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<\/a>The panel of Draft Night analysts. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n
I was too enthralled with the draft to take many notes, so this will be a short one.<\/p>\n
But my chief happiness came from an eventuality everyone in the world knew about\u2014that France’s wunderkind, nineteen-year-old, 7\u20192\u201d\u00a0Victor Wembanyama, (who is being referred to as a \u201conce-in-a-generation player,\u201d) was being taken first. That he’s going to be a San Antonio Spur makes my heart sing. As I stated on here way back in March, \u201cI seriously hope for Victor\u2019s sake that he goes to the Spurs so that he can get coached by that wonderful man,\u201d referring to Spurs head coach\u00a0Gregg Popovich, who I said\u00a0\u201cis my favorite basketball coach of all-time, and beloved by everyone, even opponents and the media to whom he gives one-word answers.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/a>Victor Wembanyama when his name was called first. Just look at his gorgeous and charming and grateful visage! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n
When they conducted the Draft Lottery way back on May 16th, and the #1 pick went to the Spurs, (who had only the third best chance to get it,) which meant that’s where Victor would be going, (because it was no mystery who the best draftee in the world is, for those of you who don’t follow sports news,) I literally cried my guts out, with relief and happiness, for well over a half hour. I mean sobbing like a hungry baby bawling!!! It’s not that I care about the Spurs anymore\u2014it’s that I care about a young kid having the best experience, one that he deserves. And now he gets to be trained by the absolute best and most caring coach in the NBA. I really feel that Pop would have retired this year if he hadn’t gotten Victor, so it appears to be a win for everybody. (Knock on wood.)<\/p>\n
<\/a>And notice Victor Wembanyama’s gorgeous, and gigantic, hands!!! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n
And in reality, the Detroit Pistons had the best chance to get him, (meaning they were the absolute worst team this past season, which I feel was in part on purpose, so they could procure Wembanyama,)* and I would have hated for him to begin his United States tenure in such an unsafe city as I believe that one is.<\/p>\n
* [Note: On March 31 of this year, I wrote, \u201cObviously, I\u2019m not the only one who\u2019s thinking this way\u2014Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner,\u00a0has warned that the league would pay ‘particular attention’ to\u00a0see if any of the teams are ‘tanking’ any games, so they can get that best chance at acquiring Victor in the draft.\u201d]<\/p>\n
Now here are my thoughts on some of the other high draft selections.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Look how Ray this brother thing is, and the Thompsons are the only TWINS!!!<\/p><\/div>\n
In the pre-draft interviews, twins Amen and Ausar Thompson, looked the best. And I love that they were selected back-to-back, as #4 and #5 respectively.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Gradey Dick will look back at his Draft Night outfit one day, and cringe, as the rest of us did seeing it! He even demostrarted that the “shirt” part is actually just an old-fashioned dickey!!! (To honor his last name, perhaps?)<\/p><\/div>\n
Gradey Dick cracked me up with his red sequined outfit, (which was reminiscent of some of my<\/em> ’80s specials,) and what he had to say. But how unfortunate is his name??? And how will the commentators hold themselves back from tittering when they have to say it? How did no one in his fam’s former generations not change it, for goodness sake???<\/p>\n I love that #3 Scoot Henderson said something about doing good \u201cin the community.\u201d<\/p>\n Bilal Coulibaly, (also from France, and from the same team there as Wembanyama!,) is adorable! He pointed to Adam Silver’s face in his official photo. And he speaks English with a combination of French and an urban American accent, which is quite the combination.<\/p>\n Jeff Howard has the prettiest mother. She looks like someone who would be starring in a TV series. (Of course<\/em> his mother is picture perfect\u2014his dad is very famous and very popular and charming former pro player, Juwan Howard!)<\/p>\n The Howard fam.<\/p><\/div>\n Dereck Lively II has the most emotional story ever. (His dad died from a drug overdose when little Dereck was just eight, and his mother went on to battle a dreadful cancer a few years later. I just looked up his entire story to synopsize it for you guys, and I’m sitting here crying again, knowing the breadth and depth of what he and his mother have been through. (Here’s the link to one whole article on their lives:\u00a0www.washingtonpost.com\/sports\/2023\/07\/14\/dereck-lively-dad-mom-cancer<\/a>.) And now, at just nineteen, he’s already bought his mother a house with his first NIL money, (which is paid to college athletes these days, for their Name, Image, and Likeness,) and will be playing with my beloved Luka Doncic for Coach Jason Kidd in Houston! I wish him the best. (I only wish that creepy and nasty Kyrie Irving weren’t still playing for them!)<\/p>\n Dereck Lively II hugging his mom when they called his name, before…<\/p><\/div>\n<\/a><\/a>