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Alex Sarr doesn’t know where he’ll spend his next few years of employment, but the big man from Toulouse, France, is soaking up the moment as he awaits to hear his name called at the 2024 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.
“It’s a blessing,” Sarr said during an unreleased episode of Sportico’s Business Beyond the Game. “You only get drafted once, and I’m enjoying every minute of it.”
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Sarr chose to enter the NBA after starring in Australia’s National Basketball League this year, playing his part as a member of the NBL’s Next Stars program, a development pathway for NBA draft eligible talent. He carried the Perth Wildcats to the semifinal round of the NBL playoffs this past season where averaged nine points and four rebounds. Before that, the 7-foot international prospect played for Atlanta-based league Overtime Elite for two years, where he polished his skills as a skinny yet versatile forward.
“Every prospect is different,” he said on the BBTG videocast. “You got to really think what’s best for you. You might not be ready for the professional game and being coached as a professional player. … It really depends what type of player you are and how ready you are.”
Sarr, who is following in the footsteps of former OTE stars turned 2023 NBA lottery picks Ausar and Amen Thompson, represents the new generation of players who are taking alternative routes from the NCAA to achieve their NBA dreams. Sarr, who moved to Spain to play for EuroLeague’s Real Madrid Baloncesto at age 14, is poised to become the highest drafted player ever to have played for OTE, which launched in 2021.
“I think you just learn how to adapt to different situations,” he said. “I moved when I was young out of the house to play in Spain. I had to learn how to live in another country. Now I know how to adapt pretty fast to new environments.”
The son of a former pro basketball player, Massar, and the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder center Olivier, Sarr is the latest prospect to take advantage of newer development properties that were not available a decade ago to up-and-coming hoops…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-lottery-pick-alex-sarr-040100829.html
Author : Sportico
Publish date : 2024-06-26 04:01:00
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