With the No. 21 pick in the NBA Draft, Karim López, born in Hermosillo in the Mexican state of Sonora, became the first Mexican-born first-round pick in league history.
The gravity of the moment was not lost on López or his family, as he briefly teared up while being interviewed after the pick.
“It’s just super special,” López, 19, said, choking back tears. “I’m blessed. I mean, I have no words.”
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López brought his history in his suit jacket, which he showcased during the interview. A custom design inside the jacket featured Mexico’s tricolor flag alongside other images symbolizing his Mexican heritage.
“Yeah, I just wanted to represent my culture, represent where I’m from, represent my faith, and just represent myself, basically,” López said. “Show who I am.”
The Memphis Grizzlies traded with the Detroit Pistons for López, who left home in Mexico at 14 for Joventut Badalona’s youth academy in Spain. He grew his game there before making the move to the New Zealand Breakers, where he spent the last two seasons in the National Basketball League. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in 2025-26 while playing against grown men in Australia’s top professional league.
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“We always knew it,” his dad, Jesús Hiram López, said. “… I know how hard he works, and I knew he was special from day one.”
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Memphis traded twice to acquire López, obtaining him after the Pistons drafted him at No. 21. In return for essentially moving back from the No. 16 draft position, Memphis received two second-round picks from the Oklahoma City Thunder and three more from the Pistons.
The Athletic’s John Hollinger gave the pick an “A” grade in his post-draft analysis. “I had Karim López rated quite a bit higher than this and was surprised to see him slide this far,” Hollinger wrote. “Memphis execs put in the work to see him down under, for what it’s worth, and by moving down from No. 16 before picking López, the Grizzlies added five second-round picks while also nabbing a young, two-way forward who can be part of this rebuild.”
Prior to López, the only other Mexican-born player drafted was Eduardo Nájera in 2000. Nájera was selected 38th in the second round by the Houston Rockets that year and then traded to the Dallas Mavericks on draft night. Nájera played 12 seasons in the NBA for the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets and Charlotte Bobcats.