Kobe Bufkin

About

Kobe Bufkin ( KOH-bee, BUF-kin; born September 21, 2003) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for Grand Rapids Christian High School, where he was a McDonald’s All-American in 2021, and played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines, earning third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2023. He was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks, where he played for two seasons. He also played for the Los Angeles Lakers for one season.

Kobe Bufkin was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Kimberly Camp and Michael Bufkin. When he was five years old, he stated that he wanted to play for the Michigan Wolverines football team. Bufkin played basketball for Grand Rapids Christian High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He joined the varsity team as a freshman. Entering his sophomore season, he was in the lower half of the 16 sophomores listed among the top 100 players in the state, according to the Detroit Free Press. On February 27, 2019, Bufkin scored 35 in a 71–63 Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) district semifinal season-ending…