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Potential No. 1 draft pick Alexandre Sarr is excited about the opportunity to play for the Atlanta Hawks

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CHICAGO – As the 2024 NBA draft lottery was announced, 6-foot-1 Alexandre Sarr stretched out his long legs in the front row in hopes of checking out where he’ll play next season. After the stunning results were publicly announced, the much-touted Frenchman learned he could return to Atlanta to play for the lottery-lucky Hawks.

“I’m very excited,” Sarr told Andscape after Sunday’s draft lottery at McCormick Place West. “I just discovered what the order is. It tells me what team I will likely be working with…

“Jastrzębie is an exciting organization. They are going in the right direction. It’s great that they have the No. 1 pick.”

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The Hawks entered the NBA draft lottery with only a 3% likelihood of landing the first pick on this yr’s draft. The only other time Atlanta made a top pick was in 1975 when it chosen David Thompson, who opted to sign a six-year, $3 million contract with the Denver Nuggets of the American Basketball Association. The first round of the 2024 NBA draft will happen on June 26 in Brooklyn, New York.

Hawks general manager Landry Fields said he was “shocked” to learn his franchise was the favorite.

“You look at percentages. But when I saw that we weren’t between 10th and 12th place, that’s how we made it to the top four. I thought to myself, “Okay. We feel good about it. ” said Fields, who didn’t bring the talisman with him. “A small surprise, but also a lot of emotions.”

Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields looks at the 2024 NBA draft lottery on May 12 in Chicago.
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Marc J. Spears for Andscape

Just before the sweepstakes was revealed, Hawks executive vice chairman and chief communications officer Garin Narain told people on his team, the NBA and the media that he had a sense his franchise could be highly valued. More than an hour earlier, Hawks vice chairman of player personnel Daniel Starkman wasn’t quite as optimistic as the odds were fifth-worst. But when the lottery combination was revealed behind closed doors, Starkey began to notice that a shocking result was on the horizon. The Hawks’ winning combination was 6-10-14-13, which resulted in the No. 1 pick.

Starkey and the remainder of the lottery viewers, including Utah Jazz general manager Danny Ainge, were locked out of messaging and unable to leave the secured room until the draft results were made public.

“I looked like the (winning) ball went out,” Starkey told Andscape. “I didn’t know how to react. Nobody in the room knows me. I behaved professionally. It got a little livelier when Landry was able to feel the excitement. I didn’t know what the protocol was. Internally I was excited.”

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A yr ago, one other Frenchman, Victor Wembanyama, was the clear favorite to be chosen number 1 in the 2023 NBA draft. The Spurs team chosen the 6-foot-1 center as their best, and he didn’t disappoint, winning the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year award. together there is no consensus No. 1, Sarr is it is currently expected to be a alternative by ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony.

Sarr, 19, is averaging 9.4 points, 0.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks this season and averaging 17.3 minutes for Perth in the Australian National Basketball League. He began gaining interest from NBA scouts after playing in two exhibition games against G League Ignite in Las Vegas in September 2023. Sarr showed off his athleticism with high dunks and shot blocking, and he rebounded well and guarded much shorter players. Sarra’s brother, Olivier, is a two-way player for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Sarr believes he needs to be first alternative.

“I bring lots of versatility with me. I can really make an impact. I’m changing the rules of the game defensively,” Sarr told Andscape.

With all due respect to Sarr, nevertheless, expect the Hawks to do their due diligence.

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Fields said the Hawks will “take a deep dive” in evaluating draft prospects. He wasn’t sure how a lot of them he would consider when deciding on the most suitable option. Other potential top draft prospects the Hawks could work with and visit include JL Bourg forward Zaccharie Risacher, Kentucky point guards Reed Sheppard and Robert Dillingham, G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis and Connecticut center Donovan Clingan.

Last season, the Hawks missed the playoffs with a disappointing 36-46 record and a loss in the play-in tournament. Atlanta has two standout guards who’ve been in trade rumors for months, three-time NBA All-Star Trae Young and 2022 Dejounte Murray.

“I feel good about what we will build next,” Fields told Andscape. “We have a lot of great players in Atlanta.”

