Making the NBA is one of the hardest things a person can accomplish. It takes years of dedication, precise performance, and a little bit of luck just to end up on a roster in the best basketball league in the world.

Or, you could just dunk on the big guy.

Today’s Lineup

Le Deuxieme Acte

If you tuned in to watch the French national team play during the Olympics, it was probably with the intention of seeing their NBA superstars like Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert. But if you watched enough, it was impossible not to notice the impact of another Frenchman: forward Guerschon Yabusele.

While Yabusele will see his Olympic performance most remembered for his poster dunk on LeBron James, the 2016 #16 overall pick was essential to the French attack, averaging 14 PPG and shooting 52% from the field. Now, he’s parlayed that into a second chance in the NBA, signing a 1-year, $2.1 million deal with the 76ers.

It’s clear that NBA teams take notice when players ball out on the international stage—look no further than Patty Mills signing with the Jazz after his own Olympic explosion. And while Yabusele didn’t exactly hit his stride during his initial stint with Boston, we can’t wait to see what he does in Philly!

Money Moves

Every hooper wants to diversify their earnings outside of their league paycheck. And while many do this through endorsements and other additional income streams, how many invest in other professional sports teams?

Kevin Durant has never been typical on the court, and that uniqueness extends to his wallet, which he recently opened up to purchase a stake in the French soccer team Paris Saint-Germain. The three-time defending Ligue 1 champs are currently valued at $4.6 billion, and KD’s share will come via the American investment fund Arctos Sports Partners, which owns a 12.5% stake in the team.

This isn’t the first time KD, a big soccer fan, has invested in the sport. He also owns a stake in the Philadelphia Union, a Major League Soccer team. After his 15-point performance in the gold medal game, one could say he owns France in more ways than one.

First Year Favorites

While the anticipation builds to see this year’s rookie class in action, let’s take a look back on some first-years who dominated the league from the jump.

Wilt Chamberlain — 37.6 PPG, 27 RPG, MVP

Wilt is the un-official champion of insane statlines, but his rookie season has to be one of the craziest. After joining the Philadelphia Warriors from the Harlem Globetrotters, Wilt put together a first-year campaign that will likely never be replicated—he broke the single-season scoring record with a monster 37.6 PPG and brought home the MVP award, the first rookie to ever do so. When the league assigned names to each major award, Rookie of the Year became the Wilt Chamberlain trophy, and for good reason.

Magic Johnson — 18 PPG, 7.3 APG, Finals MVP

While Magic’s status as the greatest point guard of all time has been challenged in recent weeks following Steph Curry’s incredible Olympic run, the greatness of his rookie season is impossible to debate. Despite finishing second to Larry Bird for the actual ROTY award, Magic made his money in the playoffs, delivering one of the most legendary Finals performances ever by dropping 42 PTS and 15 REB while filling in for an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the Game 6 closeout effort. He remains the only rookie to ever win Finals MVP!

Victor Wembanyama — 21.4 PPG, 3.6 BPG, 2nd in DPOY

Despite being hyped as potentially the greatest prospect to ever grace team sports, Wemby reached and exceeded expectations in his dominant rookie season. He made his mark on the offensive end (leading the Spurs in scoring, of course) but where he truly shined was on defense, where he led the league in blocks, assembled one of the silliest highlight reels in history, and finished second in DPOY voting. Turns out being 7’4” with guard skills does make for a pretty good basketball player! And it’s only the beginning…

Three in the Key

Signing Off

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, don’t be afraid to try new things! Nothing is ever easy the first time you do it, but the more stuff you expose yourself to, the greater chance you’ll find something you love! See you soon.

-Walker Carnathan