Svi Mykhailiuk already being celebrated in Los Angeles
SVI INCOMING!!@Sviat_10 | #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/jrwIW1A7cE
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 22, 2018
The general perception regarding the NBA Draft is that it’s the first-round picks who get all of the fame and glory.
And while that is true when it comes to all things financial — first-round picks sign guaranteed contracts while second-rounders are not assured of anything — the rise of social media and intense marketing pushes made by the various NBA franchises has changed that notion in recent years.
Take the case of former Kansas standout Svi Mykhailiuk as an example.
Drafted No. 47 overall — 17 picks into the second round — by the Los Angeles Lakers, Svi was anything but an afterthought in the eyes of the Lakers in the hours that followed Thursday night’s NBA Draft.
From instant posts on the Lakers official Twitter account to comments from GM Rob Pelinka and Lakers legend Magic Johnson, it’s clear that the Lakers are excited to have Svi in purple and gold.
These three posts all came within minutes of the Lakers making Svi the 47th pick.
That purple & gold suits you Svi! #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/qi7XjNWXad
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 22, 2018
Bringing a Jayhawk in the fold!
Welcome to the #LakeShow, @Sviat_10!! pic.twitter.com/4JKxNZyNSp
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 22, 2018
Svi knows how to knock ‘em down from deep
And this one was less than an hour after those three.
Welcome to LA, @Sviat_10.@Lakers x #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/UA2fcQlCK3
— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) June 22, 2018
Around the 4:30 mark in this video with Pelinka, the Lakers’ GM starts praising Mykhailiuk’s knock-down shooting and even mentions the job he did defensively on Duke’s Marvin Bagley III during KU’s Elite Eight win in the NCAA Tournament.
Rob Pelinka on Svi Mykhailiuk: “He was really one of our best knockdown shooters that we had in our building.” https://t.co/TGKLcriip5
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 22, 2018
A little while later, the Lakers threw up this compilation Tweet looking back at Svi’s individual workout with the franchise leading up to their decision to select him.
Go inside the draft workout that led to @Sviat_10 becoming the 47th pick for the #LakeShow
Lakers coach Luke Walton, around the 1:53 mark in the following video, had a little fun with Svi’s name and explained in no uncertain terms where the former Jayhawk would stand as a rookie during the 2018-19 season.
And finally, the Lakers’ Twitter accounted posted the following phone interview with Svi a little while after he was drafted and had time to let it all sink in.
On the Phone: Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk talks about what it means to be drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers and being able to play in the NBA. pic.twitter.com/Uh65JgLJMN
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 22, 2018
“Oh, man, it feels great,” Svi said in his first official statement on that conference call with reporters. “I feel like it’s just a blessing to be part of the Lakers and be part of the NBA. With all of the history the Lakers have, I think it’s just a blessing to be a part of the team.”
COMMENTS