Pascal
Siakam
Cameroon
·
Basketball
Date of birth | April 2, 1994 |
|---|---|
Birthplace | Douala |
Age | 31 |
Nationality | Cameroon |
Career start | 2016 |
Disciplines | 5x5 Basketball |
Pascal Siakam didn’t start playing organized basketball until the age of 17, but by the age of 26, he was an NBA champion.
Pascal's journey began in Douala, Cameroon, in a family of six siblings. Even though his older brothers – Boris, Christian, and James – all eventually went on to play Division I college basketball in America, Pascal had other plans. He was more interested in soccer.
His father, Tchamo, who passed away in 2014, enrolled his youngest son at a Catholic seminary, and at the time, sports seemed the furthest thing from Pascal’s career path. And then, everything changed.
After an invite to a Basketball Without Borders camp in South Africa at the age of 16, Pascal went on to attend a prep school in Texas and later played college basketball at New Mexico State before being drafted in the first round by the Toronto Raptors in 2016.
Pascal went from a promising prospect in his rookie NBA season to a bench player in his second year and blossomed into the starting power forward of a championship team in his third season, earning the league's Most Improved Player award while helping the Raptors capture their first-ever NBA championship in 2019.
Over his career, Pascal has been selected as an NBA All-Star three times (2020, 2023, 2025), a testament to his consistent growth and impact on the league.
In 2024, Pascal was traded to the Indiana Pacers, where he quickly emerged as a key veteran presence on a young, dynamic roster. His leadership and playoff experience were critical during the Pacers' 2025 postseason run. Pascal’s standout performances earned him the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, and he was instrumental in pushing the team to a hard-fought Game 7 in the NBA Finals — the franchise’s deepest playoff run in recent memory.
From a late basketball bloomer to an NBA champion, multi-time All-Star, and respected veteran leader, Pascal Siakam’s story continues to be one of resilience, adaptability, and relentless determination.