How Rupert Murdoch Changed Sports Media Forever
Thursday night’s NBA Draft will mark a seminal moment for a company that’s providing prospects with new pathways to the league.
The draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN and Victor Wembanyama is expected to go first overall to the San Antonio Spurs.
Twin brothers Amen and Ausar Thompson are widely projected to be selected early in the evening after spending the last two years playing in the Overtime Elite league. They’ll be the first players drafted from the Atlanta-based developmental competition for 16-to-20-year-olds.
“It feels validating,” said Dan Porter, co-founder and CEO of the Overtime, which has raised $250 million and carved out its place alongside the NBA’s G League as more players look for alternatives to college basketball.
“It’s exciting. It’s crazy,” he told Front Office Sports. “Six years ago, Overtime didn’t exist. Four years ago, Overtime was an Instagram account, and now … there are two guys who are potentially going to go top-10 in the NBA draft. It’s amazing.”
Porter is confident Overtime can continue building and attracting talent like the Thompsons. “We’re just really excited to plug into the ecosystem and to help people who want a different path and want to accelerate their development in basketball,” he said.
Beyond basketball, Porter pointed to the off-court teachings Overtime provides — “basketball, business, and brand” — highlighting the Thompsons’ growth on social media from virtually zero since arriving at Overtime. The twins now both boast Instagram followings of over 100,000.
“The best thing you can do is speak to the results,” Porter said of his strategy for the future.
