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It hasn't been a year since Victor Wembanamaya officially arrived in the NBA but people are still blown away by his out-of-this-world combination of size, length, and skill.
Now, Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers and the rest of the league will have to prepare anew for another tall youngster with oozing potential coming over from France, with Alex Sarr expected by many to become the first player taken off the board in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft.
Clippers' Paul George can't believe Alex Sarr's size
Sarr was a recent guest on the Clippers star's podcast, Podcast P with Paul George, and he left the nine-time NBA All-Star astonished by his immense height at such a young age. Only 19 years old, Sarr is already a seven-footer. Sarr said he is 7-1, prompting George to say, “God, what are they doin' in France?”
“I was always tall. When I was 14, I went from like 6'8 to like 7-foot,” Sarr added.
Paul George: "How tall are you?"
Alex Sarr: "7'1."
PG: "7.1. God, what are they doin' in France?"
Sarr: "I was always tall. When I was 14, I went from like 6'8 to like 7-foot." 😳
(via @PodcastPShow)pic.twitter.com/LQy9CArJoK
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 29, 2024
George is used to seeing large human beings given that he's been playing in the NBA for over a decade now, but perhaps what amazes him more about Alex Sarr is knowing another young hooper from France with great size has a good chance of getting picked first overall in the draft. Wembanamaya proved he could hang with the best in the NBA right away, as the Spurs big man even won the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year award while also nearly winning the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year. For what it's worth, Wembanamaya finished second in the DPOY race, just behind fellow French, Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Sarr will always be mentioned in the same sentence with Wembanamaya and it will be more intense the closer the NBA Draft gets, but he's also looking to carve his own path in the basketball world. He has been turning the heads of scouts for some time now. He started to get more attention from the American audience in 2021 when he joined the Overtime Elite. After his stint with the Altanta-based league, Alex Sarr flew all the way to the Land Down Under in 2023 and inked a deal with the Perth Wildcats of Australia's National Basketball League (NBL).
“The professional route just suits me better as a player and has helped me develop my game better,” Sarr said in 2023 about his decision to be a pro instead of taking the college path as part of his journey to reach the NBA (via Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports). “The spacing allows me more freedom and versatility, so that’s why I chose to play in the NBL and not college.”
In 24 games with the Wildcats, Alex Sarr averaged 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and a team-best 1.3 blocks while shooting 52.0 percent from the floor in just 17.2 minutes.
Here's what Jonathan Givony of ESPN wrote about Sarr back in April:
“Sarr is one of the most physically gifted prospects in this class, standing 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-4½ wingspan and outstanding athletic ability. He covers ground fluidly, is quick off his feet as a finisher and rim-protector, and has the potential to emerge as one of the best defenders in this class with his ability to guard smaller players on the perimeter. Sarr can also stretch the floor from beyond the arc, converting 18 3-pointers in 27 games this season.”
The 2024 NBA Draft will be held from June 26 to 27, with the first round taking place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
