Does Zach Edey have Chinese heritage? Exploring the ethnic origins of NBA Draft prospect

Zach Edey is one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft. After a magical March Madness tournament where he led Purdue to the championship game against UConn, Edey established himself as a solid NBA prospect.

While the two-day event arrives, Edey shares details about his personal life, including his ethnic origins. A Toronto native, Edey realized he had Chinese heritage when he started playing basketball, noting that he was different from the people he grew up with in his white neighborhood.

“It really started coming out when I started playing basketball,” Edey told Andscape. “That’s kind when I started realizing I’m very different from people because I grew up in a very white neighborhood when I started playing basketball. All of a sudden you just see everything and then you realize, ‘Hey, I’m Chinese.’

Zach Edey has Chinese Heritage

“You just embrace it. You kind of discover yourself a little more.”

Edey embraced his heritage and focused on being the best basketball player he could. Last season changed everything for the 7-foot-4 player, following a breakout year. He became the first unanimous National Player of the Year since the late Bill Walton got the honor in 1973.

He became a pretty big deal thanks to his performances in the March Madness tournament, proving he was a star game after game, leading his squad to the final game of the season. Even though UConn proved to be too much for Purdue, Zach Edey still finished the season on a strong note, averaging 25.2 points per game and 12.2 rebounds per outing.

He's now set to enter the NBA Draft and see what's next in his basketball journey.

NBA analyst predicts Zach Edey will be drafted by the Lakers

Zach Edey in the NCAA Tournament Championship

ESPN's draft expert Jonathan Givony suggests in his latest mock draft that Zach Edey could play for a legendary franchise to start his NBA career. Givony places him with the LA Lakers, who would take him at 17.

"The Lakers likely will explore the trade market to see what type of veterans they can add to give LeBron James, Anthony Davis and new coach J.J. Redick the best chance of competing this season, ... Should the Lakers elect to stand pat, picking a plug-and-play center like Edey would make a lot of sense."

Playing with LeBron James and Anthony Davis must be an exciting prospect for any player. The Lakers have had issues with their centers in prior seasons and adding Zach Edey, who has been compared to Jonas Valanciunas, could help them address this situation.