Brothers in arms

Next Star Alexandre Sarr has the perfect mentor on his journey to the NBA – his brother Olivier.

The 24-year-old has spent the past two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and knows exactly what it takes to make it at the level.

Even from a young age, Olivier knew his brother had something special about him, highlighting his competitiveness at the age of just four years old. 

“Right now, I’m being a big bro and being there for him, and make sure he’s staying grounded … ‘You made a lot of noise. There is a lot of hype going on. It may end up being bigger than that and just starting. But what can you do better? You can enjoy the things you did get, but let’s focus on the things you can do better.’ Never too high. Never too low,” Oliver told andscape.

“It’s been building for moments like this and bigger moments.”

Alex’s draft stocks skyrocketed following Perth’s recent games against the NBA’s G-League Ignite, even bringing him into the conversation as a potential number one pick.

“He has a lot of eyes now and the attention of more people,” Olivier said. 

“It was great [against G-League Ignite]. He just has to keep attacking games and days and keep enjoying the process with Perth.”

Olivier will be keeping a close eye on his brother’s progress, as will more than 45 scouts at this week’s Hungry Jack’s NBL Blitz. 

Alex is clearly super-talented, but Olivier's advice will also be ringing in his ears across NBL24. 

“You can’t control how things are going to turn out. The only thing you can control is the attitude and the character.” 

Sarr will be in action for the Wildcats against the Adelaide 36ers on Tuesday night on the Gold Coast, with the game live and free on Kayo Freebies. 

The Wildcats' season opener is against Tasmania at RAC Arena on September 29 with tickets available via Ticketek.

Read the full story here >> Meet Alexandre Sarr, a potential top pick in the 2024 NBA draft