Kyle Mangas believes he has the talent to make an NBA roster.
It’s that belief that continues to push the former Warsaw Community High School basketball star to chase his lifelong dream.
Mangas, a 6-4 guard, is currently playing in the NBA Summer League for the San Antonio Spurs. He was playing with the Vancouver Bandits in the Canadian Elite Basketball League and plans to return there to complete the season when done with a total of eight scheduled summer league games in California and Las Vegas.
“I truly believe that I’m right there as far as the NBA,” said Mangas in a phone interview from Vancouver prior to reporting to the Spurs training camp before the summer league games begin on July 5. “I feel like I’m knocking on the door because I’ve been close already.
“I’m just going into the summer league hungry. I want to be aggressive and prove that I am an NBA caliber player to the Spurs and to other teams in the league. I’m pumped for it and I feel confident. This is really my first summer league opportunity because I got injured last summer and did not have a chance to play like this year.”
Mangas played one half of the first game of the summer league for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2024 before suffering an ankle injury that ended that opportunity.
Mangas was signed by Vancouver in late April. He was averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists in nine games. He has previously played professionally in Czechoslovakia (2021-22), Lithuania (2022-23) and with the Indiana Mad Ants (2023-25) and the Austin Spurs (2025) in the NBA G League. He averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists for the Austin Spurs.
“I feel like I’m in the prime of my career right now,” said the 26-year-old Mangas. “I feel that I’ve gotten better every year. I feel like my shooting range has grown and so has my play making skills and my defensive play too.”
Mangas was an Indiana All-Star for the Tigers, scoring 1,450 points in his prep career. He then went on to star at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, where he was a four-time NAIA All-American, the Crossroads League Player of the Year four times, an Academic All-American and earned the Bevo Francis Award in 2020, which is given to the top small college basketball player in the country (below the NCAA Division I level). He also helped the Wildcats win an NAIA National title in 2018.
“My story is unique playing in the NAIA, but I’m also super proud of my journey,” related Mangas. “It feels like a long time ago that I played in Warsaw (graduating in 2017). But I will never forget the memories I made there with my teammates, coaches and the community.
“Those were really special years to me playing for Warsaw. It meant so much to me.”
Mangas, whose parents Tim and Ann now reside in Winona Lake, Ind., also had his former high school coach on his mind. Doug Ogle, who retired from coaching in 2020 after 35 years at Warsaw (18 as the head coach and 17 as the JV coach prior to that), suffered a massive heart attack on May 28. Ogle is now recovering at home after heart bypass surgery and a lengthy stay in a Fort Wayne hospital.
“That was heavy on my mind,” said Mangas when family notified him about Ogle’s health scare. “Coach and I frequently text and it hit so close to home. I definitely plan to go see him when I get back to Warsaw again, likely sometime after the season ends in Vancouver. He had such a big influence on me in ways much more than just basketball.”
Mangas also has a new “biggest” fan in his corner. He married his wife Karen, who he met at IWU, in July of 2024.
“Being married is great,” Mangas remarked. “It’s great to have someone to share all of these adventures with. She makes a lot of sacrifices for me and I’m just so grateful for her.”
Mangas follows the NBA game closely, but does not try to compare his skill set to those currently in the world’s top league.
“I try to have blinders on and not compare myself to guys in the NBA,” noted Mangas. “Everyone’s route is different and it’s a cut throat business. There are so many great players competing for so few spots.
“I look at a guy like Alex Caruso of Oklahoma City, who worked his way up to make it. That’s inspiring to me.”
Mangas did keep a close eye on the Indiana Pacers as they lost to Oklahoma City in seven games in the NBA Finals.
“It was not surprising to me to see the Pacers do what they did,” Mangas said. “They play so unselfishly and are relentless. They were just a super fun team to watch play the game.”
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Warsaw’s Kyle Mangas continues to chase his NBA dream
Reporting by Scott Davidson, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
