Khaman Maluach gained a brief grasp over the basketball world on Saturday afternoon when he and South Sudan nearly upset Team USA.
He put together some impressive highlights, a running dunk in the first quarter and a corner 3-pointer later on, but the biggest feather in his cap came during a quieter basket.
Midway through the second quarter, as South Sudan built a comfortable lead over the United States, Maluach got the ball with former NBA MVP Joel Embiid on him defensively. The future Blue Devil feinted to his right, a jab step to give him some space from Embiid, before burying a long mid-range shot over the Philadelphia 76ers star.
There’s a solid argument to make that Embiid, who took home the prestigious MVP honor just two seasons ago, is the best player on the American team. For a player like Maluach, a presumed 2025 lottery pick viewed as a project, to make a basket over such a professional star feels like a statement about his current ability.
Khaman Maluach vs. Embiid.
Winner: Khaman. The jumper 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/xQ0C1KsN9p
— Zion O. (@DukeNBA) July 20, 2024
Maluach also mentioned Embiid, along with Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo, as players he’s watched since he started playing basketball.