Khaman Maluach feels ‘blessed' to be in NBA, adjusting to ‘new game'
If there were ever doubts on whether Khaman Maluach's game would translate to the NBA, some of that was erased after a solid debut in the NBA Summer League.
The Phoenix Suns took care of business against the Washington Wizards, winning in a rout, 103-84.
Maluach put up respectable numbers, scoring 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting, while adding five rebounds and a couple of swats — an encouraging performance from a kid who carries an entire nation on his back.
Maluach is a 7-foot-2, 18-year-old hailing from South Sudan.
When conflict broke out in his home country, a young Maluach moved to the neighboring country of Uganda, where he picked up the game of basketball. From there, he found his way to the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal to Duke University in the US NCAA and now, all the way to the NBA.
Along the way, he's even been to the Philippines, making appearances for South Sudan in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, and to Paris in 2024 for the Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament.
Maluach's journey to the NBA comes with a ton of pressure, but he was unfazed, even if he did admit he had a period adjustment on the court.
'Excited to be out there especially with this group of guys. I had to figure everything out. It's a new game, it's a new style. It's a professional game. It's different from college. I'm still figuring everything out,' he said in a post-game interview.
From the start, he was matched up with second-year center and last year's number 2 pick, Alex Sarr.
There were parts of the game where Maluach was outplayed by Sarr, one of the NBA's leading shot blockers last season even as a rookie. But Maluach responded well.
Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Khaman Maluach stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the tenth pick by the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Photo: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
'It's different spacing and it's really quick decision. You have a split-second to make a decision,' he candidly answered to the reporters.
One aspect he's been working on is his outside shooting — an area he didn't get to explore much in his only year with Duke, as he was used more as a lob threat.
During the entirety of the NCAA season, in fact, he only shot 16 threes and made four of them. So unsurprisingly, he struggled from three-point range in this one, and only shot one out of six.
'Shots didn't fall at the beginning of the game. I can't control that. I can't control missed shots, so I didn't think about it much, I just kept on shooting.'
That's all part of his gleaming potential as he looks to expand his game in the NBA.
It wasn't a perfect first appearance, but one that will definitely leave fans wanting for more.
But for the young rookie, he's just relishing the realization of his NBA dream.
'It's a proud moment for me, I feel blessed to be able to step on an NBA floor.'
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
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