Mojave King

Mojave King's Biography

Mojave King, a New Zealand-American professional basketball player, carries an international and varied background that not only glorifies his game but showcases his diverse lineage. King was born on 11 June 2002 in Dunedin, New Zealand, and interestingly, his name traces its roots to the Mojave Desert in the southwestern United States. He currently plies his trade with the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).

Beginning his life journey from Dunedin, King moved across the globe to Mackay, Queensland, in 2007 when his family decided to accompany his father in his professional endeavours. His father accepted a coaching position with the Mackay Meteors, a team in Australia’s semi-professional Queensland Basketball League (QBL), and thus sparked King’s early exposure to quality basketball. The family’s relocation to Brisbane in 2011 further prepped the budding player since his father became a coach for the Brisbane Spartans in the South East Australian Basketball League. During this period, King received his educational grounding from the Brisbane State High School.

In 2018, King began to give definite shape to his burgeoning basketball career, participating in a game in the QBL for the Brisbane Capitals. The following year saw him stepping into the corridors of the NBA Global Academy at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. As an extended part of his association with the academy, King competed for the BA Centre of Excellence in the NBL1, a semi-professional Australian basketball league.

He further demonstrated his promising potential by representing Queensland South at the Australian Under-18 Championships in 2019, where he led the competition in scoring with an average of 26.6 points per game. His participation in the NBA Academy Games in Atlanta, Georgia, was decorated with an incredible average of 19.2 points per game, the tournament’s highest.

King’s aspirations soon saw him gaining professional traction as he joined the Cairns Taipans of the National Basketball League as a part of the league’s Next Stars program at the tender age of 17 in 2020. The program was designed to painstakingly craft future NBA draft prospects. During his tenure at Cairns Taipans, he performed solidly, averaging 6.2 points and 2.4 rebounds over the 2020-2021 season.

In July 2021, he bid adieu to Cairns Taipans and became a part of the Adelaide 36ers, where he spent the final year of his Next Stars contract. King’s journey then led him back to his home country, where he signed with the Southland Sharks for the 2022 New Zealand NBL season. His rise continued at a substantial pace as he later joined the NBA G League Ignite in September 2022. The same season saw him being named to the G League’s inaugural Next Up Game.

The year 2023 brought King some significant career milestones. He was picked 47th in the NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, though his draft rights were instantly traded to the Indiana Pacers. His selection made him only the third New Zealand-born player to be drafted into the NBA, following the illustrious footsteps of Sean Marks and Steven Adams.

King continued his quest for growth by joining the Indiana Mad Ants, the Pacers’ NBA G League affiliate, in October 2023. He played in 15 games during the 2023-24 NBA G League season and averaged 3.9 points in 8.9 minutes per game. His commendable performance
led to a contract with the New Zealand Breakers for the 2024–25 NBL season.

King’s life off the basketball court is as colourful as it is on it. He is the son of Leonard and Tracey King. His father, originally from the United States, played and coached basketball in New Zealand and Australia. His New Zealand-native mother played NCAA basketball for Duquesne. King’s sister, Tylah, has also played for Pacific in the NCAA, and their maternal grandfather, John Paul, coached basketball in Otago for over 50 years, becoming a legendary figure in regional basketball circuits.

King holds dual citizenship for New Zealand and the United States; however, as of 2019, he does not possess an Australian passport. He has, however, expressed intentions to represent the Australian national team in the future.