Cameroon’s Ulrich Chomche, a standout from the NBA Academy Africa in Saly, Senegal, was chosen 57th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2024 NBA Draft. This selection makes him the first prospect from NBA Academy Africa to be drafted into the NBA.
Read Also: NBA Opens Office in Nairobi
Toronto Raptors then made its third selection after a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies via the Minnesota Timberwolves to finally acquire Chomche. Overall, this was Toronto’s fourth selection in the two-day Drafting process.
Chomche’s draft marks him as the first player from any of the league’s NBA Academies in Senegal, Mexico, and Australia to be directly drafted. He also becomes the first player to be drafted after participating in the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
Chomche is a 6 feet 11 inches, 225-pound centre, and Toronto aims to shape this young African into a proficient NBA star.
The Cameroonian played only three games in the Basketball Africa League and averaged 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and one block.
Standing at 6-foot-10, he is projected to be a traditional rim-running, shot-blocking big man. The Raptors have only two Centers, Jakob Poeltl (28) and Kelly Olynyk (33), on the roster. Therefore, having a young player in the frontcourt for development is a significant advantage.
Chomche joins a distinguished group of Cameroonian players in the NBA, following in the footsteps of Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje (50th overall in 2001), Luc Mbah a Moute (37th overall in 2008), Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers (third overall in 2014), Pascal Siakam of the Indiana Pacers (27th overall in 2016), Christian Koloko (33rd overall in 2022), and Yves Missi (21st overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2024). This draft also marks the first instance of two Cameroonian players being selected in the same NBA Draft.
The Cameroonian athlete began his journey with NBA Academy Africa in 2019 at the age of 14. During his tenure at the academy, he competed in numerous prestigious international competitions and showcases. These included NBA Academy exhibition games at the NBA G League Showcase (2021-23), The Tarkanian Classic (2021-23), NBA Academy Games (2022-23), and the Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global Camp (2023), as well as BWB Africa (2022).
While at NBA Academy Africa, Chomche also took part in the BAL Elevate program, representing Rwanda Energy Group (REG) in 2023 and Cameroon’s Forces Armées et Police (FAP) in 2022. Moreover, he played for Cameroon’s national team in the 2023 FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament and represented the World Team at the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon last April.