(*1*)
Top NBA draft prospect Alexandre Sarr (right) speaks to the media during the 2024 NBA draft lottery in Chicago on May 12.
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Marc J. Spears for Andscape

There is a powerful possibility that the Hawks will visit Sarra privately this week during the NBA draft. The Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs have the second, third and fourth picks, respectively, and will also request visits. Then, Sarr said, he’ll return to Santa Barbara, California, for further training and preparation for team visits. Fields told Andscape that he has watched Sarr play in Australia this season, but declined to reveal what he thinks of him as a player.

If Sarr is chosen by the Hawks, he can have no problem acclimating to Atlanta after his recent two-year stint in Atlanta. He played for Overtime Elite in Atlanta from 2021-2023 before signing with Perth last season. Overtime Elite was founded in 2021 and serves as a pathway for elite teenage basketball players to play in the league against other talented players on their way to the NBA or other skilled leagues. Former Overtime Elite guards Amen and Ausar Thompson were the fourth and fifth picks, respectively, in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Sarr said that when he played for Overtime Elite, he attended “a lot of Hawks games” and enjoyed the “awe of the crowd.”

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“I do know somewhat about Atlanta. I didn’t do much. I used to be just on my way to school and at the gym. It’s an important city,” Sarr said.

Sarr could be comfortable playing in Atlanta. Time will tell if the Hawks feel the same. Atlanta has a alternative: draft him, select one other prospect, or trade him for one other player. This is an enormous and unexpected problem for Atlanta, considering it has overcome overwhelming odds to land in such a coveted position.

Asked if the Hawks would keep the No. 1 pick, Landry told Andscape: “I do not know. We’ll see.”

Marc J. Spears is Andscape’s senior NBA author. He used to have the opportunity to dunk on you, but he hasn’t been able to do it for years and his knees still hurt.

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Jalen Milroe can follow the Jalen path in NFL

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Star Black playmakers aren’t any longer an exception – they’re the rule. Throughout the entire football season, this series will discover the importance and influence of black QB from bottom -up to NFL.


Indianapolis-keep me, should you heard it earlier: playmaker Alabama born in Texas, who’s a stronger runner than a passerby, will probably be called outside the first round of the NFL Draft.

The playmaker was undefeated in Sec as a primary -year starter.

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The playmaker never played for the same offensive coordinator.

The name of the playmaker is even Jalen.

But it isn’t clear that Jalen hurts. This winter he was busy winning the Super Bowl MVP, and he didn’t play Iron Bowl or against Michigan.

Instead, it’s a former playmaker of Crimson Tide Jalen Milroewho last week Combine Combine tried to convey the case to the trainers and evaluators that he – like his namesake – is price being their playmaker franchise in the future despite questions on his ability.

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“I went through adversity. I saw everything as a quarterback, “Milroe said on Friday. “I played at the most difficult conference in the country. It would be easier to play at other conferences, but what I could see in Sec catapulted me that I was ready to play NFL. “

Alabama, Jalen Milroe, talks to the media during the NFL mix at the Lucas Oil stadium on February 28 at Indianapolis.

Justin Casterline/Getty Images

Departing from Katy in Texas, she originally got involved in Texas in 2019, but a 12 months later she fell to Alabama. After he was sitting behind the Crimson Tide Starter Bryung for 2 seasons, Milroe took his reins in the 2023 season. He helped Alabama survive Sec (8-0) this 12 months, won by the conference rival and two-time defender Georgia in the SEC championship, which caused Crimson Tide to the play-off collection.

But while Milroe had a big arm (his 10 yards for the test took third place in Sec in 2023), the pass was not his strong suit. For two seasons as a starter Milroe never achieved 3000 yards in one season, the first starter of Alabama, who did it because it … hurts.

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Hurts, from Houston, led Crimson Tide to the National National Championships in 2016–17, but during these two seasons were lower than 5,000 yards. While Hurts was a singular Rusher (1,809 yards and 21 sticks) at the moment, his weakness as a passerby is known for led to the spare Tua Tavailoa during the break of the national championships in 2017.

In the mix, Milroe decided that despite his pedestrian passes, he was still worthy of being a start at NFL.

He is aware of his weaknesses and swore that he worked in the ass to enhance outside being “one dimension.” He could move when his legendary trainer, Nick Saban, retired after the 2023 season, but decided to not fall off. He traveled six miles a day to ensure that that something was left in the fourth quarter in the fourth quarter. He studied progression and reads after I-SNAP to lift his IQ in football.

Unlike the forecast sorts of the first round, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, Milroe threw a mix on Saturday, hoping that he would show the bands that he has mechanics to do that to the playmaker NFL. It turned out to be a mixed bag. Milroe showed strong arm strength and a very good location of sail routes, curls and it while throwing exercises, but fought accuracy on intermediate and on the routes.

