.jpg) King with the NBA Global Academy in 2020 | |
| No. 0 – Cairns Taipans | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | NBL |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (2002-06-11)11 June 2002 (age 23) Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Nationality | New Zealand / American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Brisbane State (Brisbane, Queensland) |
| NBA draft | 2023: 2nd round, 47th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Playing career | 2018–present |
| Career history | |
| 2018 | Brisbane Capitals |
| 2019 | BA Centre of Excellence |
| 2020–2021 | Cairns Taipans |
| 2021–2022 | Adelaide 36ers |
| 2022 | Southland Sharks |
| 2022–2023 | NBA G League Ignite |
| 2023–2024 | Indiana Mad Ants |
| 2024–2025 | New Zealand Breakers |
| 2025 | Cangrejeros de Santurce |
| 2025 | Tauranga Whai |
| 2025–present | Cairns Taipans |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Mojave Jackson King[1] (/məˈhɑːvi/mə-HAH-vee;[2] born 11 June 2002) is a New Zealand-American professionalbasketball player for theCairns Taipans of the AustralianNational Basketball League (NBL). He began his career in the Australian NBL in 2020, playing his first season for the Cairns Taipans. After a season with theAdelaide 36ers, he joined theNBA G League Ignite in 2022. He was selected by theLos Angeles Lakers with the 47th overall pick in the2023 NBA draft.
King was born inDunedin, New Zealand.[3] He was named after theMojave Desert in the southwesternUnited States.[4]
In 2007, at the age of four, King moved with his family toMackay, Queensland, when his father accepted a role to coach the Mackay Meteors in Australia's semi-professionalQueensland Basketball League (QBL).[5] The family settled inBrisbane four years later when King's father accepted a position to coach the Brisbane Spartans in theSouth East Australian Basketball League.[6] There he attendedBrisbane State High School.[6]
In 2018, King played one game in the QBL for theBrisbane Capitals.[7]
In 2019, King joined theNBA Global Academy, a training centre at theAustralian Institute of Sport inCanberra. In association with the academy, he played for theBA Centre of Excellence in theNBL1, an Australian semi-professional league.[6] Later that year, King represented Queensland South at the Australian Under-18 Championships, where he led the competition in scoring with 26.6 points per game.[6] At the NBA Academy Games inAtlanta, Georgia in July 2019, he averaged a tournament-high 19.2 points per game.[4]
On 12 March 2020, at the age of 17, King signed with theCairns Taipans of theNational Basketball League (NBL) as a part of the league'sNext Stars program to developNBA draft prospects.[8][9] By joining the NBL, he turned down offers from severalNCAA Division I programs, includingArizona,Baylor,Oregon andVirginia.[10] During the2020–21 season, King averaged 6.2 points and 2.4 rebounds.[11]
On 14 July 2021, King was transferred to theAdelaide 36ers for the final year of his Next Stars contract.[12]
On 19 April 2022, King signed with theSouthland Sharks for the2022 New Zealand NBL season.[13]
On 7 September 2022, King signed a contract with theNBA G League Ignite.[14] He was named to the G League's inaugural Next Up Game for the 2022–23 season.[15]
King was selected with the 47th overall pick in the2023 NBA draft by theLos Angeles Lakers. His draft rights were then immediately traded to theIndiana Pacers.[16] He became just the third New Zealand-born player to be picked in the NBA draft, followingSean Marks andSteven Adams.[17] He subsequently played for the Pacers in the2023 NBA Summer League.[18] In October 2023, he joined theIndiana Mad Ants, the Pacers'NBA G League affiliate.[19] He appeared in 15 games for the Mad Ants in the2023–24 NBA G League season, averaging 3.9 points in 8.9 minutes per game.[20]
On 18 April 2024, King signed with theNew Zealand Breakers for the2024–25 NBL season.[21] On 7 January 2025, he was ruled out for four weeks due to a calf injury.[22]
In March 2025, King signed withCangrejeros de Santurce of theBaloncesto Superior Nacional for the2025 season.[23] He left the team in April after appearing in seven games.[24]
On 16 May 2025, King signed with theTauranga Whai for the rest of the2025 New Zealand NBL season.[25] On 29 June 2025, he scored 43 points in the Whai's 98–88 loss to theSouthland Sharks.[26]
In September 2025, King joined Greek teamPanathinaikos as a complementary player for the Pavlos Giannakopoulos Tournament inMelbourne.[27]
On 29 October 2025, King signed with theCairns Taipans as an injury replacement forAlex Higgins-Titsha, returning to the team for a second stint.[28] In just his third game for the Taipans on 7 November, King had the best game of his 76-game NBL career with 32 points on 13-of-16 shooting and 6-of-8 from 3-point range in a 107–90 loss to theIllawarra Hawks.[29]
On 17 June 2025, King's draft rights were traded by the Indiana Pacers to theNew Orleans Pelicans.[30]
In July 2025, King was named in his firstNew Zealand Tall Blacks squad ahead of the2025 FIBA Asia Cup.[31] In November 2025, he was named in the Tall Blacks squad for the first window of theFIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.[32]
King is the son ofLeonard and Tracey King (née Paul).[3] His father is from the United States and played for the Florida A & M University Rattlers in college; in New Zealand; and, he coached in Australia.[3][4][33] His mother is a New Zealand native and played NCAA basketball forDuquesne.[34] His older sister, Tylah, played forPacific in the NCAA.[4] King's maternal grandfather, John Paul, coached basketball inOtago for over 50 years and is one of the region's most prominent basketball figures.[3]
King is adual citizen of New Zealand and the United States.[35] As of 2019, he did not hold an Australian passport,[35] but signalled at the time his intentions to represent theAustralian national team.[34][35] He later chose to represent New Zealand.[31]
