Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Khalifa Diop was born 15 January 2002 in Guereo, Senegal. He is a center in the NBA.

Diop trained with the junior teams of CB Gran Canaria and CB TerrAlfas. In 2018, he was named the MVP of the national junior club championship. He debuted with Gran Canaria B in the Liga EBA, the Spanish fourth level league, at age 15. On 3 November 2011, Diop recorded 25 points and a league record 28 rebounds in a Liga EBA game against Novum Energy Lyceum.

On 28 March 2019, Diop made his senior debut for Gran Canaria, recording three points and four rebounds in a 90–55 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague. On 24 November 2019, he made his Liga ACB debut, playing three minutes in a loss to Real Madrid. Diop was named EuroCup Rising Star and made the ACB All-Young Players Team for the 2021–22 season.

Diop was drafted 39th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2022 NBA draft. Cavaliers GM Koby Altman announced a few days later that Diop would not join the Cavaliers roster in the 2022–23 season, but will stay in Spain to develop further.