Karim López
| No. 1 – New Zealand Breakers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Forward |
| League | NBL |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 12 April 2007 Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 2024–present |
| Career history | |
| 2024 | Joventut Badalona |
| 2024–present | New Zealand Breakers |
Karim Hiram López Mondaca (born 12 April 2007) is a Mexican professional basketball player for the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).
Early life
López was born on 12 April 2007, in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.[1][2] His father, Jesús Hiram López, played for the Mexico national basketball team.[3] After first trying out soccer and taekwondo, he began playing basketball from a young age.[2] He began training seriously for basketball at age 12 with the encouragement of his father, and was able to play against players up to five years older than him and still "held his own".[4] At the age of 14, he received an offer to play professionally in Spain for the club Joventut Badalona, and left his family to move there.[4]
Professional career
López played two seasons for Joventut Badalona's "B" team, from 2022 to 2024.[4] He was promoted to the senior squad in 2024 and appeared in four games during the 2023–24 season, scoring two points.[1][4] After the 2023–24 season, he left Joventut and signed with the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) in August 2024 as a Next Star.[5] He impressed for the Breakers, becoming the youngest player in NBL history to record a double-double that October.[6] Appearing in 25 games during the 2024–25 season, he averaged 9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds.[1]
López is regarded as a top prospect for the 2026 NBA draft.[7]
International career
López competed for Mexico at the 2022 Centrobasket U15 Championship.[2] He then played at the 2023 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship, notably scoring 23 points in a loss to the United States team.[4] He played for the senior national team in 2024 during the Olympic qualification tournament.[2]
References
- ^ a b c "Karim Lopez". Proballers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Karim López, la joya mexicana que apunta a la NBA: "Es una meta a largo plazo"" [Karim López, the Mexican gem aiming for the NBA: "It's a long-term goal."]. Milenio (in Spanish). 13 March 2025.
- ^ de Jesus Ortiz, José (10 October 2024). "Mexican teen prodigy Karim Lopez nears NBA". Our Esquina.
- ^ a b c d e Spears, Marc J. (November 19, 2024). "Mexican forward Karim Lopez dreams of shooting hoops in NBA". Andscape.
- ^ Uluc, Olgun (5 November 2024). "Karim López, el mexicano que rompe una tendencia en la NBL de Australia" [Karim López, the Mexican who breaks a trend in Australia's NBL] (in Spanish). ESPN.
- ^ Toledo, Jair (28 February 2025). "¿Quién es el basquetbolista mexicano Karim López, uno de los mejores prospectos para el Draft de la NBA 2026?" [Who is Mexican basketball player Karim López, one of the top prospects for the 2026 NBA Draft?]. Olympics.com.
- ^ Peña, Karen (24 February 2025). "La ventaja de Karim López para el Draft 2026 de la NBA" [Karim López's advantage for the 2026 NBA Draft] (in Spanish). ESPN.