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Editor’s note: Get the latest updates on the NBA Draft here.
Karim Lopez is set to become the first Mexican-born player to be picked in the first round of the NBA Draft. With that history expected to be made Tuesday, June 23, the story is about more than basketball.
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Which is not to say basketball is irrelevant. He is 6-8, played in the NBL Next Stars program in Australia, and has the skills that have attracted the interest of the Golden State Warriors. And Latinos in the Bay Area.
“We would love to have a Latino player from whichever nationality it is to come and represent with the Warriors because as you know right now in the country there is a very bad narrative surrounding the Latino community,’’ said Susana Rojas, executive director of the Calle 24 in San Francisco, referring to the Trump administration’s immigration policy. “We want to showcase the talents that we have.
“And so when we bring our artists, when we bring players, when we bring people talent that is from Latin America, it only elevates and cements the true nature of our culture and not the stereotypes that are represented in the media.’’
Lopez, 19, was born in Hermosillo, Mexico and he comes by his talent naturally. He is the son of Jesús Hiram López, a former professional basketball player who played for Mexico’s national team.
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NBA draft No. 1 picks since 1990: From Derrick Coleman to Cooper Flagg
2025: Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
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NBA draft No. 1 picks since 1990: From Derrick Coleman to Cooper Flagg
2025: Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
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NBA draft No. 1 picks since 1990: From Derrick Coleman to Cooper Flagg
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(Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports)
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NBA draft No. 1 picks since 1990: From Derrick Coleman to Cooper Flagg
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(Wendell Cruz, USA TODAY Sports)
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NBA draft No. 1 picks since 1990: From Derrick Coleman to Cooper Flagg
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(Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports)
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