SAN JUAN (Puerto Rico) - Mexican power forward Adrien Isaac Porras made history on Tuesday, becoming the youngest player in modern history to participate in FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
The 15-year-old checked into the game against Lithuania with 21.5 seconds remaining in the third quarter (with Mexico down 82-59) and broke a record that was held by Dominican center Karl-Anthony Towns, who was 16 when he saw the court in the 2012 edition.
"I feel amazing just getting the chance to be out there with (Domantas) Sabonis," he said. "It felt really alive. Everybody was cheering and booing and all that. I could feel it through the floor."
Porras was a +1 in Mexico’s loss in the first day of the event being played at Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
I feel amazing just getting the chance to be out there with (Domantas) Sabonis.
Head coach Omar Quintero emphasized the importance of building a bridge to the next generation of Mexican basketball, and how veterans like Joshua Ibarra and Gabriel Girón are helping Porras and Karim Lopez get acclimated.
"They've been great," Quintero said. "Porras is on (Ibarra) and Karim is on Gabriel Girón. They teach them how to do it and how to be in this kind of tournament. We are building the Mexican national team and it’s important for those guys to touch the floor and see the experience. They’re playing against top EuroLeague players and Sabonis is an All-Star in the NBA."
Lopez also became the fourth youngest in modern OQT list, a list that also includes Turkish center Alperen Sengun (18-years-old in 2021), Angolan big man Bruno Fernando (17 in 2016) and New Zealand guard Tai Webster (17 in 2012).
Canada star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was on the roster for the FIBA Olympic Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila in 2016 as a 17-year-old, but he doesn't make the list as he didn't see any minutes at the event.
FIBA