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Luc Longley waited to hear his name called.The first six picks had already been selected. Future All-Stars Larry Johnson, Kenny Anderson and Steve Smith were already off the board. Only one non-American, future Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, was among the first group of players chosen.Still, Longley waited.Then NBA commissioner David Stern strode out on the stage and began: With the seventh pick in the 1991 draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select Luc Longley from the University of New Mexico.History was made. Longley became the first Australian selected in the first round of the NBA draft (and soon would become the first Aussie to play in the league). He kissed his girlfriend, hugged his family and walked up to shake hands with Stern. The whole time he was confident that the floodgates had just opened for Australian basketball players within the professional American ranks.I genuinely did, because I thought if I could do it, anyone could do it, remembers Longley. Because it hadnt been done before, I thought it was an insurmountable mountain. Once I actually got there [the NBA], I went, Wow, that wasnt actually that hard.It may not have been that hard for a 7-foot-2 center, but for many years Longley was Australias sole representative in the worlds best league. It took another six years for the next Aussie to be drafted; for the better part of the late 90s to the early 2000s, Longley was the keeper of the flame for an entire nations basketball community.Sure, Australia produced world-class players, but none of them really established themselves in the NBA. A season or two here and there, a couple of 10-day contracts -- as Longley won multiple championships after moving to the Chicago Bulls, his compatriots struggled to find their footing.He may have wondered when the winds of change would blow through. It wasnt until 2005, when the Milwaukee Bucks selected Andrew Bogut with the top overall pick.Fast forward to todays NBA.At least one Australian has played in every NBA Finals since 2013, while Patty Mills, Aron Baynes, Matthew Dellavedova and Bogut have joined Longley as owners of championship rings.Per the NBA, eight Australians -- an all-time high -- populate current rosters: Bogut (Dallas Mavericks), Dellavedova (Milwaukee Bucks), Mills (San Antonio Spurs), Baynes (Detroit Pistons),?Kyrie Irving?(Cleveland Cavaliers),?Joe Ingles (Utah Jazz), Dante Exum (Jazz) and 2016 No. 1 draft pick?Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers). (Irving was born in Australia, moved to the United States when he was 2 years old and holds dual citizenship.) In addition to the eight Aussie-born players, rookie?Thon Maker (Bucks), who was born in South Sudan, grew up in Australia before relocating to North America for high school.Bogut is now the seasoned veteran, while Simmons is pegged as a future star once he returns from a foot injury. And only three countries outside the U.S. have a larger NBA contingent than Australia.The recent ascent of Australian players may seem to have come out of nowhere, but its actually been years in the making.Brett Brown, the 76ers fourth-year head coach, began his pro coaching career in Australias top domestic league, the NBL. He would go on to coach Australia at two Olympic Games and is as familiar with the basketball landscape Down Under as anyone.That whole scene was very new to me, too [back then], Brown says. So when you say to me, am I surprised? Yes, I am.But Im not surprised in the light of day when you can justify or think through why its happened. Then it doesnt surprise me.To get a firm grasp of where this explosion of Australian basketball talent comes from, one must examine the advancement of coaching methods and development in the junior ranks and, in particular, at the Australian Institute of Sport.Founded in 1981 and located in the national capital of Canberra, the AIS has served as the countrys strategic high-performance sports agency.The AIS has had a hand in developing seven of the eight Aussies currently in the NBA. Since 2002, eight NBA draft picks have gone through the AIS -- including Bogut, Exum, Mills and Simmons -- while Dellavedova, Ingles and Baynes spent time there as juniors.I think [the AIS has been] very important, Longley says. It really exposed me to high-level training and high-level recovery and high-level accountability to what youre doing. The perception originally was that international players were a bit amateur and loose, and the AIS certainly helped resolve that. Its also been a lightning rod for scouts to scout there and see at least some of the cream of the crop.Kids come out of the AIS -- and Delly might be the best example -- and they are very professional and easy to get along with in the locker room. That has endeared a lot of Australian players to coaches. Theyre a good, strong link in the chain in that regard.Exum, who decided to forgo the American college system before entering the NBA draft in 2014, says his time at the AIS was instrumental in helping him make the transition to the professional game.The AIS has definitely played a huge part in it, Exum says. Just being put into a professional environment at a young age helped me. I was there from 15, and it made [me] focus all on basketball -- getting shots, getting into a professional routine. Youre going against the best kids every day.Brown emphasizes that coaches have played a vital role in developing the current crop of Aussie NBA players. The world has gotten smaller, and coaches have better access to materials online.How can you not credit coaches when it comes to this discussion? he says. Im talking right across the board ... very prideful coaches that are highly competitive, highly studied; [coaches] that are really trying to do the right thing in relation to improving themselves, improving the game. That collision of coaching and opportunities for kids to play is massive.The opportunities to play that Brown speaks of shouldnt be overlooked. In a 2014 National Sports Participation report, it was noted that 30.5 percent of Australian kids ages 6-13 participated in basketball.It was a real conscientious effort -- driven by [longtime NBL and Australian national team coach] Lindsay Gaze -- to produce opportunities where people could simply play, Brown says. Once you had the registered basketball players with multiple opportunities to play in [multicourt] stadiums all year around, I think that, just through probability, you were bound to produce more talent.Exum echoes Browns sentiments: You see with the American kids they have such a large pool to choose from, kids are just going to get