'I’m So Excited to be Here' – Phoenix Suns Rookie Introduces Himself for the First Time

“I’m from South Sudan, I’m so excited to be here,” Maluach said. “So happy to be a part of this great culture… This is just the beginning for me. Thanks to everybody that has helped me to be in this position today. I’m so excited to do this journey with everybody right here.”

There’s a lot of excitement from the front office after they acquired the big man. According to the Phoenix Suns general manager, Brian Gregory, they couldn’t pass up the chance to use the No. 10 pick in drafting Maluach.

“When we saw the opportunity to do both, for us, we were like, ‘We have to do it.’” Gregory said about having both Maluach and Mark Williams. “We were very poor protecting the rim last year. Now you should be able to have a full game where there’s protection of the rim.”

The Phoenix Suns rookie met Devin Booker during the 2024 Olympics

Even before playing in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns center had the chance to represent his home country of South Sudan in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The team showed promise on the global stage, even if they didn’t finish the competition with a medal. Maluach was part of the roster for South Sudan, together with former NBA players Carlik Jones, JT Thor and Wenyen Gabriel.

During his time in France, he played against some of the best international players. Maluach also met Devin Booker, who suited up for Team USA and earned the gold medal. The big man said he interacted with the four-time All-Star while they were both out for dinner.

“I ran into him at the Olympics, he was at a dinner and I was at a dinner, too. I got to meet him there,” Maluach said. “He told me, ‘See you next year.’ But he was probably telling me like, see you next year in the NBA.”

Little did they know, they’d end up as teammates with the Phoenix Suns.