Kamaka Hepa facts for kids
Hepa in November 2018
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| No. 44 – Fraport Skyliners | ||||||||||||||
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| Power forward | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | January 27, 2000 Barrow, Alaska, U.S. (now Utqiagvik, Alaska) |
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| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 2023 / Undrafted | |||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2023–present | |||||||||||||
| League | Basketball Bundesliga | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Zastal Zielona Góra | |||||||||||||
| 2024 | Rīgas Zeļļi | |||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Fraport Skyliners | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Kamaka Qapqan Hepa, born on January 27, 2000, is a professional basketball player from the United States. He currently plays for the Skyliners Frankfurt team in Germany's top basketball league, the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL). Before becoming a professional, Kamaka played college basketball for both the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and the Texas Longhorns.
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Kamaka's Early Life and High School Basketball
Kamaka Hepa grew up in Barrow, Alaska, which is now called Utqiagvik. This is the northernmost community in the United States. He started playing club basketball with a team called the Alaska Mountaineers. With this team, he won tournaments in places like North Carolina and California.
Playing for Barrow High School
As a freshman and sophomore, Kamaka played basketball for Barrow High School. In both of these years, he helped his team win the Class 3A state championship. He was also named the Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year for his amazing performance.
Moving to Oregon for More Opportunities
In March 2016, Kamaka moved to Portland, Oregon. He wanted to get more attention from college scouts and play for the Portland Basketball Club. This club was part of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit, which is a big deal for young athletes. He also joined Jefferson High School in Portland.
During his junior year at Jefferson, Kamaka averaged 16.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. He led his team to win their first Class 6A state title. In his senior year, his team finished as the Class 6A runner-up. He averaged 16.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 6.2 blocks per game. Because of his great play, he was named Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year. On October 31, 2017, Kamaka decided to play college basketball for Texas. He was considered a top player, known as a four-star recruit.
College Basketball Career
Kamaka Hepa played college basketball for two different teams: the Texas Longhorns and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.
Playing for the Texas Longhorns
As a freshman at Texas in February 2019, Kamaka had a head injury during practice. He missed two games because of a concussion. On February 27, 2019, he started his first college game and scored 11 points. This was his highest score as a freshman. He finished that season averaging 1.9 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.
In his sophomore season, on January 15, 2020, Kamaka scored a career-high 15 points. He also grabbed four rebounds in a win against Oklahoma State. As a sophomore, he averaged 2.9 points and two rebounds per game. In his junior year, he played in nine games and averaged 2.9 points per game.
In 2021, Kamaka was recognized as an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar. This award is given to student-athletes who do well in both sports and academics.
Playing for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
On April 25, 2021, Kamaka announced he would transfer to play for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. In 27 games with Hawaii, he averaged 9.4 points per game.
Professional Basketball Career
After college, Kamaka Hepa began his professional basketball journey.
Starting with the New Orleans Pelicans Summer League
On July 3, 2023, Kamaka was part of the New Orleans Pelicans team for the 2023 Summer League. This is a chance for young players to show their skills to NBA teams.
Playing in Poland
On August 19, 2023, he signed with Zastal Zielona Góra in the Polish Basketball League. In early December, he went back to the United States because his father passed away. He was supposed to return to the team, but on January 14, 2024, he officially left the team by agreement.
Joining Skyliners Frankfurt in Germany
On June 25, 2024, Kamaka signed with Skyliners Frankfurt. This team plays in the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), which is Germany's top basketball league.
Playing for the National Team
Kamaka Hepa has also represented the United States in international competitions. He played for the United States at the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship. This tournament took place in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. He averaged 3.3 points and five rebounds per game during the championship. His team won a gold medal, showing they were the best in the Americas!
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Texas | 27 | 1 | 10.3 | .291 | .310 | .857 | 1.6 | .3 | .0 | .3 | 1.9 |
| 2019–20 | Texas | 22 | 10 | 13.5 | .361 | .292 | .667 | 2.0 | .6 | .2 | .6 | 2.9 |
| 2020–21 | Texas | 9 | 1 | 6.4 | .500 | .500 | .000 | 1.0 | .1 | .1 | .2 | 2.9 |
| 2021–22 | Hawaii | 27 | 27 | 28.1 | .440 | .396 | .804 | 5.0 | 1.4 | .4 | .7 | 9.4 |
| 2022–23 | Hawaii | 33 | 33 | 32.6 | .424 | .387 | .842 | 6.6 | 1.5 | .5 | .8 | 11.5 |
| Career | 118 | 72 | 20.9 | .413 | .374 | .808 | 3.8 | .9 | .3 | .6 | 6.6 | |
Kamaka's Family and Background
Kamaka's father, Roland Hepa, passed away in December 2023. His father was from Kapa'a, Hawaii and had Hawaiian and Filipino heritage. Kamaka's mother, Taqulik (whose maiden name was Opie), is an Iñupiaq person from Utqiagvik, Alaska. Both of Kamaka's parents were athletes. His mother played basketball for Barrow High School, and his father was a multi-sport athlete in high school.
Kamaka also has an older sister named Lynette. She was a great basketball player for Barrow High School and later played college basketball at Fort Lewis College. His younger brother, Keoni, plays college football at Simon Fraser University.
