As the Duke Blue Devils gear up for their Final Four clash with the Houston Cougars, most eyes are on Cooper Flagg, but the real X-factor might be the quiet force in the paint: Khaman Maluach.
The 7’2″ freshman center turned heads on March 29 when he dropped 14 points and controlled the paint in Duke’s 85-65 win over Alabama, helping secure the program’s 18th Final Four appearance. While Maluach’s rise has been nothing short of electric, fans are now asking, who is the young phenom behind the jersey? More importantly, who are the people who shaped his journey?
Before he suits up against Houston, here’s a closer look at the family that raised Maluach.
Khaman Maluach’s Upbringing and Family Structure
Maluach was born in 2006 in Rumbek, South Sudan, which is a region long affected by civil conflict. He grew up amid challenging circumstances where the sound of bouncing basketballs was often drowned out by political unrest. At a young age, Maluach and his family moved to Kawempe, which is a suburb of Kampala, Uganda, in search of safety and opportunity from a civil war.
“I actually don’t know the year I left South Sudan. … I don’t remember anything, moving to Uganda. All I know is that I grew up in Uganda,” Maluach told ESPN.
His father, Madit Maluach, remained in South Sudan due to work obligations, which meant Khaman spent much of his childhood without him. While little is publicly known about Madit, his absence reflects the difficult choices faced by many South Sudanese families during years of instability.
There’s also limited public information about Khaman’s mother, but one thing is clear: She held the family together. She raised seven children in Uganda and worked tirelessly to create a sense of stability and opportunity, even in tough conditions, while Madit remained in South Sudan.
Maluach’s Rise as a Basketball Player
In Uganda, Maluach grew up surrounded by a vibrant culture and a tight-knit community. Early on, he was drawn to soccer and rooted hard for Manchester United. It wasn’t until his teenage years that he found basketball, and it happened in a pretty unusual way.
“A guy was on a bike, and he suddenly stopped in front of me. 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 recalled to the BBC.
However, the road to success was not easy for him. The nearest basketball court from his house was nearly an hour away, and it was usually packed. Moreover, he played his first game in a pair of Crocs and not in basketball shoes. However, this dedication was enough to catch the eye of local coaches Wal Deng and Aketch Garang.
His talent carried him far beyond the crowded courts of Kawempe, earning him a spot at the NBA Academy Africa in Dakar, Senegal. In just a few short years, the boy who once played in worn-out Crocs has risen to become a projected top-three pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Even before his March Madness rise, he made an appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, leading the South Sudan team.
As the Blue Devils aim for the championship, Maluach is proving he’s not just part of the future but shaping the present. And behind every block, rebound, and dunk is a story of family, sacrifice, and unshakable determination.
