Grizzlies-pick Karim Lopez’s draft night was filled with joy — and confusion
Karim Lopez (right) poses for a photo with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (left) after being selected by the Detroit Pistons as the 21st pick in the first round of the NBA Draft on June 23 in New York. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)
NEW YORK — As the clock approached 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver had already walked to the podium at center stage inside Barclays Center 21 times.
On his first trip, Silver congratulated the New York Knicks for their recent championship and declared that the 2026 NBA Draft was underway.
The next 20 times he made the trek were for pick announcements — in other words, de facto invitations to come on stage and hug him.
This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.
Topics
Subscriber Only Karim Lopez Memphis Grizzlies 2026 NBA DraftThank you for reading The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
Did you know we are a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization? We rely on a mix of revenue from subscriptions (50%), advertising, events and other earned income (25%) and fundraising (25%).
Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian today.
👉🏽 Your subscription pays for you to read all our journalism.
👉🏽 Your donation powers the work we do to reach everyone else with the news.
We believe an informed Memphis is a better Memphis. If you agree, join our growing list of donors now.
Drew Hill
Drew Hill covers the Memphis Grizzlies and is a top-10 APSE winner. He has worked throughout the South writing about college athletics before landing in Memphis.
Comments
Want to comment on our stories? If you’re a subscriber, scroll down to the comments. If you’re not a subscriber, only paid subscribers can add their thoughts, so subscribe now. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.