With the NBA Draft just hours away, here are some more important tidbits:
The 2017 edition of the NBA Draft, presented by State Farm, will be shown in over 200 countries and territories. It also will be on International NBA League Pass.
International Media, which includes a small section of Filipino scribes, will have the chance to have live interviews with some of the 2017 top draftees at the Barclays Center, thanks to the NBA and Cisco through Cisco video conference later this morning.
Last year's edition netted a record 27 international selections, with a NBA Draft-record fifteen of them coming in the first round. That led to 113 international players from 41 different countries and territories on opening night rosters this just concluded season, which comprises a record 25 percent of the league. It is the third straight season that there are at least a hundred international players in the NBA, with all thirty teams having at least one on their roster.
The NBA (and FIBA) touts its Basketball Without Borders program, which unites young basketball players to promote the sport and encourage positive social change. These usually involve the best youth players that are 19-and-under at the time. Since being established in 2001, there have been 43 alums selected in the NBA Draft, and opening night this past season saw 23 alums dotting the different rosters.
The highest drafted BWB alumni are as follows:
Andrea Bargnani (Italy, 1st in 2006 by Toronto)
Enes Kanter (Turkey via Kentucky, 3rd in 2011 by Utah)
Joel Embiid (Cameroon via Kansas, 3rd in 2014 by Philadelphia)
Dragan Bender (Croatia, 4th in 2016 by Phoenix)
Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania, 5th in 2011 by Toronto)
Danilo Gallinari (Italy, 6th overall in 2008 by New York)
The NBA Draft's most notable top tier international selections are these guys:
OG Anunoby (United Kingdom)
He played one season in the NCAA with Indiana, averaging 11.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 16 games with the Hoosiers, before his season was cut short by a knee injury.
Potentially could be the highest-drafted British player in the league's history, Ndubi Edi is currently the highest drafted player from the UK. Minnesota drafted the Westbury Christian HS School alumnus 26th overall in 2003. If he gets picked in the first round in the upcoming draft, OG could be the first British player picked there since Joel Freeland by Portland in 2006.
Jonah Bolden (Australia)
Played this past season at Radnicki Basket in Serbia, averaging 12.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, a steal, and a block in 25 games. This was after a short stint at UCLA.
Could become the sixth Aussie drafted in the lottery portion of the NBA Draft, following Luc Longley (7th in 1991 by Minnesota), Andrew Bogut (1st in 2005 by Milwaukee), Kyrie Irving (1st in 2011 by Cleveland), Dante Exum (5th in 2014 by Utah), and Ben Simmons (1st in 2016 by Philadelphia).
Chris Boucher and Dillon Brooks (Canada)
Both guys played this past season in the NCAA with Oregon, with Boucher averaging 11.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in 30 games and Brooks averaging 16 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals in 34 games.
The continued growth of Canadian basketball is being reflected with the league-high eleven players on opening night rosters.
Lauri Markkanen (Finland)
Played at Arizona last season, averaging 15.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and almost one assist in 37 games.
Would most likely be the highest drafted Finn ever. Portland drafted Petteri Koponen 30th overall in 2007, the only other time a Finn was drafted in the first round.
Markkanen is a Basketball Without Borders alum, having participated at BWB Europe 2014 in Rome and at the 2015 BWB Global Camp in New York.
Frank Ntilikina and Mathias Lessort (France)
Frank played at Strasbourg this past season, averaging 5.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 44 games at the French league. Meanwhile, Mathias played at Nanterre, averaging 10.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and a block after 36 games.
Frank would most likely be the highest drafted French player ever. That currently belongs to Mickael Pietrus, when Golden State picked the man called "Air France" 11th overall in 2003.
Frank is a Basketball Without Borders alum, having participated at BWB Europe 2015 in Gran Canaria and at the 2016 BWB Global Camp in Toronto.
Anžejs Pasečņiks (Latvia)
Anžejs played at Gran Canaria last season, averaging 7.8 points and 3.1 rebounds in 35 games last season. He would be the highest drafted Lativian since Kristaps Porzingis by New York in 2015.