“That’s so many things that I can learn more where I am today and where I will be when it comes to day 1, starting with NFL,” said Milroe before Saturday exercises. “Always be a game student, at all times attempt to develop, because it would be so many opportunities in which I can look back and say that it was the moment after I grew up as a playmaker.

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“That’s right now, I’m just trying to grow as much as possible, put my best foot forward and just look for development.”

Jalen Milroe warms up during seniors training at the Hancock Whitney stadium on January 29 at Mobile, Alabama.

Derick E. Hingle/Getty Images

Milroe was asked that he was one other playmaker in Alabama to succeed in the mix, following in the footsteps of the role (who moved to Oklahoma in 2019), Tavailoa, Mac Jones and Bryce Young. Milroe said he appreciates being in the company of others, but he added that it’s difficult to check him with others.

“We had different bands, we had different players around us, we had a different system,” he said.

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But when he specifically asked what he could study the journey of Hurts-from the first manager of the game after the super Bowl-Milroe master said he inspired him his companion Alabam.

“The most important thing I learned from J. Hurts is how he kept his head (I) always continued to work,” said Milroe. “He at all times raised his game, he has never been self -deserved, and all the pieces you see is great progress from him.

“And I have to applaud him as a person, he as a man, because he is definitely inspiring for many playmakers of my image, as well as many playmakers throughout the country. He leads to all of us. “

The couple isn’t completely similar. Hurts had about 20 kilos on Milroe when he was in college. Milroe has a stronger arm, while Hurts played more and not using a mistake of football: Milroe threw 17 interceptions and ate 67 bags for 2 seasons as a starter in comparison with 10 captures Hurts and 43 bags.

But they can each be changing the game when their teams need them. In a highly publicized match against Georgia at the starting of the last season, Milroe finished almost 82% of his passes on 374 yards and two appointments, adding 117 yards to the ground for the next two results.

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Milroe can also match the wounds in the so -called “Jalen-ISMS. “

“Climbing upstairs is not easy, but when you reach the top of this mountain, you will learn so many things when it comes to adversity when it comes to difficulties, things along the way,” said Milroe in a mix.

Martenzie Johnson is an older author for Andcape. His favorite film moment is that Django said: “You all want to see something?”

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Like Tommie Smith and John Carlos from 1968. Black Power Salute inspired me to find my goal

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I’d say that I grew up within the household to be sure that that me and my siblings were aware of the black history. My parents invested in the gathering of black encyclopedias. On the duvet we had a version of the Bible with Black Jesus. Our house was stuffed with books of black novelists and thinkers, and if a black document appeared, we watched it. I watched all movies made on television about Dr. King, each “Roots” and “Alex Haley’s Queen” and I sat for all 14 hours “Eyes on the reward”-as a toddler. Bless my heart.

Having said this, there have been pockets of black history, and more likely that I had no opportunity to delve into once I was a toddler. The college was where all the will for information and understanding of the combined. I attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga., One of a very powerful historically black universities within the country. It was there that I met people from around the globe whose knowledge about black history differed (often depending on the colleges and the communities by which we lived), but everyone had hunger to learn more.

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One day, through the first yr, I remember one among my friends in a T -shirt by which I had definitely seen before, but I never paid attention to. There was a black and white screen printing on the shirt (what I do know now) the enduring moment on the Olympic Games in Mexico in 1968, where on the rostrum for 200-meter medals, Tommie Smith, John Carlos (races 1. And 3. Place Finaners) Everyone gathered a black fist in gloves while he played “Star Spangled Banner”. Peter Norman, the second place from Australia, wore a human rights badge, like Smith and Carlos.

Not only did they raise the fist of black power (although they each said it was for human rights), they received medals in black socks to represent poverty within the black community, and Smith wore a black scarf for black pride. Carlos showed solidarity with blue-wheeled employees, unpacking the jacket and wore a necklace from the beads for individuals who were lynched. Due to the state of Black America in 1968 and a continuing struggle for equality and civil rights, there have been calls to a boycott of the Games. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was also killed in April this yr – and all three athletes were inspired enough to find a way to do it on the rostrum, which led to one of the crucial durable images of public protest.

