Shoutout Bdawg for the Malachi Flynn idea.
Malachi Flynn grew up in Tacoma, Washington as the youngest of seven kids, and his path in basketball wasn’t about early hype or instant success. it was built slowly through steady improvement, patience, and learning how to adapt at every level. When he first entered high school, Flynn was only 5'2" 💀 competing against older and stronger players made things difficult, but it also forced him to develop skill, pace, and control instead of relying on size.
By his sophomore year, he had grown to 5'6", still undersized, but noticeably more confident as a guard. he started to handle the ball better, create offense more consistently, and understand how to run a team in stretches. As high school continued, Flynn’s game kept growing with him. he worked on shooting consistency, decision-making, and leadership, slowly turning into someone his team could rely on in big moments.
Just as major growth spurt later took him to 6'1", and that changed everything. he finally had the size to match the skill he had been building for years, which made his impact on the court much more complete.
By his senior year at bellarmine prep, Flynn had become one of the best players in washington. he was the clear focal point of the offense and carried a heavy scoring load every night.
Malachi Flynn averaged
29.7 points,
6.0 rebounds
4.0 assists per game
while shooting 48% from the field.
it wasn’t just scoring volume either, he controlled games and set the tone for his team.That season stood out because of how consistent he was. whether it was early in games or late in tight situations, Flynn stayed steady and delivered.
Malachi Flynn had earned major honors including associated press washington player of the year, the news tribune all-area player of the year, washington 4A player of the year, and 4A narrows league MVP.
he also set bellarmine prep’s single-season scoring record with 743 points and finished his high school career with 1,625 total points, second in school history behind Abdul gaddy. Originally, Flynn committed to pacific, but later reopened his recruitment when more opportunities came in late in the process.
He eventually signed with washington state in april 2016, beginning his college career in the pac-12. the jump to college basketball meant adjusting to faster pace, stronger defenders, and more complex systems.At washington state, his first two seasons were about development. he showed flashes as a scorer and playmaker, but was still working on consistency as a full-time lead guard.
While his production improved, he was still looking for a situation where he could take on more responsibility and grow into a true floor general role.
After his sophomore year, Flynn transferred to san diego state, a move that ended up changing the direction of his career. at san diego state, he quickly became the team’s primary guard and offensive leader. he handled most of the playmaking duties and was trusted in late-game situations.
Malachi’s confidence grew throughout the season as he balanced scoring and passing while also becoming a strong defensive presence on the perimeter.
In his final college season, Flynn averaged 17.6 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game, establishing himself as one of the top guards in college basketball. He earned mountain west player of the year and defensive player of the year, showing how complete his impact was on both ends of the floor.
THAT season put him firmly on nba radars, with scouts valuing his shot-making, leadership, and ability to control tempo in important games. After that breakout year, Flynn declared for the 2020 nba draft and was selected 29th overall by the toronto raptors, starting his professional career.
his early nba years were about adjustment, including time in development situations and learning how to handle the speed and physicality of the league. Over time, he worked on becoming more consistent as a scorer and improving his decision-making as a ball handler in different systems.
Flynn later had stints with teams like the new york knicks and detroit pistons, continuing to fight for rotation minutes and opportunities. One of his most notable nba moments came in detroit, where he had a big scoring performance that showed what he could do with extended minutes and trust. after his nba stops, he continued his career overseas with Bahçeşehir koleji in turkey, where he stayed productive as a guard and continued contributing as a scorer and playmaker.
Across every level of his career, from high school to college to the nba and beyond, Flynn’s journey has been about steady growth, adaptation, and earning every opportunity step by step.