Arthur Kaluma is closing in on the biggest opportunity of his career after earning a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
For Ugandan basketball, his rise adds another chapter to a small but growing connection with the world’s premier basketball league.
The 24-year-old forward was born in Boston to Ugandan parents and holds dual United States and Ugandan citizenship.
Kaluma has already represented the Silverbacks and is officially listed by the NBA as a Ugandan player.
His route differs from Ishmael Wainright and Brandon Davies, who reached the NBA before representing Uganda through naturalisation.
Wainright later became an important Silverbacks figure before establishing himself in the NBA, most notably with the Phoenix Suns.
Davies also represented Uganda after earlier playing in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.
Kaluma, however, carries a direct family connection to the Pearl of Africa and has represented Uganda during his international career.
He was part of the Silverbacks squad that reached the AfroBasket quarterfinals in 2021, Uganda’s best finish at the continental championship.
His journey towards the NBA has not been straightforward. Kaluma went undrafted in 2025 after completing his college career, which included spells with Creighton, Kansas State and Texas.
He subsequently joined the Lakers organisation and spent the 2025/26 campaign developing with their NBA G League affiliate.
Kaluma averaged 13.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists across 40 regular-season and Tip-Off Tournament appearances, all from the bench.
He also shot 37.8% from three-point range as the Lakers secured the Western Conference’s top seed before reaching the conference finals.
Kaluma then strengthened his case during the 2026 California Classic and NBA Summer League.
Across 7 appearances, he averaged 17.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 51.6% from the field.
His numbers improved in Las Vegas, where he averaged a team-high 18.6 points as the Lakers reached the semifinals.
Those performances earned Kaluma a two-way contract in July, placing him within reach of his NBA regular-season debut.
The NBA currently lists the 6ft 7in forward as a Lakers rookie, with Uganda recorded as his country.
He is yet to make an NBA regular-season appearance, making that the next significant milestone in his career.
Kaluma’s opportunity also comes during an interesting period for basketball players with connections to Uganda.
South Sudan international Khaman Maluach was raised in Uganda and started playing basketball there aged 13 before joining NBA Academy Africa.
Maluach later attended Duke University and was selected 10th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft before his rights moved to Phoenix.
He has since played NBA basketball for the Suns, although he represents South Sudan internationally rather than Uganda.
His journey nevertheless underlines Uganda’s place within a growing East African pathway towards basketball’s biggest stage.
Kaluma now has an opportunity to strengthen that connection further. Wainright and Davies carried the Ugandan flag internationally after reaching the NBA, while Maluach spent formative years learning the game in Uganda.
Kaluma’s story brings another dimension, with a Silverback born to Ugandan parents now pushing for his first NBA regular-season minutes.
A Lakers debut would give Uganda another tangible connection to basketball’s biggest league and mark the latest milestone in Kaluma’s steady rise.