Former Mustang Kobe Sanders Makes NBA Regular Season Debut
10/23/2025 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SALT LAKE CITY — Former Cal Poly men’s basketball player Kobe Sanders made his NBA regular season debut Wednesday night for the Los Angeles Clippers, becoming the second Mustang alum to appear in an NBA regular season game.
Sanders played four minutes in the Clippers’ 129-108 road loss to the Utah Jazz Wednesday evening in Salt Lake City. He recorded a rebound, a steal, and an assist in his time on the court.
Sanders made the Clippers roster after being selected 50th overall in this past June’s NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. He was immediately sent to the Clippers on draft night. He played well in the NBA Summer League and in training camp to earn himself a roster spot.
THAT WAS NIIIICE, KOBE SANDERS!!!
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) October 18, 2025
AND-ONEEE ??? pic.twitter.com/foECAZydEw
In a preseason game against the Warriors on Oct. 17, Sanders scored 25 points and pulled down five rebounds.
A four-year letterwinner for Cal Poly (2020-24) who became just the 26th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points, Sanders finished his collegiate career as a grad transfer at Nevada last season where he started 32 of 33 games and averaged 15.8 points per appearance.
Sanders earned All-Big West honorable mention recognition for his 2023-24 senior season at Cal Poly in which he averaged 19.6 points per game, reached double-digit scoring figures in all 29 appearances and finished with 568 points – the fourth highest single season total in program history. In Cal Poly program history, Sanders ranks 25th with 1,008 career points and 14th with 208 assists. His 17-for-17 free throw performance against CSUN on Dec. 28, 2023 set a new program record for single game free throw percentage.
Sanders joins David Nwaba as the only other former Mustang to play in an NBA game. Nwaba played for six years with five different teams from 2017-2023.
