KZ Okpala began playing basketball at 4 years old, and by 11, knew he wanted to pursue a career as a professional athlete. So, it is no surprise that the 6-foot-8 power forward finds himself vying for a spot on the Sacramento Kings roster headed into the 2022-23 season.
The California native attended Anaheim’s Esperanza High School and joined the basketball team’s starting lineup as a sophomore. Okpala averaged 23 points and eight rebounds per game as a junior, leading his high school to a conference title and was named the Crestview League Player of the Year.
Okpala showed marked improvement during his senior season, averaging 30 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks per game in his final year of high school, including a 46-point record setting outburst.
On his way out of Esperanza, he led the squad to its first California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division II championship, scoring 22 points throughout the game. Because of this, he earned another Crestview League Player of the Year award and played in the Ballislife All-American Game.
In 2016, he committed to playing basketball at Stanford University. He averaged 10 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game in his freshman season. As a sophomore, he was recognized as the Pac-12 Conference player of the week, and after a successful season, decided to forgo his final two years at Stanford and declare for the NBA draft in 2019.
Okpala was initially drafted by the Phoenix Suns but was soon traded to the Miami Heat in 2019. Then, in 2020, he was selected by Nigeria to play in the Tokyo Olympics under current Kings head coach Mike Brown.
He eventually signed with the Sacramento Kings in 2022, where he hopes his lockdown defense and high energy earn him a spot on the final roster.