French sensation Victor Wembanyama looks likely to join the San Antonio Spurs after they were awarded the top pick in next month's NBA draft.
San Antonio, who finished the regular season bottom of the Western Conference with a 22-60 record, were drawn first in the NBA's lottery to determine who gets the coveted top pick in New York on June 22.
Barring a monumental surprise, the 19-year-old Wembanyama will be the No 1 selection in the draft, which sees the cream of basketball's rookie talent up for grabs.
The 7ft 2in (2.21m) Metropolitans 92 player is seen by many as a transformational talent, a once-in-a-generation player regarded as the most sought-after No 1 draft pick since LeBron James entered the league in 2003.
Wembanyama is now set to follow in the footsteps of French basketball legend Tony Parker, who won four NBA championships with San Antonio between 2003 and 2014.
Tuesday's lottery results also mean Wembanyama is set to begin his NBA career under the tutelage of revered coach Gregg Popovich, a giant of the NBA who has guided San Antonio to five NBA titles.
"I can't really describe it, my heart's beating," Wembanyama told ESPN in an interview from Paris on Tuesday shortly after learning the likely identity of his new team.
"I've got everyone I love around me, it's a really special moment that I'm going to remember for the rest of my life."
Wembanyama added that he intends to make a fast start to his NBA career -- telling ESPN he wants to vie for championships.
"I'm a team player, I'm going to make everything to win as many games as I can. I'm trying to win a (championship) ring asap, so be ready," Wembanyama said.
Peter J Holt, chairman of Spurs Sports and Entertainment, reacted with delight after learning of the team's lottery win.
"I might faint," Holt said. "I'm so excited. The city of San Antonio, our fans, man we have so many people who love the Spurs. We're pumped."
NBA great James has been among Wembanyama's legion of admirers, describing him as less a "unicorn" and "more like an alien."
"No one has ever seen someone as tall as he is and as fluid and as graceful as he is on the floor," James said. "He's for sure a generational talent."
Spurs general manager Brian Wright told ESPN on Tuesday that the lottery results – and Wembanyama's likely arrival in Texas – marked an "incredible day" for the franchise.
"People talk about generational talent, and they only think on-court skill, but it's bigger than that," Wright said.
"His ability to be a great teammate, his ability to think the game, unique challenges, you see him doing things that you wouldn't even have guessed someone could do. His approach, his professionalism.
"When you use the word 'generational' talent, it extends beyond your ability to put the ball in the basket. And he's unique in so many ways."
Under the NBA's lottery format, the 14 teams that failed to reach this season's playoffs were entered in Tuesday's lottery with a chance to land the top pick.
Up until four years ago, the team with the worst regular-season record had the strongest probability of being granted the No 1 draft selection.
However, the lottery rules were tweaked in 2019 to even the odds in an effort to deter teams from deliberately losing or "tanking" to gain the top pick.
In Tuesday's lottery, San Antonio, the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons went into the draw with the same elevated 14 per cent chance of winning what the US media dubbed the "Wembanyama sweepstakes."
However, the Rockets were shunted down to fourth place, while the Detroit Pistons were bumped into fifth.
The Portland Trail Blazers will receive the third pick in the draft, while the Charlotte Hornets have the second pick.
How Alia's experiment will help humans get to Mars
Alia’s winning experiment examined how genes might change under the stresses caused by being in space, such as cosmic radiation and microgravity.
Her samples were placed in a machine on board the International Space Station. called a miniPCR thermal cycler, which can copy DNA multiple times.
After the samples were examined on return to Earth, scientists were able to successfully detect changes caused by being in space in the way DNA transmits instructions through proteins and other molecules in living organisms.
Although Alia’s samples were taken from nematode worms, the results have much bigger long term applications, especially for human space flight and long term missions, such as to Mars.
It also means that the first DNA experiments using human genomes can now be carried out on the ISS.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
England's lowest Test innings
- 45 v Australia in Sydney, January 28, 1887
- 46 v West Indies in Port of Spain, March 25, 1994
- 51 v West Indies in Kingston, February 4, 2009
- 52 v Australia at The Oval, August 14, 1948
- 53 v Australia at Lord's, July 16, 1888
- 58 v New Zealand in Auckland, March 22, 2018
Scores
New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
