Getting to know Mo Bamba of LA Lakers: His life, parents, journey as an NBA player, dating life, and more

The LA Lakers acquired center Mo Bamba from the Orlando Magic at the trade deadline in a four-team deal involving Denver and the LA Clippers. The stretch-five is expected to provide some much-needed spacing to the Lakers’ frontcourt. However, not many fans know much about the big man’s personal life. So on that note, here is some background info on one of the newest members of the Lakers.

Mo Bamba’s pre-NBA life

Former Texas Long Horns big man Mo Bamba

Mohamed Karlakwan Damala Bamba aka Mo Bamba was born on May 12, 1998, in Harlem, New York to parents Lancine Bamba and Aminata Johnson. Bamba’s parents both emigrated from Ivory Coast. Meanwhile, his grandparents were born in Mali.

Bamba has two brothers and three sisters, although he has never met two of his sisters. His brother Sidiki Johnson was a college basketball player at Arizona, Providence, and Wabash Valley. Meanwhile, his brother Ibrahim Johnson played college basketball at Farmingdale State and Montevallo.

Bamba first started playing basketball at the age of six. He later attended Westtown School in Westtown, Pennsylvania, where he was a standout high school basketball player. This led to Bamba being selected to play in the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game as well as the Nike Hoop Summit.

Bamba’s strong play in high school also earned him a five-star rating as a recruit. He received offers from top schools such as Kentucky, Duke, Texas, and Michigan before ultimately deciding to attend the University of Texas at Austin.

Bamba played one season at Texas in the 2017-2018 season. He averaged 12.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game on 54.1% shooting in 30 games. Bamba’s strong play landed him a spot on the Big 12's All-Newcomer Team and All-Defensive Team. He was also named a member of the All-Big 12 Second Team.

Mo Bamba’s NBA career so far

NBA commissioner Adam Silver and former Orlando Magic big man Mo Bamba at the 2018 NBA Draft

Following his lone season in college, Bamba declared for the 2018 NBA Draft. He was drafted No. six by the Orlando Magic. Most agree that Bamba has not yet lived up to his high draft selection. However, he is still able to carve out a solid career as a backup center that can protect the rim and space the floor. This earned him a two-year, $21 million contract with the Magic this past offseason before he was traded to LA.

In 266 games over five seasons with Orlando, Bamba averaged 7.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.4 bpg, and 0.9 3pg. He shot 47.7% and 36.0% from deep.

Through two games with the Lakers, Bamba is averaging 7.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.5 bpg, and 1.0 3pg on 33.3% shooting.

Mo Bamba’s personal life

Mo Bamba presents a West African village with a basketball facility

As for his personal life, Bamba, aged 24, has been linked to a woman named Ibby Fischer, as per certain reports and publications. Apparently, she resides in Shanghai and the couple reportedly have a long-distance relationship. However, nothing on this matter has been personally confirmed by Mo Bamba himself or his representatives, therefore it won't be accurate to label Fischer as his partner based on mere speculation.

Keeping his personal life aside and looking at his earnings, Bamba’s net worth from his career is estimated to be around $5 million as of 2023. Bamba has been known to use some of his earnings for charitable work. This includes work done through his foundation, “The Mo Bamba Foundation.” In August, Bamba unveiled a new basketball facility at the SOS Village Abobo-Gare in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The facility was created to serve over 200 children daily.

So despite his success in the NBA, Bamba has stayed true to his family’s roots and made sure to give back to those in need.

“I’m born and raised in Harlem, but we’ve always had that strong African background. We never strayed away from who we really were as people,” Bamba said.