Wenyen Gabriel facts for kids
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Gabriel with Panathinaikos in 2025
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| No. 32 – FC Bayern Munich | |
|---|---|
| Center / power forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 26, 1997 Khartoum, Sudan |
| Nationality | South Sudanese / American |
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 212 lb (96 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Kentucky (2016–2018) |
| NBA Draft | 2018 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2018–present |
| League | Basketball Bundesliga EuroLeague |
| Career history | |
| 2018–2020 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2018–2019 | →Stockton Kings |
| 2020 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2020–2021 | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 2021–2022 | Wisconsin Herd |
| 2021 | Brooklyn Nets |
| 2021–2022 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2022–2023 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2023–2024 | Wisconsin Herd |
| 2024 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2024 | Vaqueros de Bayamón |
| 2024 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 2024–2025 | Panathinaikos |
| 2025–present | Bayern Munich |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Wenyen Gabriel, born on March 26, 1997, is a professional basketball player. He plays for Bayern Munich in Germany. He is known for playing as a center or power forward. Wenyen has played for several teams in the NBA, including the Los Angeles Lakers. He also represents the South Sudan national team.
Contents
High School Basketball Journey
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Wenyen Gabriel went to Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Massachusetts starting in 2014. Before that, he played at Trinity High School in New Hampshire for three years. In his final year of high school, he was amazing on the court. He averaged 22 points, 14 rebounds, 7 blocks, and 6.3 assists per game.
In October 2015, Wenyen decided to play college basketball for the University of Kentucky. He was a highly rated player, considered a "five-star recruit." ESPN ranked him as high as #14 among all players in his class. He also played in special games like the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit and the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic.
College Basketball at Kentucky
Wenyen started playing for the Kentucky Wildcats in October 2016. In his first game, he scored nine points and grabbed two rebounds. As a freshman, he played in 38 games, starting 23 of them. He averaged 4.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
In his second year, Wenyen became even more important for Kentucky. He averaged 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 37 games. He was also the team leader in blocked shots, with 40 blocks that season.
Professional Basketball Career
After college, Wenyen Gabriel entered the 2018 NBA draft but was not chosen by a team. However, he soon joined the Sacramento Kings for the NBA Summer League.
Early NBA Years
Wenyen signed a special contract with the Sacramento Kings in July 2018. He also played for their G League team, the Stockton Kings. In December 2019, he had a great game for Stockton, scoring 16 points and getting 16 rebounds. A month later, he scored an amazing 37 points and had 11 rebounds in another game for Stockton.
In January 2020, Wenyen was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. He played his first game for them on January 31, helping the Blazers win against the Los Angeles Lakers. Later that year, in November 2020, he signed with the New Orleans Pelicans. He played 21 games for them, averaging 3.5 points and 2.69 rebounds.
Moving Around the League
In October 2021, Wenyen joined the Wisconsin Herd, a G League team. He played well there, averaging 13.8 points and 8.6 rebounds. His strong play earned him short contracts with NBA teams. In December 2021, he signed a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets. He then signed two 10-day contracts with the Los Angeles Clippers in December 2021 and January 2022.
After these short stints, Wenyen returned to the Wisconsin Herd. He also had another 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans in January 2022, but he did not play in a game for them.
Time with the Los Angeles Lakers
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On March 1, 2022, Wenyen Gabriel signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. He played well enough that the Lakers gave him a two-year contract in April 2022. With the Lakers, he played in 68 games, averaging 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. He was a solid player for them.
After his time with the Lakers, Wenyen briefly signed with the Boston Celtics in October 2023 but was later waived.
Recent Teams
Wenyen returned to the Wisconsin Herd in October 2023. In March 2024, he signed a 10-day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. He played five games for them, averaging 3.4 points and 5.0 rebounds. After that, he went back to the Wisconsin Herd.
In March 2024, Wenyen signed with Vaqueros de Bayamón in Puerto Rico. He played 23 games there, averaging 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds. In July 2024, he signed a two-year deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel. Unfortunately, he had an injury in September that kept him out for a few weeks.
In December 2024, Wenyen joined Panathinaikos in Greece. He played there until June 2025. Currently, as of July 2025, Wenyen Gabriel plays for Bayern Munich in Germany.
Playing for South Sudan
Wenyen Gabriel joined the South Sudan national team in August 2023. He was part of the team for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. This was a huge moment because it was South Sudan's first time playing in an international basketball tournament.
Wenyen and his team made history! They finished as the top African nation in the tournament. This amazing achievement meant that the South Sudan team automatically qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics men's basketball tournament. It was the first time South Sudan had ever qualified for the Olympics in basketball.
Personal Background
Wenyen Gabriel was born in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 26, 1997. His name "Wenyen" means "wipe your tears" in the Dinka language. This name was given to him because his older sister had passed away as a baby.
Just two weeks after Wenyen was born, his mother, Rebecca Gak, moved with him and his three siblings to Cairo, Egypt. They were escaping the war in Sudan. While his mother worked hard, Wenyen's older brother, Komot, helped take care of him. Two years later, the United Nations helped their family move to Manchester, New Hampshire in the United States. Many people from South Sudan live there.
Wenyen became a US citizen in 2017 when his parents became citizens. Even though he is an American citizen, he still feels a strong connection to South Sudan, his birthplace.
Images for kids
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Gabriel with Panathinaikos in 2025
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Gabriel (32) at the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic
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Gabriel with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022
See also
In Spanish: Wenyen Gabriel para niños
