Kamaka Hepa facts for kids
Hepa in November 2018
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| No. 44 – Rīgas Zeļļi | ||||||||||||||
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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 | LEBL | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Zastal Zielona Góra | |||||||||||||
| 2024 | Rīgas Zeļļi | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Kamaka Qapqan Hepa was born on January 27, 2000. He is an American professional basketball player. He recently played for Rīgas Zeļļi in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League. Before turning pro, he played college basketball for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and the Texas Longhorns.
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Kamaka Hepa's Early Life and Basketball Journey
Kamaka Hepa grew up in Barrow, Alaska. This town is now called Utqiagvik. It is the northernmost community in the United States. He started playing club basketball with the Alaska Mountaineers. His team won tournaments in North Carolina and California.
As a freshman and sophomore, Kamaka played for Barrow High School. He helped his team win the Class 3A state title twice. Both years, he was named Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year. This award recognizes top athletes in each state.
In March 2016, Kamaka moved to Portland, Oregon. He wanted to get more attention from college scouts. He also joined the Portland Basketball Club. This team played on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit. AAU is a national sports organization for young athletes.
Kamaka also enrolled at Jefferson High School. As a junior, he scored about 16.4 points per game. He also grabbed 11.3 rebounds per game. He led Jefferson to its first Class 6A state title. In his senior year, his team finished as runner-up. He averaged 16.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 6.2 blocks per game. He was then named Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year. On October 31, 2017, Kamaka decided to play college basketball for Texas. He was a highly rated player, known as a four-star recruit.
Playing College Basketball
Kamaka Hepa started his college career at the University of Texas. In February 2019, during his freshman year, he had a head injury. He missed two games while following concussion rules. On February 27, 2019, he started his first college game. He scored 11 points, which was his freshman high. This was in a close 84–83 loss to Baylor. 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 had four rebounds in a 76–64 win over Oklahoma State. That season, he averaged 2.9 points and two rebounds per game. In his junior year, he played nine games. He averaged 2.9 points in about six minutes per game.
In 2021, Kamaka was recognized as an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar. This award honors student-athletes who excel in academics and sports.
On April 25, 2021, Kamaka announced he would transfer. He decided to play for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. In 27 games there, he averaged 9.4 points per game. He played about 28 minutes per game.
Becoming a Pro Basketball Player
On July 3, 2023, Kamaka Hepa joined the New Orleans Pelicans for their 2023 Summer League roster. The Summer League is where new players and young pros get a chance to show their skills.
On August 19, 2023, he signed with Zastal Zielona Góra. This team plays in the Polish Basketball League. In early December, he returned to the United States due to a family matter. He later officially left the team on January 14, 2024.
Playing for Team USA
Kamaka Hepa has also represented the United States. He played in the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship. This tournament was held in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. He averaged 3.3 points and five rebounds per game. His team won a gold medal at this event.
Looking at His Stats
Here are Kamaka Hepa's college basketball 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
| 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 Hepa's Family Life
Kamaka Hepa's father, Roland Hepa, passed away in December 2023. His father was from Kapa'a, Hawaii. He had Hawaiian and Filipino family roots. Kamaka's mother, Taqulik (her maiden name was Opie), is an Iñupiaq person. She is from Utqiagvik, Alaska. His mother played basketball for Barrow High School. His father was also a talented athlete in many sports during high school.
Kamaka has an older sister named Lynette. She was a great basketball player for Barrow High School. She later played college basketball at Fort Lewis College. Kamaka also has a younger brother, Keoni. Keoni plays college football at Simon Fraser University.
