Karim Lopez makes buzz at NBA Draft night on Tuesday, June 23, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Lopez, 19, becomes the first Mexico-born player to be picked in the NBA Draft first round.
With a 6-foot and 8-inch height, he was selected with the No. 21 pick by the Detroit Pistons, but Memphis Grizzlies acquired his rights shortly after the trade.
In an interview after the draft pick, Lopez said, “This is super special, honestly, to be here. I’m blessed, and yeah, I mean no words.”
Lopez played in the last two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers, Australia’s top-tier National Basketball League.
Lopez spent an efficient last season, scoring 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds and hitting nearly half of his shots (49%) from the field in 25.6 minutes per game.
Who is Karim Lopez?
Lopez, 19, hails from Hermosilla, Mexico with a natural talent for the game.
He is the son of Jesús Hiram López, who was a pro basketball player for Mexico’s national team.
Though Lopez is not the first Latino player to play for the Golden State Warriors, previously Jian Toscano-Anderson, who has Mexican-American roots, appeared for the team from 2019 to 2023.
2026-06-24 11:39:00
