NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on Thursday night’s NBA draft (all times local):
6:55 p.m.
To say Markelle Fultz had a bounce to his step isn’t such an understatement.
Fultz is the all-but-certain first pick in Thursday night’s NBA draft and wore shoes made of — what else? — basketballs to Barclays Center for the festivities.
The former Washington star had promised to make a shoe statement. He did manage to create a buzz.
___
6:30 p.m.
Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball were front and center when all the expected top picks took their traditional photo before Thursday night’s NBA draft.
The 20 players invited to the green room at Barclays Center posed on stage about an hour before the telecast was to begin.
Fultz, who is expected to be taken with the No. 1 selection by the Philadelphia 76ers, stood in the middle of the front row holding a basketball and wearing a gray suit.
Ball, expected to be selected No. 2 to the Los Angeles Lakers, wore an all-black suit — as did his father, LaVar, who sat with his family at a table near the stage.
___
6:15 p.m.
The plaza outside Barclays Center is decorated in green and blue — as in Celtics green and 76ers blue.
On a big night for both their teams, Boston and Philadelphia fans appear ready to pack the place for Thursday night’s NBA draft. The 76ers have the No. 1 overall pick; the Celtics have the third overall pick.
New York is conveniently located between both cities and 76ers fans have made the trip here frequently over the last couple years as their team has had high picks — including the No. 1 choice the last two years. The 76ers are expected to take Markelle Fultz with the first overall pick.
This year, there is also plenty of fans of the Celtics, who were slated to select first before dealing the pick to their Atlantic Division rivals on Monday.
The top pick could have belonged to the Nets, whose home arena hosts the draft. Brooklyn had the worst record in the league, but had to deal its pick to the Celtics as part of its remaining payment for the Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce trade.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball
___
