In Hermosillo, Mexico, mere steps from the city center, NBA draft hopeful and New Zealand Breakers star forward Karim López was captured on camera dribbling a basketball on his childhood court. A passerby, noticing the commotion, approached him as soon as the cameras ceased recording.
“You`re him, aren`t you?” she inquired.
López paused, offering a smile. The woman gasped, exclaiming in Spanish, “You`re that basketball player!” Clearly starstruck yet slightly uncertain of his exact identity, she conveyed her nervousness to the camera crew, explaining that his name was just out of reach.
López graciously posed for a selfie and signed an autograph, accepting this burgeoning level of recognition. At 6-foot-9, the 18-year-old is already an unmistakable figure, particularly in his native Hermosillo, Sonora, a city in northwest Mexico roughly 300 miles south of Phoenix.
After the camera crew packed up, a dozen or so onlookers quickly gathered, inspired by the initial interaction. More selfies and group photos followed, with some even producing basketballs for him to sign. As López posed, one man confidently declared to his wife that the teenager was “a big NBA star.”
Not quite yet, though.
Within months, López has the potential to fulfill that prophecy, becoming a recognized figure for millions of basketball enthusiasts across Mexico, the U.S., and globally. He is on the verge of becoming the first Mexican-born player selected in the NBA`s first round, joining an elite group of countrymen who have played in the league over nearly eight decades.
“I was born playing basketball; I like to say I had a ball in my hand since the day I was born,” López shared in Spanish during an interview discussing his journey for Hispanic Heritage Month.
López began his second — and likely final — season in Australia`s National Basketball League (NBL) in September. Over the coming months, NBA scouts will finalize their evaluations of his talent. Justin Tatum, coach for the Illawarra Hawks and father of Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, praised López`s advanced skills for his age and stature, noting his “instant impact” in the Australian league. The teenager`s playing style has even been likened to that of the iconic Julius Erving, “Dr. J.”
“His game is perfectly aligned with the demands of the contemporary NBA,” noted ESPN NBA draft analyst Jeremy Woo. “Franchises are always seeking tall perimeter players who possess the ability to pass, handle the ball, and shoot.”
A majority of mock drafts project López as a top-10 pick, a placement that would cement him as the highest-rated Mexican prospect in NBA history. Currently, Eduardo Najera, who played over 600 regular-season games across five NBA teams, remains the sole Mexican-born player ever drafted, selected 38th overall by the Houston Rockets in 2000.
A Life Shaped by Basketball
Basketball has been an omnipresent force in López`s life, even influencing the day of his birth. On April 12, 2007, the sport prevented his father from being present for his arrival, yet it would ultimately become their shared pathway to success.
“I wasn`t there when Karim was born,” recalled Jesús Hiram López, Karim`s father. “I was in my senior year of college, and I remember feeling anxious because my wife had been in labor for hours.”
Hiram was almost 1,500 miles away in Bolivar, Missouri, finishing his collegiate studies and basketball season for NCAA Division II`s Southwest Baptist. He remembers struggling to concentrate on his finals, eagerly awaiting news that his wife, Claudia Mondaca, and their newborn son were healthy. Claudia`s parents eventually delivered the good news, but it would be over a month before Hiram could meet Karim.
From then on, Hiram prioritized staying close to his family. He pursued a professional basketball career in Mexico, including several periods in Hermosillo, which frequently allowed Karim to accompany him to the court. The family cherishes memories of Karim, a mere toddler, sneaking onto the practice floor, initiating his lifelong connection with the sport under the gym`s glow.
“I would go with my dad to games and try to help him,” Karim recounted. “When both teams went into the locker room, I would head onto the court and shoot around.”
Hiram encouraged Karim to join youth leagues. Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora, is a region with a strong American sports influence, particularly in baseball and basketball, providing López with consistent competitive opportunities.
Following his father`s footsteps, Karim has represented the Mexican national team for several years, alongside fellow Sonoran players like Francisco Cruz, who plays in Turkey, and coach Omar Quintero. Despite his swift progress at a young age, an NBA future once seemed a distant fantasy. López`s youth coach, Alejandro Leyva, remembers a crucial turning point that launched the young athlete`s career.
