Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball’s Next Superstars

Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - From Boston to Belgrade: Ainge's Global Talent Search

Danny Ainge may be best known as the General Manager of the Boston Celtics, but his talent search stretches far beyond the city limits of Beantown. Ainge has crisscrossed the globe looking for hidden gems and undiscovered talent to boost his team's prospects.

One of Ainge's favorite destinations is Europe. The Old World has long been a hotbed of basketball talent, producing legends like Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, and Tony Parker. Ainge believes there are still diamonds in the rough waiting to be unearthed.

Take Ainge's trip to Belgrade, Serbia last summer. He ventured to the Serbian capital to scout prospect Vasilije Micić, a 6'5" point guard playing for Turkish club Anadolu Efes. Micić went undrafted in 2014 but has since developed into one of the top talents in Europe. Ainge sees the potential for Micić to make an impact in the NBA.
Serbia is just one stop on Ainge's European tour. He's a frequent visitor to Spain, home country of Marc and Pau Gasol. Ainge keeps close tabs on Spain's youth teams, knowing they have produced some of Europe's top talents. He also makes regular visits to Greece, Russia, and other Eastern European nations.

Ainge doesn't limit himself to Europe, though. China has become another hotspot, producing players like Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, and Zhou Qi. Ainge sees China's massive population and growing interest in basketball as reasons to devote more resources there. He wants to find the next Chinese superstar while he's still an unknown.
Africa is another focal point of Ainge's global talent search. Basketball's popularity is rising across the continent, and Ainge believes Africa's raw athleticism and work ethic could produce NBA stars. Players like Joel Embiid (Cameroon), Pascal Siakam (Cameroon), and Luol Deng (South Sudan) demonstrate Africa's potential.
Ainge casts his net even wider, traveling to Australia, Latin America, and the Pacific Islands. He never knows where the next hidden gem may emerge. While most teams focus on American prospects, Ainge takes a worldwide view.

What else is in this post?

1. Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - From Boston to Belgrade: Ainge's Global Talent Search
2. Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - The Next Dirk? Uncovering Europe's Hidden Stars
3. Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - Asia Rising: Finding China's Yao Ming of Tomorrow
4. Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - Taking Flight: Exploring Africa's Untapped Potential
5. Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - South of the Border: Scouring Latin America for Future Greats
6. Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - Aussie Amazing: Digging for Down Under Diamonds
7. Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - Small Islands, Big Dreams: Tapping Into the Pacific Pipeline
8. Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - Stateside Sleepers: Overlooked Talent in Ainge's Own Backyard

Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - The Next Dirk? Uncovering Europe's Hidden Stars

Europe has long been a hotbed for basketball talent, churning out legends like Dirk Nowitzki, the Gasol brothers, Tony Parker and many more. While the NBA draft focuses heavily on college stars, Danny Ainge believes Europe still holds diamonds in the rough waiting to be uncovered.

Ainge sees parallels between today's European prospects and Dirk Nowitzki, who went undiscovered for years. Nowitzki was playing in the German league when Dallas drafted him in 1998. European scouts expressed doubts about Nowitzki's athleticism and upside. But the Mavericks saw Nowitzki's versatility, shooting and work ethic. Their gamble paid off handsomely, landing them a future MVP and NBA champion.

Ainge wants to find the next Nowitzki, an unheralded European player with the drive and skill to become an NBA star. He sees several candidates across the continent. One is Aleksej Pokuševski, a 7-foot Serbian playing in Greece. With his length, ball handling and outside shooting touch, Pokuševski draws comparisons to Nowitzki. But most teams passed on Pokuševski in the 2020 draft, scared off by his gangly frame. Oklahoma City gambled on him at #17, hoping he develops into a matchup nightmare.
Another candidate is Deni Avdija, a versatile, playmaking forward from Israel. Avdija has an advanced feel for the game but faced questions about his shooting and defense before the draft. Still, Washington saw Avdija's potential to run an offense at 6'9" and picked him 9th overall in 2020. Early returns are promising, as Avdija is averaging double digit points and earning heavy minutes.

