The firing of the Buss brothers probably shifted Rob Pelinka’s scouting efforts into high gear. Unfortunately, that had a casualty. The Lakers upgraded Drew Timme from the G-League. But to make space for him on the roster, they cut Christian Koloko. That’s after they pursued the big man last year enthusiastically, an impressive pre-season, and filling in for Jaxson Hayes at the start of the season. Koloko might be familiar to Raptors fans but his sporadic appearances made him a near mystery to LakeShow. He’s on the way out but fans are still curious about where Christian Koloko is from.

Where is Christian Koloko from ?

Born on June 20, 2000, Christian Junior Koloko is a native of Douala, Cameroon. He grew up in the Central African country and attended Collège Libermann.

What is Christian Koloko’s Nationality and Ethnicity?

Christian Koloko is Cameroonian like Joel Embiid. He used to play football and basketball in his hometown. In 2017, he moved to the US and enrolled at Birmingham High School in Lake Balboa, California. He chose to play basketball in high school at a time when he didn’t know a word of English. But he is fluent in French, which may throw people off.

He transferred to Sierra Canyon in his senior year. Yeah, that Sierra Canyon where Bronny James went. But his time didn’t overlap with Koloko’s. Christian instead was teammates with Kenyon Martin Jr. and Scotty Pippen Jr.

As a four-star recruit, he got multiple college offers but picked Arizona. Koloko was a college phenom, even making Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, Pac-12 Most Improved Player, and first-team All-Pac-12. He showed as much promise when he entered the 2022 NBA draft. He however fell to the second round, selected 33rd by the Raptors.

Canada would be the third country he’d live in. But that was short-lived. His potential to be a franchise star ended with a life-threatening blood clot issue. He needed medical clearance to play even when he returned to LA. He was just getting started, but he’s now without a team again.

Is Christian Koloko Christian?

Koloko’s religious beliefs aren’t public information but he’s certainly spiritual. He’s made several Instagram posts about finding strength in God during his medical crisis and when he was signed by the Lakers.

To sign Drew Timme to a two-way contract, they had to clear one of the existing two-way spots they had. Koloko got cut over Chris Manon. He’s probably relying on the same spiritual strength now that he’s without a team again.