Latest news with #YanicKonanNiederhauser
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Clippers rookie ties Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's NBA record without even playing a game
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just won the NBA MVP and NBA Finals for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He's got company. Los Angeles Clippers rookie Yanic Konan-Niederhauser has tied SGA atop an NBA leaderboard without even playing a game. Both players have 18 characters on the backs of their jerseys, counting the hyphen and the 17 letters in their elongated last names. MORE: Meet Yanic Konan-Niederhauser, Clippers' first-round pick who is a giant in the paint The Clippers picked Konan-Niederhauser with the No. 30 overall pick in last month's NBA Draft to end the first round. He was born in Switzerland and played pro ball in Germany. YKN's college career began at Northern Illinois before finishing up at Penn State. MORE: LeBron James trade, buyout rumors take 180-degree turn He's a 7-footer who averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 61 percent from the field with the Nittany Lions. Now, he can learn from Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez with the Clippers. Their five-letter last names don't even add up close to Konan-Niederhauser, so he'll have to figure out how to carry that many letters on his back by himself. MORE NBA NEWS: Syracuse legend Carmelo Anthony named greatest college basketball player of the millenium Lakers don't want former No. 1 pick in a trade Victor Wembanyama's real reason for training with Chinese monks revealed Pacers' All-Star seeking NBA comeback after 2 years missed from injury Bradley Beal's price was right for the Clippers Knicks haven't given up on Giannis Antetokounmpo trade
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Clippers rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser showing growth in Summer League
Yanic Konan Niederhauser received the pass near the half-court line from a Clippers teammate who had just stolen the basketball. The 6-foot-11 center maneuvered down the court, his long strides allowing him to use just two dribbles before he took flight outside the circle and threw down a thunderous dunk over helpless Lakers defender Cole Swider. The crowd inside Thomas & Mack Center went into a frenzy, including Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who leaped out of his courtside seat, pumped his fists and yelled. At that moment Monday night, Niederhauser displayed his agility, speed and ballhandling skills. It was another step taken in his progress while playing in the NBA Summer League on the campus of UNLV. The Clippers had used the 30th and last pick in the first round of the NBA draft to select Niederhauser out of Penn State because they saw potential. That exciting, and in many ways unexpected, play was an encouraging sign for the Clippers. 'I didn't see Mr. Ballmer because I was in the moment,' Niederhauser, laughing, said late Monday night. 'That's the guard skills I was talking about and I had a couple of fast breaks these last few days and I passed the ball away. Now I said, 'Naw, man. I can go up by myself.' I told myself I was going to dunk it and I did.' Read more: Clippers to land Bradley Beal after Suns buy out his contract In his first three games in the NBA Summer League, Niederhauser has shown different skills. It was his defense and rebounding in the first game, against the Houston Rockets in which he blocked four shots and collected 10 rebounds. Though he missed all four of his shots and scored just one point, Niederhauser found other ways to contribute. It was a little bit of everything in his second game, against the Milwaukee Bucks in which he had two points, three rebounds, two steals and one block. It was his offense in the third game against the Lakers in which he scored 10 points, grabbed two rebounds and had two steals. 'He just sticks with it,' Clippers assistant and Summer League coach Jeremy Castleberry said. 'No matter if it's going good or bad, he sticks with it. He's trying his best to do everything we ask him to do. And just like I said after the last game, he continues to get better. From the last game [against the Bucks] to this game [against the Lakers], he was a little bit better than he was last game. He's getting the dunks, catching the basketball, finishing it, being a rim-protector, consistently running the floor. Like, you can see the progress.' Niederhauser was born in Bern, Switzerland, a town of about 135,000 an hour from Zurich. Even so, at 15, the Clippers' international scouts became aware of Niederhauser when he played on the under-16 Switzerland national team. At that time, he was a 6-1 guard. Niederhauser had a growth spurt at 17 that pushed him into playing center position. He said he was 6-5 when he broke his knee and was forced to sit out for a year. 'I was like out for a whole year and once I came back, after a whole year of sitting out and I get back on the court, now I'm 6-11,' he said. 'Yeah, in one year, I had to change my whole game from being like a forward/guard to being a center. So, yeah, I had guard skills. That's why sometimes I be dribbling the ball.' Niederhauser laughed, agreeing those guard skills helped him make that electric dunk against the Lakers. His size, weight (242 pounds) and youth (22) are all part of the package the Clippers like. 'We think there's plenty of upside,' Clippers general manager Trent Redden said. 'You know, the famous draft word, obviously. But for a guy that's his age, he's still learning and growing into his frame that he hasn't really had his whole life. We just haven't had a guy that size at that position in a backup role that's young that we can feed into and give to our developmental staff.' As a kid growing up in Switzerland, Niederhauser learned to speak four languages — Swiss, German, French and English. His parents, Dominique and Nadege Niederhauser, made sure their son was well-versed. 'Since I was a baby, I was speaking all those languages,' Niederhauser said. 