Kihei Clark’s parents are Malik and Sharon Clark. Kihei is the oldest of three children, and hails from Los Angeles, but his family is originally from Hawaii.
Clark’s father was a basketball player himself. Of his son’s success at UVA, Malik said to The Orange County Register, “I hope he becomes as good as London [Perrantes]. London might have been a better shooter at the same age. I think Kihei can put it on the floor better, maybe has a little more wiggle.”
Here’s what you need to know about Kihei Clark’s parents:
1. Clark’s Father, Malik, Played Basketball for Hawaii-Hilo
Before Kihei’s basketball career was even a thought, his father had already created a name for himself in the sport.
According to The Orange County Register, Malik Clark played basketball at Birmington High School, followed by a collegiate basketball career at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
To the publication, Malik said, “I was undersized, too. I told him not to worry about it. Whenever you’re undersized, there’s always a stacked deck. Even now with the success he’s had, there are doubters. You never stop proving yourself.”
2. Malik Clark Runs a Construction & Trucking Company
According to The Orange-County Register, Malik runs a construction and trucking company. Kihei is Malik and Sharon’s oldest child; they have two other younger children.
Sharon Clark’s family are originally Filipino, according to PhilStar. Kihei said to the publication, “My mom’s family is from Ilocos but they moved to Hawaii a long time ago.”
It’s not clear if Malik was also born and raised in Hawaii, or if he travelled to the islands for college.
3. Clark’s Father Named Him After the Town He Proposed to Sharon in
The story of Kihei’s name is a romantic one. To PhilStar, he shared it, explaining that his parents named him after the town in West Hawaii where his parents met. “Yeah,” he said, “My name has a nice story to it and so does my game. My father, Malik Clark, played for Division 2 school, Hawaii-Hilo, so that is where I got my basketball inspiration…But I was excited about coming over [to Virginia].”
Clark continued, “Going to Virginia, a top-ranked school, places me one step away from the ultimate dream and that is the NBA.”
4. Sharon Clark Has a Private Instagram Account
Sharon and Malik Clark have a relatively quiet social media footprint. Sharon does have an Instagram with 200 followers, but her account is set to private.
As for Kihei, he has just under 12,000 followers leading up to the Final Four, and will likely have even more following Saturday’s game. Kihei frequently posts basketball pictures to his account, celebrating his mother in one specific post for Mother’s Day, where he wrote, “Happy Mother’s Day Mama! Words can’t describe how much i appreciate you❤️ I love you!”
In another Instagram post, Kihei shared a picture of his whole family, writing a simple caption: “Thankful ??❤️”
5. Kihei Clark Originally Committed to UC Davis, Prior to Getting Recruited to UVA
According to The Daily Progress, when coach Tony Bennett called Kihei Clark to offer him a scholarship, he accepted the offer on the spot, in a conversation over the phone while he was getting sushi with his father. He had de-committed from UC Davis a month previously. Clark’s decision was primarily motivated by UVA’s style of play, as well as coach Bennett himself.
Clark said, “Him being Tony Bennett, we all buy into his system, and I think that’s a big part of what makes this a special place. The coaches, the vibe, the close-knit family, I thought that was what was best for me.” He continued, “I wanted to play at as high a level as I could, because I wanted to prove to myself and the world that I can play with the best the world has to offer.”
Clark’s assist in the final seconds of the Purdue game has all but cemented his legendary status in UVA basketball history. In fact, his ability to figure out how to get the ball to Madami Diakite with a few seconds to go surprised even Bennett, himself. To reporters following the game, per The Washington Post, Bennett said, “I really thought the only thing he could do in that moment was take two dribbles and heave the ball.” Bennett added, To understand that he had the time and then to make the pass that he made…Wow.”