As the basketball world gears up for the highly anticipated NBA draft, featuring possibly the most hyped NBA player of all-time in 7 foot 5 alien Victor Wembanyama, and 6’2 phenom Scoot Henderson who would go #1 overall in any draft if it wasn’t for Wemby. One name remains relatively unknown among fans alike. Standing at 6 feet 10 inches tall, Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu possesses an astounding 48 inches vert. This combination of size and athleticism has never been seen before. Despite the surprising lack of attention, Kao seriously has potential to be a future NBA superstar.

His basketball journey began as a 13-year-old in Lagos, Nigeria, just before he moved to the United States. As a tall but clumsy and uncoordinated high school student standing at 6'6", Kao didn't get many chances to play. Unfortunately, his dreams of playing professionally were shattered when he suffered a Jones fracture in his foot during a pickup game in the offseason.

But fate had something else in store for him. A fortunate meeting occurred when his brother crossed paths with Mike Schmitz, who would later become the trailblazers assistant general manager.
The insane athleticism showcased in the iPhone video, which his brother shared with Schmitz, proved to be just as impressive at the college level. The video showing Kao touching the rim with his shoulder, blocking opponents' shots and catching passes thrown from various angles. This unexpected connection eventually opened a door for him to join the varsity team at UT Arlington as a walk-on player. Kao quickly progressed from being a redshirt freshman to becoming a consistent starter, playing significant minutes for his team throughout his first and second years averaging 3.4 points, and 5.7 rebounds… oh yeah and 3.3 BLOCKS!! We are witnessing a more athletic version of Anthony Davis, seriously.

In June 2022, the Memphis Tigers added Kaodirichi for his defensive abilities. And he certainly did not disappoint, this season, Kao averaged 2 BLOCKS PER GAME with only 10 MINUTES PER GAME. But, looking at the rest of his stats 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds per game may not seem great, and it’s not, his offensive side is quite lacklustre and is more of a lob threat than anything.

He was a solid shooter at the free-throw line, making 23 out of 31 attempts in his career, giving him an average of 74.2% which is fairly good for a big man. Although he didn't get many chances to shoot free throws because he mainly focused on catching lob passes, he was skilled enough that opposing teams couldn't deliberately foul him to disrupt his team's offense, like what they used to do to Shaq. If he continues to improve as a player who can finish at the rim and create space on the court, his value and potential for success at the professional level will only grow.
So, as the curtain falls on this chapter, we eagerly await the next, where Kao will step onto the grand stage of the NBA as a giant among giants, ready to leave a mark on the game. The legend of Kao is just beginning, and we have front-row seats.

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