Lakers End Calipari's NBA First-Round Streak

The Los Angeles Lakers traded up twice in the 2025 NBA Draft to select Arkansas forward Adou Thiero with the 36th overall pick, ending coach John Calipari's 17-year streak of having at least one player drafted in the first round. Thiero, who averaged 15.1 points and nearly six rebounds at Arkansas, is seen as an athletic and versatile defender, drawing comparisons to OG Anunoby. The Lakers' selection of Thiero could impact the roster status of Jarred Vanderbilt, whose role may diminish due to Thiero's potential. Thiero becomes the latest Calipari-coached player to enter the NBA, contributing to the nearly $6 billion in cumulative earnings by Calipari's players. His drafting also continues a family legacy, as his mother Mariam Sy was a 2006 WNBA Draft pick. Despite the end of his first-round streak, Calipari remains proud of his players’ ongoing NBA success.