better and better because theyre going against better opponents, playing more games, and I think thats starting to happen in Australia. Theres more interest in the game, the NBA is really growing and people want to play.That interest will likely continue to produce the next crop of NBA-quality players.Simmons is being heralded as a potential franchise star, and Maker, a still-raw talent, will be given every opportunity to become a factor in Milwaukee. Looking even further ahead, there are 63 Australians suiting up for NCAA teams this season.The days of Australians heading primarily to smaller colleges appear to be over as well, with many of the more highly touted players being courted by leading Division I schools.Weve always had the talent down in Australia, its just [about] being seen, Exum says. The gateway is starting to open up for us. You have Isaac Humphries at Kentucky, Jack White has gone to Duke, even Jack McVeigh at Nebraska. Theres a few kids at college programs that are going to hopefully rise up, and when they get to that senior [level] they can dominate the program and be seen by scouts.While the pump seems primed for more Australians to make it to the NBA, the first player to make the jump takes pride in what already has been accomplished by his countrymen.Certainly the doors are open, but who knows how much talent is going to get coughed up? Its the X factor, Longley says. We might go another generation and not have another kid. ... There are some talented kids out there, [but] I do also think were having a golden patch at the moment.Its a golden era, theres no doubt, in terms of the young talent being produced. Vapormax Plus Pas Cher . JOHNS, N. Vapormax Plus En Solde . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. http://www.vapormaxsolde.fr/basket-vapormax-off-white-grossiste.html . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. Vapormax Blanche Femme . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. Nike Vapormax Femme Black Friday . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. MINNEAPOLIS -- ?? The Minnesota Vikings will return to the comfort of their new stadium this weekend, lugging some heavy baggage with them.Four straight losses can weigh on a team that was undefeated before the streak started, dampening a Super Bowl aspiration at full strength just last month.Right now, theres pressure on everybody, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. My dad told me a long time ago, If you make it through the downs, the ups will take care of itself. So were just going to keep doing what we do. If we get backed up into a corner, were going to come out and fight.The Arizona Cardinals wont be the ideal visitors on Sunday. Though theyve been one of the NFCs many underperformers and yet to win a game outside of the Pacific time zone, the Cardinals (4-4-1) are plenty dangerous on both sides of the ball. They have their own urgency to catch up in the conference playoff race while starting a final stretch with five of seven games on the road .David Johnson leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage, with at least 100 in each game, and a defense that was dominant before Minnesotas momentum-killing bye week has been vulnerable against pass-catching running backs. The Vikings (5-4) will also be breaking in a new kicker, Kai Forbath , after releasing Blair Walsh.A lot of people are doubting right now, and thats fine, but as long as everyone in this locker room believes, were going to be OK, left guard Alex Boone said.Here are some more angles to the matchup:BRADFORD BLOSSOMING: Despite an injury-ravaged offensive line and a nonexistent running game, Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford has already set a career high with five games with a 100-plus passer rating. Hes third in the NFL in completion percentage and fifth in interception percentage, still yet to be picked off in a home game. But cornerback Patrick Peterson and the rest of Arizonas accomplished, versatile defense will provide a stiff test.Probably the best group that weve faced, Bradford said.GO-TO GUY: Minnesotas Stefon Diggs, whos tied for fourth in the league with 61 receptions, caught 13 passes in each of the past two games to set an NFL record. Three players share the all-time mark of 36 catches over a three-game span, with Pittsburghs Antonio Brown the most recent to get there.Theres no doubt, then, who will be responsible for containing Diggs: Peterson, whosse 19 interceptions since he entered the league in 2011 are third most during that span.dddddddddddd Thats despite many quarterbacks deciding to throw away from the place on the field occupied by the three-time All-Pro.Its going to be a great matchup, Bradford said. Its going to be fun to watch.FITZGERALD THEATER: Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will play in his home city for the fifth time in his 13-year career. He has never won in Minnesota.The summertime, thats when Im coming home for some leisure, but this is a business trip, said Fitzgerald, whos second in the NFL with 68 receptions. Im coming for only one reason, and thats to try to get a win.PRAISE FROM PALMER: Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmers respect for and insight into Zimmers character and personality run deep. They were together from 2008 through 2010 in Cincinnati, where Zimmer was the defensive coordinator. Palmer said he sees parallels between Zimmer and Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, both of whom didnt get a head coach position until late in their careers.Everybodys held accountable, whether youre the best player on the team or the guy thats just about to get cut, Palmer said. Thats something that guys really respect, I know.And Zimmer did not play favorites, Palmer said.He doesnt hold back. He tells you the truth. He doesnt sugarcoat things, Palmer said. If you need to do better, you better do better or else hes going to replace you, and hes serious about things like that. There are no politically correct-type statements. Hes very cut and dried, and what you see is what you get.TACKLES CHALLENGE: John Wetzel had his first start at left tackle in Arizonas win over San Francisco last week and held his own in place of Jared Veldheer, who is out for the season with a torn triceps. Facing a tough defensive front in a loud stadium at Minnesota is another matter.Everson Griffen is, I think, one of the most underrated defensive ends in the league, Arians said, going on to praise Vikings defensive end Brian Robison and defensive tackle Linval Joseph.Wetzel hadnt played in an NFL game until this season.This is a big, big test, Arians said.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '