Flory Bidunga, a Congolese college basketball player for the Kansas Jayhawks of the Big 12 Conference, lives with his host parents, Dillon and Makenna Craft.
His biological parents live in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Bidunga began playing basketball at Kokomo High School and was named the Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year.
He was selected to play in the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game and was named the Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year and Indiana Mr. Basketball.
Bidunga was one of the top players and was a consensus five-star recruit in the class of 2024. He was initially unranked but rose to the top ten over two months following his performance on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit.
Later, he committed to play college basketball at Kansas and played all 34 games during his first year.
From the DRC to Kansas. Flory Bidunga is here to make a name for himself.
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Flory Bidunga’s Congolese Parents Champion His Dream
Flory Bidunga was born on May 20, 2005, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. He has a strong personal foundation rooted in his family and his heritage.
His biological parents live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Bidunga’s father is an engineer, and his mother is a businesswoman.
His parents’ support has been crucial to his success, even though they have chosen to stay out of the public eye.
It was an emotional decision for the family when Bidunga moved to the United States at age 15 to pursue his education and basketball career.
Bidunga grew up with a dream of becoming a professional athlete, but it had nothing to do with basketball. He was a striker who dreamed of playing for a European [soccer] club like Real Madrid.
I was back home shopping with my mom and then we saw a tall dude. He was like ‘Hey you play basketball? I was like ‘Nah… I play soccer.’ He was like ‘You should play basketball.’ Since then I started going to basketball and getting [interested] in it.
Flory Bidunga
Despite the difficulty of being separated, his parents were highly supportive of his dreams. He has often highlighted his mother’s role as his biggest motivator.
My family has been my biggest influence, especially my mother. She’s the one who really pushed me to do it.
Flory Bidunga
Bidunga’s parents are of Black ethnicity and reside in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he also grew up.
His background instilled in him a culture deeply connected to sports and resilience, values that continue to shape him on and off the court.
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Flory Bidunga Lives with the Host Parents in the US
Flory Bidunga has found a supportive family in the United States with his host parents, Dillon and Makenna Craft.
The connection began when Flory’s coach reached out to Makenna, a teacher who specializes in helping students learning English.
What started as tutoring quickly turned into a welcoming new home.
Dillon and Makenna weren’t even married yet when Flory moved in. They became a family while preparing for their own wedding and agreed that Bidunga needed stable, consistent support.
For the couple, this meant their first experience of “parenting” was with a teenager.
Through him learning English we’ve really got to know the person of Flory. He’s funny, he’s so funny. And silly. But also this like really sweet, sweet caring side… At his core of who he is, he is the most genuine person you will ever meet.
Makenna Craft
Makenna says the journey has brought them closer, improving their communication as they work together to support the athlete. Her face lights up when she talks about getting to know Bidunga.
As big sports fans, Dillon and Makenna enjoy being part of his journey as a top-ranked basketball center. Together, they have formed a loving family.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Flory Bidunga stands 2.06 m tall and weighs about 100 kg.
- He was a starter on Kokomo’s varsity soccer team.
- He had signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Jayhawks on November 9, 2023.