'My mom, she speaks French. She's from the Ivory Coast and that's where I learned French, and my dad speaks mostly German and so that's how I learned my German.' Now that Niederhauser is with the Clippers, he'll have tutors to teach how the NBA game is played. Read more: Despite injury, Kobe Brown showcases his potential for Clippers in Summer League win He will be able to learn from centers Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez. Lopez is 37 and a 17-year veteran who signed with the Clippers this summer. He mentioned how he played with great players like Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Now it's up to him to pass on knowledge to Niederhauser like others passed on to him. 'I'm absolutely ready to get on the court, help him out and help him adjust and become a great player in this league,' Lopez said. Niederhauser is soaking it all in while in Las Vegas, from the games to the practices to the conversations he's had with Clippers coach Tyronn Lue. 'He's been giving me advice. I can just tell that he has a lot of knowledge,' Niederhauser said. 'I'm loving this. I'm in a great situation with experienced players to learn from. I'm just taking time to learn and get my experience. Everything is new to me so I'm just trying my best to soak everything in and just get better every day.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Clippers rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser showing growth in Summer League
LAS VEGAS — Yanic Konan Niederhauser received the pass near the half-court line from a Clippers teammate who had just stolen the basketball. The 6-foot-11 center maneuvered down the court, his long strides allowing him to use just two dribbles before he took flight outside the circle and threw down a thunderous dunk over helpless Lakers defender Cole Swider. The crowd inside Thomas & Mack Center went into a frenzy, including Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who leaped out of his courtside seat, pumped his fists and yelled. At that moment Monday night, Niederhauser displayed his agility, speed and ballhandling skills. It was another step taken in his progress while playing in the NBA Summer League on the campus of UNLV. The Clippers had used the 30th and last pick in the first round of the NBA draft to select Niederhauser out of Penn State because they saw potential. That exciting, and in many ways unexpected, play was an encouraging sign for the Clippers. 'I didn't see Mr. Ballmer because I was in the moment,' Niederhauser, laughing, said late Monday night. 'That's the guard skills I was talking about and I had a couple of fast breaks these last few days and I passed the ball away. Now I said, 'Naw, man. I can go up by myself.' I told myself I was going to dunk it and I did.' In his first three games in the NBA Summer League, Niederhauser has shown different skills. It was his defense and rebounding in the first game, against the Houston Rockets in which he blocked four shots and collected 10 rebounds. Though he missed all four of his shots and scored just one point, Niederhauser found other ways to contribute. It was a little bit of everything in his second game, against the Milwaukee Bucks in which he had two points, three rebounds, two steals and one block. It was his offense in the third game against the Lakers in which he scored 10 points, grabbed two rebounds and had two steals. 'He just sticks with it,' Clippers assistant and Summer League coach Jeremy Castleberry said. 'No matter if it's going good or bad, he sticks with it. He's trying his best to do everything we ask him to do. And just like I said after the last game, he continues to get better. From the last game [against the Bucks] to this game [against the Lakers], he was a little bit better than he was last game. He's getting the dunks, catching the basketball, finishing it, being a rim-protector, consistently running the floor. Like, you can see the progress.' Niederhauser was born in Bern, Switzerland, a town of about 135,000 an hour from Zurich. Even so, at 15, the Clippers' international scouts became aware of Niederhauser when he played on the under-16 Switzerland national team. At that time, he was a 6-1 guard. Niederhauser had a growth spurt at 17 that pushed him into playing center position. He said he was 6-5 when he broke his knee and was forced to sit out for a year. 'I was like out for a whole year and once I came back, after a whole year of sitting out and I get back on the court, now I'm 6-11,' he said. 'Yeah, in one year, I had to change my whole game from being like a forward/guard to being a center. So, yeah, I had guard skills. That's why sometimes I be dribbling the ball.' Niederhauser laughed, agreeing those guard skills helped him make that electric dunk against the Lakers. His size, weight (242 pounds) and youth (22) are all part of the package the Clippers like. 'We think there's plenty of upside,' Clippers general manager Trent Redden said. 'You know, the famous draft word, obviously. But for a guy that's his age, he's still learning and growing into his frame that he hasn't really had his whole life. We just haven't had a guy that size at that position in a backup role that's young that we can feed into and give to our developmental staff.' As a kid growing up in Switzerland, Niederhauser learned to speak four languages — Swiss, German, French and English. His parents, Dominique and Nadege Niederhauser, made sure their son was well-versed. 'Since I was a baby, I was speaking all those languages,' Niederhauser said. 'My mom, she speaks French. She's from the Ivory Coast and that's where I learned French, and my dad speaks mostly German and so that's how I learned my German.' Now that Niederhauser is with the Clippers, he'll have tutors to teach how the NBA game is played. He will be able to learn from centers Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez. Lopez is 37 and a 17-year veteran who signed with the Clippers this summer. He mentioned how he played with great players like Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Now it's up to him to pass on knowledge to Niederhauser like others passed on to him. 'I'm absolutely ready to get on the court, help him out and help him adjust and become a great player in this league,' Lopez said. Niederhauser is soaking it all in while in Las Vegas, from the games to the practices to the conversations he's had with Clippers coach Tyronn Lue. 'He's been giving me advice. I can just tell that he has a lot of knowledge,' Niederhauser said. 'I'm loving this. I'm in a great situation with experienced players to learn from. I'm just taking time to learn and get my experience. Everything is new to me so I'm just trying my best to soak everything in and just get better every day.'
