Khaman Maluach, a South Sudanese-born, Ugandan-raised NBA rookie, will play for the Phoenix Suns and earn billions of shillings over the next four seasons.

Maluach joins an elite group of African players in the NBA, following in the footsteps of legends like Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, the late great Dikembe Mutombo, and Houston Rockets icon Hakeem 'The Dream' Olajuwon.

He joins the Suns barely two weeks after Kevin Durant, one of the NBA's greatest stars, was traded to the Houston Rockets after a frustrating season, per ESPN. Interestingly, he was the No.10 pick that the Rockets sent to the Suns for Durant.

Still, Maluach will have the chance to play alongside All-Stars Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, while also learning from the skills of Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green.

On Thursday, June 26, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called Maluach's name at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, and he learned that the Rockets had drafted him. Ime Udoka's team sent the draft rights to the Sun.

As he stood on stage, tears of joy streamed down his cheeks while shaking Silver's hand. The emotional moment quickly went viral on social media.

“I just had emotions in the moment,” Maluach told Andscape. “I’m still flashing back. I’m still enjoying it because this is my day. I’m just excited and ready to go to work."

“I was just telling myself, ‘Thank you for being delusional in your dreams. So, stay true to yourself. Never change it.’ ”

Before he was drafted, Maluach made his name at the NBA Academy Africa and Basketball Africa League.

The 7-foot-2 rookie was born in South Sudan in September 2006. A civil war forced his family to flee to neighbouring Uganda, where he grew up.

Scouts discovered him and invited him to the NBA Africa Academy in Senegal, a place that would go on to transform his life.

By getting into the NBA Academy, the towering centre got a chance to travel the world and showcase their skills, including at the NBA All-Star Weekend.

He got a chance to play in the BAL (launched in 2021) with South Sudanese Cobra Sport, then played for Senegal AS Dounes, and then Uganda's City Oilers.

Now he will get to play in the biggest basketball league in the world and face legends like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Nikola Jokić.

The Dallas Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg with their No. 1 pick. He signed a four-year rookie deal and will pocket $62.7 million (approximately KSh 8 billion), per Forbes.

Maluach, who was the No.10 pick, will sign a four-year $27.4 million(approximately KSh 3.5 billion) deal. Maluach will earn $6 million (approximately KSh 776 million).

The last pick in the first round (No.30) will earn $14.1 million (approximately KSh 1.8 million).

In a related report, reported that the USA narrowly defeated South Sudan in an exhibition game before the Paris Olympics.

Carlik Jones had a triple-double for South Sudan but missed a potential game-winner after LeBron James put the USA up by one point.

The USA would beat South Sudan in their clash at the Paris Olympics but showed they can hang with the best.

Source: TUKO.co.ke