I remember how I learned history and realized that on the most important scene these brave men used their moment of triumph and victory to quietly protest against the conditions of underrated communities in America. I felt strengthened; We often discuss standing on the arms of giants, however the more I got into the history of black in America, the more I spotted what number of giants there have been. In college I used to be very bad and for a while ready to burn every part that represented the establishment or any obstacle to black liberation. I felt like all those individuals who even saw their space on the planet in reference to individuals who could never give you the option to speak as heroes whose lives were to be modeled later. Especially since it was also fastidiously that putting people in front of him can often bring an enormous personal loss.

When Smith and Carlos took their position, they were booed on the stadium and ordered to be sent home by the International Olympic Committee. The athletes returned home, but they weren’t welcomed by the hero, but as a substitute of rough sleds, and even in some cases the specter of death. They were also not beloved by athletes. Two men, associated eternally in history, even have a good relationship –Carlos even claims that he let Smith go within the race Because “Tommie Smith would never put his fist in the sky if I won this race,” the claim that Smith denies.

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History ultimately has a way of rights, but it surely took a few years and realizations on the front of social policy, in order that the actions of those persons are perceived as brave and needed, not only selfish and smug.

The lessons that I learned from College and continuous reading and education I gained (my head remained within the book about black history) were one among the best advantages in HBCU. The very variety of books I learned about about which I actually have never heard of – I actually have upheld me all my life.

That is why I remember sooner or later I used to be walking around Washington, the eastern Washington market and a street seller was selling different photos of moments in black history, and he had a 40 -inch photo within the Tommie Smith and John Carlos frame. I paid for it in money and spent it across the capital of the country until I returned home. I do know that it happened in 2005 (I finished Morehouse College in 2001) because I just moved to my first apartment with no roommate and it was the very first thing that I actually have ever suspended on the wall. This picture within the frame still hangs on the wall in my home in 2025 and I used it to teach my children about sacrifice and privilege and how you may have to discuss individuals who cannot.

Teenage students of Stax Music Academy Mark 25th anniversary, black history month with a concert

The query that my youngest children often ask: “How do I know who can’t speak for herself?” Which is an incredible query. For this I answered an easy fact, pointing to the photo:

“These men have made a gesture that gave people whose most of us, including them, would never see or never know them, but on which life negatively affects the alternatives of the wealthy and the federal government. Sometimes you may have to take this chance to say something because you do not know in the event you’ll ever have such a big platform.

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Son, there may be at all times someone who cannot speak for himself, and you may have to use it in a voice, because perhaps the thing you say or a stand that can help someone you understand, live a greater life. ”

I take advantage of words that may understand a little bit higher, but I can inform you that my children have a look at this photo on a regular basis, and once one among my sons said: “These guys are heroes, right?”

I say yes, they’re. They are the heroes of the Black History.

They will live eternally for speaking, and even quietly, in solidarity with those that couldn’t.

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Panama Jackson Thegrio.com

(Tagstranslate) @Ap

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Main Treasury Official Morgan State University, Sterling Steward, died

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Morgan State University, Sterling Steward


Morgan State University announced that his older associate athletics director and tax director, Sterling Steward, died.

No reason for death was disclosed, but the college has confirmed his contribution since he was employed in December 2022.

Steward died on February 26. In Morgan State he was accountable for the event of university programs, supporting partnerships and strengthening the financial and operational success of the Faculty.

“Sterling was more than a colleague-he was a respected leader, mentor and friend,” said in a written statement by Den Freeman-Patton, vice chairman and director of inter-university athletes. “His passion for athletics and commitment to raising Morgan programs were visible in everything he did. He worked tirelessly to ensure that our sports students had resources and the possibilities of distinction, and its impact will be felt for many years. We expand our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones, especially his three sons and sister when we mourn this huge loss. “

While the steward worked in Morgan, strategic growth and cooperation occurred. His work with the institutional development department helped to offer more opportunities and created lasting relationships to support sports programs.

Steward earlier he worked At the University of New Orleans (UNO) as an assistant to the college athletics director for strategic income generation. He also made stays on the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Savannah State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Alabama State University, Kentucky State University, Eastern Oregon University and Xavier University in various roles, including for a senior consultant athletics director and sports director.

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He was from New Orleans, who received the title of bachelor and master’s degree on the University of Southern Mississippi. He won a bachelor’s degree in the sphere of coaching and administration/history of sport and his master’s degree in the sphere of sport management.

(Tagstransate) Morgan State Universiry

This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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