“As a child, Karim wasn`t among our team`s elite players, which is important to acknowledge,” stated Leyva, who has coached youth basketball in Mexico for 17 years and grew up with Hiram in Hermosillo. “Karim is from a highly talented group of players in Sonora. He would excel in practice, but his performance didn`t always translate to actual games.”
At age 12, Leyva coached López at a Las Vegas youth tournament, observing a turning point in the young player`s development. A year later, video footage of López dunking went viral among Mexican basketball fans and media. Shortly thereafter, professional scouts began frequenting Hermosillo.
In 2022, at 14 years old, López received an offer from Spanish club Joventut Badalona, providing a direct path from their youth teams to their senior squad. The club is renowned for nurturing NBA talents like Rudy Fernandez and Ricky Rubio, a seasoned point guard with over a decade in the league across five franchises.
Following two successful seasons, clinching two titles with Joventut`s youth team, López made his professional debut during the 2023-24 season. By the end of that year, he had received an offer from the NBL`s Breakers.
Emerging Top-10 Prospect
Last December, Mondaca traveled from Mexico to Auckland, New Zealand, to join Hiram and Karim for Christmas. This marked their first reunion in several months, coinciding with the beginning of the NBL season. The López Mondaca family enjoyed less than two weeks together before Claudia and Karim`s younger sister returned home.
“I believe the constant travel is the challenging aspect of his career. However, I hope he embraces and adapts to it, as it`s become a family ritual,” Mondaca commented. “I once supported my husband`s professional journey, and now I do the same for my son.”
López has seamlessly adapted to the NBL. Through the league`s Next Stars program, which aims to attract and ready young prospects for the NBA as an alternative to college, López now stands alongside distinguished alumni. Notable former Next Stars include LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets), Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards), and Josh Giddey (Chicago Bulls), all of whom were top-six picks in their respective drafts.
After his impressive debut season with the Breakers, López appears set to follow in the footsteps of these NBA talents. Last season, he made history as the youngest NBL player to record a double-double, achieving 13 points and 10 rebounds against the Sydney Kings. In January, he surpassed the 20-point mark for the first time in a game against the South East Melbourne Phoenix.
“His accomplishments are remarkable, especially given the rarity of players from Mexico who have navigated this path,” Woo stated. “I believe a top-10 selection [in the 2026 draft] is a strong possibility.”
Even a casual fan watching López`s YouTube highlights can quickly grasp why Woo and other draft analysts hold him in such high regard. In his rookie season, López averaged 9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds in just 22.9 minutes per game. Despite his imposing height, he demonstrates point guard-like ball-handling skills, moving effortlessly past defenders. His extensive reach and wingspan frequently lead to highlight-reel defensive blocks and spectacular offensive dunks.
López readily admits that his shooting remains an area of development. Nevertheless, the teenager generally compares favorably to former NBA players in various aspects of his game.
Dreams and Realities
All indications suggest a first-round selection, a prospect López`s family and friends approach with cautious optimism. He occasionally permits himself to ponder this future, but quickly refocuses, shaking off any potential distractions.
“There are always those moments before sleep when you start contemplating what could be,” López remarked. “But I also try not to dwell on it too much, as it could become a distraction.”
If drafted, López would become only the fifth Mexican-born player to enter the NBA, a league actively working to engage its substantial fanbase of Mexican heritage, even with limited on-court representation from Mexico itself. Mexican American players like former Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson and current Miami Heat guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. have become popular figures, serving as ambassadors for the over 30 million NBA fans within Mexico.
López`s potential debut in the 2026-27 NBA season would undoubtedly be a significant boon for the league, catapulting him to unprecedented levels of fame as one of Mexico`s rare representatives in the sport.
For now, aside from small crowds in Hermosillo or during the NBL season in Auckland, López maintains a degree of anonymity. He describes this as a dual existence: remaining grounded and focused on immediate goals, while occasionally permitting himself to dream big.
“I hope LeBron is still playing if I make it to the NBA,” López expressed. “Anything can happen, but I hope he`s there so I can play either with or against my idol.”
He quickly reined in his thoughts.
“Ultimately, I`m not in the NBA yet,” he concluded. “I still need to work hard to reach that moment and achieve my dreams.”
