no hate, no eye rolls, no animosity, no boos, no: 'Oh I can't stand that white boy' there will be nothing but respect, and admiration for the player and the person he is. And that's not just about stats, that has just as much to do with his personality, his demeanor and how he carries himself. Etan Thomas played in the NBA from 2000 through 2011. He is a published poet, activist and motivational speaker
NBC News
5 hours ago
- NBC News
Khaman Maluach steals the show at NBA Draft
18-year-old Duke center Khaman Maluach from South Sudan was picked 10th in the NBA draft. NBC News' Sam Brock reports on the emotional night for the basketball player who fought back tears as he hopes his improbable path inspires the next generation of African basketball.