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
James Harden to sign two-year, $81.5 million deal with the Clippers
Clippers guard James Harden is expected to sign a two-year, $81.5 million deal with the Clippers after declining his player option. (Brandon Dill / Associated Press) Clippers executives were serious when they said they had not soured on James Harden's future with the franchise after an underwhelming postseason performance. Harden declined his player option for $36 million with the Clippers on Sunday and intends to sign a two-year deal with the team for $81.5 million, league sources with knowledge of the deal not authorized to discuss it publicly said. The second year is a player option and is partially guaranteed. Advertisement The deal gave Harden a raise and the Clippers some salary flexibility going forward. 'He's our No. 1 priority,' Lawrence Frank, the Clippers' president of basketball operations, told the media after the first round of the draft Wednesday night. 'We're super hopeful that James is here and he's here for a long time. He has a player-option, so he can opt-in … or he can opt-out and hopefully we can do a deal that makes sense for both sides. But James, as you guys know, was phenomenal and we hope to continue to see his play.' Read more: James Harden still has the support of Clippers' front office despite dismal playoffs Though the Clippers drafted a center in the first round with the 30th pick, getting Yanic Konan Niederhauser of Penn State, Frank said his team 'probably will have at least three centers.' Advertisement The Clippers can use their non-taxpayer mid-level exception that's projected to be about $14.1 million on a player or two, and perhaps even find a center. Harden played in 79 games this past season, played the fifth-most total minutes in the NBA (2,789), was fifth in the league in assists (8.7), averaged 22.8 points per game and was the only player with 1,500 points, 500 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks. Harden, however, struggled during the postseason, averaging 18.7 points per game in the series the Clippers lost to the Nuggets. He scored just 33 points combined in Games 4, 5 and 7 losses, including seven points in Game 7. Clippers guard James Harden looks to shoot during the team's win over San Antonio Spurs on April 8 at Intuit Dome. (Carrie Giordano / Associated Press) Harden turns 36 in August and was not made available to speak with media during traditional exit interviews every team typically hosts to close out a season. Advertisement 'When it was James this year with no Kawhi, with Norm [Powell] and [Ivica] Zubac and the rest of the group, we really asked James to do a lot,' Frank said shortly after the Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs. 'And at his age to deliver what he did…[He played in] 79 games, and he does that time and time and time again. We have a deep appreciation for that sort of availability and to be able to deliver and do what he did…We have a great level of appreciation for what James did this year.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Clippers select Yanic Konan Niederhauser with No. 30 pick in 2025 NBA Draft
The post Clippers select Yanic Konan Niederhauser with No. 30 pick in 2025 NBA Draft appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Clippers entered the 2025 NBA Draft with two selections. And with the final pick in the first round of the Draft, the Clippers selected Yanic Konan Niederhauser. Advertisement With the Draft now being a two-day event, the Clippers entered with the No. 30th pick in Wednesday night's first round and the No. 51 pick in Thursday night's second round. LA Clippers select with No. 30 pick in 2025 NBA Draft According to ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel, the LA Clippers selected 22-year old Yanic Konan Niederhauser. 'Yanic is a talented young big with great positional size who can run the floor, protect the rim, roll and finish,' said Lawrence Frank, Clippers President of Basketball Operations in a press release. 'He is an excellent athlete and we're excited to add him to the organization.' Advertisement The Clippers held a media availability with both Frank and general manager Trent Redden, where the two addressed the decision to take Konan Niederhauser. 'I think his best basketball is ahead of him,' Frank added. 'He's got great positional size. He's a terrific athlete. North to South he's one of the fastest centers. In fact, he tested the fastest at the combine. He's a very good screen center, roller and vertical lob threat. We think in due time, not next year, but in, you know, you can squint in two years from now, you can see him with the ability to shoot some threes. He's got a really, really good touch. He's so thirsty to learn. He's super, super coachable. He understands the areas he has to get better at. He's very, very motivated to be really, really good.' The center out of Penn State averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game in 25 minutes per game and 29 appearances on the season. In his latest mock draft, ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel had this to say about the center: Advertisement 'Yanic Konan Niederhauser has been one of the biggest risers in the pre-draft process, and he's even drawing some consideration from teams with late first-round picks due to his rim-running and high-flying abilities. Niederhauser possesses a large frame with a 7-foot-3 wingspan and always plays well above the rim as a pick-and-roll finisher.' According to ESPN's Jay Bilas, Niederhauser led the Big 10 in block percentage and totaled 67 blocks in his 29 games. In his junior season at Penn State, Niederhauser recorded four double-doubles and at least five blocked shot four times Related: Kawhi Leonard's eye-opening NBA Finals move revealed