The 2017 edition of the NBA Draft, presented by State Farm, will be shown in over 200 countries and territories. It also will be on International NBA League Pass.
International Media, which includes a small section of Filipino scribes, will have the chance to have live interviews with some of the 2017 top draftees at the Barclays Center, thanks to the NBA and Cisco through Cisco video conference later this morning.
Last year's edition netted a record 27 international selections, with a NBA Draft-record fifteen of them coming in the first round. That led to 113 international players from 41 different countries and territories on opening night rosters this just concluded season, which comprises a record 25 percent of the league. It is the third straight season that there are at least a hundred international players in the NBA, with all thirty teams having at least one on their roster.
The NBA (and FIBA) touts its Basketball Without Borders program, which unites young basketball players to promote the sport and encourage positive social change. These usually involve the best youth players that are 19-and-under at the time. Since being established in 2001, there have been 43 alums selected in the NBA Draft, and opening night this past season saw 23 alums dotting the different rosters.
The highest drafted BWB alumni are as follows:
Andrea Bargnani (Italy, 1st in 2006 by Toronto)
Enes Kanter (Turkey via Kentucky, 3rd in 2011 by Utah)
Joel Embiid (Cameroon via Kansas, 3rd in 2014 by Philadelphia)
Dragan Bender (Croatia, 4th in 2016 by Phoenix)
Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania, 5th in 2011 by Toronto)
Danilo Gallinari (Italy, 6th overall in 2008 by New York)
The NBA Draft's most notable top tier international selections are these guys:
OG Anunoby (United Kingdom)
He played one season in the NCAA with Indiana, averaging 11.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 16 games with the Hoosiers, before his season was cut short by a knee injury.
Potentially could be the highest-drafted British player in the league's history, Ndubi Edi is currently the highest drafted player from the UK. Minnesota drafted the Westbury Christian HS School alumnus 26th overall in 2003. If he gets picked in the first round in the upcoming draft, OG could be the first British player picked there since Joel Freeland by Portland in 2006.
Jonah Bolden (Australia)
Played this past season at Radnicki Basket in Serbia, averaging 12.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, a steal, and a block in 25 games. This was after a short stint at UCLA.
Could become the sixth Aussie drafted in the lottery portion of the NBA Draft, following Luc Longley (7th in 1991 by Minnesota), Andrew Bogut (1st in 2005 by Milwaukee), Kyrie Irving (1st in 2011 by Cleveland), Dante Exum (5th in 2014 by Utah), and Ben Simmons (1st in 2016 by Philadelphia).
Chris Boucher and Dillon Brooks (Canada)
Both guys played this past season in the NCAA with Oregon, with Boucher averaging 11.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in 30 games and Brooks averaging 16 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals in 34 games.
The continued growth of Canadian basketball is being reflected with the league-high eleven players on opening night rosters.
Lauri Markkanen (Finland)
Played at Arizona last season, averaging 15.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and almost one assist in 37 games.
Would most likely be the highest drafted Finn ever. Portland drafted Petteri Koponen 30th overall in 2007, the only other time a Finn was drafted in the first round.
Markkanen is a Basketball Without Borders alum, having participated at BWB Europe 2014 in Rome and at the 2015 BWB Global Camp in New York.
Frank Ntilikina and Mathias Lessort (France)
Frank played at Strasbourg this past season, averaging 5.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 44 games at the French league. Meanwhile, Mathias played at Nanterre, averaging 10.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and a block after 36 games.
Frank would most likely be the highest drafted French player ever. That currently belongs to Mickael Pietrus, when Golden State picked the man called "Air France" 11th overall in 2003.
Frank is a Basketball Without Borders alum, having participated at BWB Europe 2015 in Gran Canaria and at the 2016 BWB Global Camp in Toronto.
Anžejs Pasečņiks (Latvia)
Anžejs played at Gran Canaria last season, averaging 7.8 points and 3.1 rebounds in 35 games last season. He would be the highest drafted Lativian since Kristaps Porzingis by New York in 2015.
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