Add The California Post on Google Karim Lopez, a 6-foot-9 forward from Hermosillo, Mexico, was selected with the 21st pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23. Lopez became the first Mexican-born player to be selected in the first round.
Mexico has sustained a big fan base for basketball for decades now but never had its own homegrown star to latch on to. That is, until Lopez, 19, caught attention while playing with the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s NBL over the past two seasons, essentially guaranteeing that he would be taken in this year’s draft.
He and his family’s reaction to being selected by the Pistons (who then traded Lopez’s draft rights to the Grizzlies) was one of the best moments from Tuesday’s first round. One moment during his post-draft interview segment with ESPN went viral.
When asked what it meant to be the first Mexican-born player to be selected in the first round of an NBA draft, Lopez, who was sitting with his family, had to collect his emotions for a moment before saying, “Well, it’s just super special honestly to be here. I’m blessed. And, yeah. I have no words,” per an X post from “SportsCenter.” He was visibly emotional and wiping away tears while trying to get what little words he had out.
Lopez then showed the inside of his jacket, which included the Mexican flag and several other homages to Mexican culture.
He was then asked why he wanted to include the Mexican flag on his jacket and said, “I just wanted to represent my culture, represent where I’m from, represent my faith. And just represent myself, basically. Show the people who I am.”
Even though Lopez has his entire NBA career ahead of him, he’s already seen as a hero by his home country. And while that will create some pressure, it also means Lopez will have a huge support system as he embarks on this journey.