Ainge also keeps close tabs on the Spanish ACB league, which helped develop the Gasol brothers, Ricky Rubio and Juancho Hernangomez. 18-year-old Spanish phenom Juan Núñez is on Ainge's radar, a 6'7" wing with athleticism and shooting touch who has turned heads in Spain's youth ranks. If Núñez continues developing, he could be a first round pick in 2023.

Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - Asia Rising: Finding China's Yao Ming of Tomorrow

China's massive population and growing interest in basketball have made it a focal point for talent scouts like Danny Ainge. He sees China as an untapped resource that could produce the NBA's next superstar big man. China already contributed trailblazing behemoths like Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian and Zhou Qi to the league. But Ainge believes there are more giants waiting to be uncovered from the world's most populous nation.
Unearthing China's next Yao Ming has become something of a holy grail for talent evaluators. At 7'6", Yao brought unprecedented size and skill to the NBA when Houston drafted him in 2002. His finesse footwork and soft shooting touch forced scouts to re-evaluate their assumptions about supersized players. Yao demonstrated that giants could be coordinated, not clumsy. His success opened the floodgates for Chinese players entering the league.

Since Yao, China has exported over a dozen players to the NBA. But none have quite measured up to Yao's superstar impact. Ainge sees an opportunity to change that by devoting more resources to uncovering Chinese talent. He believesChina's massive population provides an edge in sheer numbers. With over 300 million youth playing basketball in China, the odds of finding another outlier talent like Yao increase dramatically.
Some analysts caution that China still lags behind Europe and the US in training players. But facilities and coaching have improved exponentially since Yao's days. The CBA league provides a higher level of competition than during Yao's era. And more Chinese prospects are moving abroad earlier to develop, following the path of Rui Hachimura in Japan.
Ainge sees these shifts premiering China to produce its next legend. One candidate on his radar is Fanbo Zeng, a 17-year-old, 7'3" center currently playing at NBA Global Academy. With developing ball skills and impressive mobility, Zeng has caught the eyes of scouts. Some even peg him as a potential top 10 draft pick in 2024.

Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - Taking Flight: Exploring Africa's Untapped Potential

Basketball's rising popularity across Africa has caught Danny Ainge's attention. He sees the continent as an untapped resource brimming with raw athleticism, talent and work ethic. Ainge believes Africa could produce NBA stars to rival legends like Dikembe Mutombo, Hakeem Olajuwon and Joel Embiid.

Africa remains overlooked by most NBA talent scouts, who focus heavily on American prospects. But Ainge recognizes that Africa's population of over 1.2 billion people provides a massive talent pool. If basketball continues gaining traction across the continent, the odds of unearthing extraordinary players increase.
Some analysts argue Africa lacks the training infrastructure to develop elite talent. But facilities and coaching have expanded rapidly with the NBA's investment. The NBA opened its first African academy in Senegal in 2017, aimed at providing prospects with world-class coaching. The Basketball Africa League also connects players with NBA trainers.

These shifts encouraged Ainge to devote more resources to scouting Africa. During a recent visit to the NBA Academy Africa, he saw the vast potential first-hand. Prospects like 6'10" Babacar Sané of Senegal demonstrate the athletic gifts and drive that made legends like Olajuwon and Mutombo.

Other NBA teams are also recognizing Africa's promise. In 2020, the Toronto Raptors made Nigerian prospect Oshae Brissett the first player drafted out of the academy. Signed initially as an undrafted free agent, Brissett brought energy, rebounding and defense off Toronto's bench.

Masai Ujiri, Raptors President and native Nigerian, sees even greater African talents on the horizon. "I know there are many more out there who have the talent and work ethic," says Ujiri. He believes Africa can produce "the next Pascal Siakam" – a superstar like the Cameroonian forward who was instrumental in leading Toronto to the 2019 championship.

