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No. 10 – Los Angeles Lakers | |
---|---|
Position | Center |
League | NBA |
Personal information | |
Born | Douala, Cameroon | 20 June 2000
Listed height | 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) |
Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | |
College | Arizona (2019–2022) |
NBA draft | 2022: 2nd round, 33rd overall pick |
Selected by the Toronto Raptors | |
Playing career | 2022–present |
Career history | |
2022–2024 | Toronto Raptors |
2023 | →Raptors 905 |
2024–present | Los Angeles Lakers |
2024–present | →South Bay Lakers |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball Reference |
Christian Junior Koloko (born 20 June 2000) is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats. He was named first-team All-Pac-12 and was voted the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year after his junior season.
Koloko is a native of Douala, Cameroon and attended Collège Libermann in his hometown.[1] He grew up playing football and started playing basketball at age 12.[2] In 2017, Koloko moved to the United States to play basketball for Birmingham High School in Lake Balboa, California as a junior, despite not speaking English at first.[3] For his senior season, he transferred to Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California, where he was teammates with Cassius Stanley, Kenyon Martin Jr. and Scotty Pippen Jr.[4] Koloko helped his team claim its second straight Open Division state title.[2] A four-star recruit, he committed to playing college basketball for Arizona over offers from California, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Harvard and Princeton.[5]
As a freshman at Arizona, Koloko averaged 2.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.[6] In his sophomore season, he averaged 5.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.[7] On 21 November 2021, Koloko posted a career-high 22 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in an 80–62 win over fourth-ranked Michigan at the Roman Main Event title game, earning tournament MVP honors.[8] As a junior, he was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, Pac-12 Most Improved Player, and first-team All-Pac-12.[9]
On 18 April 2022, Koloko declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[10][11]
Koloko was selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors.[12] On 26 August 2022, Koloko signed a rookie-scale contract with the Raptors.[13] On 17 January 2024, Koloko was waived by the Raptors.[14] A day later, he was put into NBA's fitness-to-play panel due to discovering career-threatening blood clot issues, meaning no teams can claim waiver to sign him until he is medically cleared to play.[15]
On 16 September 2024, Koloko signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.[16]
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022–23 | Toronto | 58 | 19 | 13.8 | .480 | .083 | .627 | 2.9 | .5 | .4 | 1.0 | 3.1 |
Career | 58 | 19 | 13.8 | .480 | .083 | .627 | 2.9 | .5 | .4 | 1.0 | 3.1 |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019–20 | Arizona | 28 | 0 | 8.3 | .483 | .000 | .350 | 2.4 | .2 | .3 | .9 | 2.3 |
2020–21 | Arizona | 26 | 19 | 17.3 | .520 | .000 | .625 | 4.8 | .3 | .5 | 1.3 | 5.3 |
2021–22 | Arizona | 37 | 37 | 25.4 | .635 | .000 | .735 | 7.3 | 1.4 | .8 | 2.8 | 12.6 |
Career | 91 | 56 | 17.9 | .590 | .000 | .670 | 5.1 | .7 | .5 | 1.8 | 7.3 |