Ainge shares Ujiri's optimism as basketball gains popularity with African youth. The sport aligns seamlessly with Africans' athleticism, competitiveness and love of community. Ainge sees parallels to past African legends like Embiid and Mutombo, whose soccer backgrounds translated well to hoops. With more kids competing in organized basketball, it's only a matter of time until another transcendent African prospect emerges.

Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - South of the Border: Scouring Latin America for Future Greats

South of the border, Latin America boasts a rich basketball tradition that has produced legends like Manu Ginobili and Oscar Schmidt. Danny Ainge sees vast potential to unearth more Hidden Gems from this hotbed of passion for the sport.

Latin America’s hoops passion is most fervent in countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Puerto Rico where basketball rivals soccer in popularity. Urban legends abound of players like Ginobili honing their craft on the concrete courts of Bahia Blanca till the wee hours. Schmidt similarly rebounded solo till dawn on Rio’s famed Copacabana courts, forging the 20,000 career points that earned him the nickname “Holy Hand.”

This incubator of grit and creativity excites Ainge about the Next Latin Prospects waiting to be discovered. He sees parallels to the improvisational flair of Ginobili, whose signature Eurosteps and no-look passes wowed NBA crowds. Or the versatility of Brazilian legend Nenê, who transitioned smoothly to the NBA at age 20 after playing everything from point guard to center in Brazil.
Ainge believes tapping into this rich talent pool early is key, before Latin prospects get firmly on the radar of NBA teams. He scours youth tournaments like the FIBA Americas U16s, which showcased budding Brazilian star Diego Diesel in 2019. At 6’8” with guard skills, Diesel turned heads en route to the MVP, reminding scouts of a young Boris Diaw.

The NBA Academy in Mexico City also allows Ainge to monitor Latin America’s top youth like Dominican swingman James Feliz, an explosive leaper drawing comparisons to Victor Oladipo. NBA scouts flock to the Academy to glimpse these talents honing their skills with NBA-caliber facilities and coaching.

Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - Aussie Amazing: Digging for Down Under Diamonds

Down under in Australia, basketball has exploded from niche sport to national obsession. Aussie fans pack stadiums showcasing homegrown talents, who’ve long had a pipeline to the NBA. But Danny Ainge believes Australia still harbors hidden gems, and he’s digging deep to unearth them.

Ainge sees parallels to trailblazers like Luc Longley and Andrew Bogut, who proved Aussies could scrap with NBA bruisers down low. Or slippery guards like Matthew Dellavedova, who brought finesse and fiery defense in equal measure. Ainge believes the next generation of Aussie prospects can make an even bigger splash.
Digging for diamonds often means venturing far off the beaten path. Ainge treks to remote Aboriginal communities where raw talents are honing their skills far from the eyes of scouts. During a recent visit to the central desert town of Alice Springs, he watched phenom Biwali Bayles practicing his silky jumper in the red dirt. Bayles' athletic 6’10” frame and soft shooting touch remind Ainge of a young Bogut. But at 17, Bayles is still unknown to most leagues.
Ainge also keeps tabs on prospects from the Centre of Excellence, Australia’s revered national training academy. Turkish whiz Efe Abogidi turned heads there with his 7’2” length and nimble footwork before Washington State snatched him up. NBA scouts flock to the COE showcase events, where Ainge saw 18-year-old swingman Josh Adenogan’s potential. At 6’7” with quickness and shooting range, Adenogan is now on Ainge's short list to watch.

Most promising is the influx of Aussie talent entering the NBL minor league, where trailblazers like Longley and Bogut once thrived. Phenoms like Josh Giddey shone in the NBL before Oklahoma City snagged him in the 2021 draft. Ainge sees the NBL as an ideal springboard to evaluate Aussie prospects against professionals before they leap to the NBA. Scanning NBL rosters, Ainge has pegged 6’3” guard Oskar Dillon as an intriguing project, gifted scorer Dyson Daniels as a potential lottery pick and 7’4” giant Kai Sotto as one of Asia’s most tantalizing unicorns.

Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - Small Islands, Big Dreams: Tapping Into the Pacific Pipeline

The vast blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean harbors some unlikely basketball hotbeds that have caught Danny Ainge's eye. Tiny island nations like New Zealand, the Philippines and Fiji are churning out prospects with the size, athleticism and motor to compete on the NBA stage.

Tap into any pickup game on the playgrounds of Auckland or Manila and you’ll find a masterclass in fundamentals and hustle. The limited space and resources of these island courts forge gritty, creative players with endless gas tanks. Jazz swingman Joe Ingles honed his slippery moves slicing through crowds on Auckland’s schoolyard asphalt. Gritty Heat guard Gabe Vincent similarly battled the Philippines' cramped blacktops en route to the NBA.
Seeing this Pacific pipeline’s potential, Ainge has boots on the ground running clinics from Fiji to Guam, tapping standouts for the NBA’s Pacific Rim Camp. There he spotted bedazzling Fijian leaper Roy Ravula, a muscular 6’6” forward who attacks the rim with abandon. Though only 16, Ravula already shows signs of developing the range to make him a matchup nightmare.
The Philippines particularly intrigues Ainge for its sheer fervor for the game. Hoops ranks second only to boxing in the hoops-mad nation that also produced Jordan Clarkson. At Manila campuses like Ateneo, college stars reach demigod status, preparing them for the rigors of fame. Phenom Kai Sotto soaked in these pressures, honing moves like his silky turnaround jumper that belie his 7’2” frame. After bypassing US college, Sotto looks ready to be the highest-drafted Filipino ever as early as 2022.

Hoop Dreams: Former Celtic Danny Ainge Scours the Globe for Basketball's Next Superstars - Stateside Sleepers: Overlooked Talent in Ainge's Own Backyard

While Danny Ainge casts his net wide, scouring the globe for hidden talents, he knows diamonds can be unearthed right in his own backyard. The US remains a hotbed of basketball prospects, though many elite talents fall through the cracks of youth leagues and high-profile showcases. Ainge believes tapping into overlooked local scenes, from LA's blacktops to Harlem's Rucker Park, can land his team the next undiscovered star.

Stories abound of legends who slipped below the national radar until a lucky scout stumbled upon them. Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman hardly got off the bench in high school and worked as a janitor before a dramatic late growth spurt. Similarly, Warriors great Stephen Curry was deemed too small and weak for elite college hoops until Davidson took a flier on the unheralded guard. Their shocking rises to stardom motivate Ainge to keep digging on his home turf.
Ainge sees opportunity in exploring non-traditional hoops hotbeds like Alaska, where isolation breeds grittiness. During an Anchorage tournament, he witnessed thunderous dunks from monstrous forward Sundiata Keyes, an intimidating 6'7" prospect out of tiny Kangik High School. Despite interest from several mid-major colleges, Keyes remains far below the national radar. His raw athletic gifts intrigue Ainge, who sees parallels to rodman.

Tapping streetball and blacktop scenes can also unveil raw talents like Pistol Pete Maravich, molded by endless hours hooping on the dilapidated courts of Aliquippa, PA. Ainge makes regular visits to LA's Drew League, watching stylistic whizzes like dynamic 5'10" point guard Marcus Taylor dazzle crowds at King/Drew Magnet High. While undersized, Taylor's explosiveness and floor vision evoke shades of an early Isaiah Thomas, Ainge'sformer Celtics star.
Venturing into overlooked communities can reveal prospects deprived of resources. During a clinic in Louisiana's impoverished Bogalusa, Ainge met leaper Markeith Browning, a formerly incarcerated 19-year-old hungry for a second chance. The raw 6'5" forward's rebounding tenacity and defensive motor stood out. With the right mentoring, Ainge sees a high-energy role player in the mold of Blue Collar Celtics like Pervis Ellison.