The Clippers’ team plane was headed to Utah for a midweek game against the Jazz when rookie center Yanic Konan Niederhauser received word of his selection to the NBA’s Rising Stars Challenge.
His first thought, though, wasn’t about the unexpected recognition or what he was going to wear to the four-team mini-tournament on Friday night at the Intuit Dome. It was about his teammate, fellow rookie Kobe Sanders.
“I was so excited, but I was hoping that Kobe was going to make it too, because he was sitting right behind me,” Niederhauser said. “I was waiting to see if he made it, then I was sad for him.”
Only after commiserating with Sanders did Niederhauser allow himself to be excited for the opportunity to play against some of the league’s top young talent in one of the league’s All-Star Weekend events.
“Man, I was hyped, man. I was so happy,” Niederhauser said. “It’s good to see that people see that the work that I put in is getting paid off.”
Niederhauser, the 30th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is one of eight players on the G League team that will compete against 10 rookies and 11 second-year players on Friday in a three-game tournament. The two semifinal games will be played to a target score of 40, and the championship game will be played to a target score of 25.
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, the Charlotte Hornets’ Kon Knueppel, the Philadelphia 76ers’ VJ Edgecombe and the New Orleans Pelicans’ Derik Queen are among the top rookies tapped to participate, though Flagg was ruled out Wednesday night with a midfoot sprain.
Niederhauser, 22, quickly attracted attention in the G League this season, averaging 14.7 points and 10 rebounds in nine games, leading to a spot on the NBA roster where he found himself under the tutelage of Clippers veteran centers Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez. The Swiss-born Niederhauser played his first regular-season game with the Clippers on Oct. 22, scoring four points and grabbing one rebound in four minutes.
“Having this guidance from these vets, man, they’ll be helping me and knowing they got my back, knowing that they will teach me every day gives me a lot of confidence,” Niederhauser said.
The 6-11 Penn State product also absorbed everything he could from practice sessions with 11-time All-Star point guard James Harden before the future Hall of Famer was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers last week.
“I was focused because he knows a lot,” Niederhauser said. “He was trying to teach me stuff.
“Growing up I was watching him, also with Clint Capela, I know they used to have this good duo. So, I used to watch this since I’m a kid. So having him actually teach that to me now in person means a lot.”
That coaching has paid off. Niederhauser has appeared in 32 NBA games and averaged 3.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.5 blocked shots. On Sunday, he scored 15 points – one shy of matching his season best – on 5-of-5 shooting from the field to go with six rebounds, two assists and one block over 17 minutes before fouling out in a road win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Before he left the court, Niederhauser made everyone take notice with a thunderous dunk, a shot so big broadcaster Brian Sieman dubbed it a “Yanic Boom!”
Expect the nickname to stick and to see more plays like that.
“That’s what I do, man. So that’s what I’m going to try and do. Maybe if I get the chance to do something flashy (in the Rising Stars event), I’ll do something flashy,” Niederhauser said. “But yeah, I’m just going to play my game.”
RISING STARS CHALLENGE
When: Friday, 6 p.m.
Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood
TV: NBC (Ch. 4)/Peacock
What to know: A trio of Hall of Famers (Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady) and recently retired former Clipper Austin Rivers are the honorary coaches for this four-team tournament. Three teams were drafted from a pool of rookies and second-year NBA players while a fourth team is made up of G League players. The semifinals will be won by the first team to score 40 points, while the championship game will be played to 25.
Team Melo: Cooper Flagg* (Dallas Mavericks), Reed Sheppard (Houston Rockets), Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs), Dylan Harper (Spurs), Jeremiah Fears (New Orleans Pelicans), Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers) and Collin Murray-Boyles (Toronto Raptors).
Team T-Mac: Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets), Kel’el Ware (Miami Heat), Tre Johnson (Washington Wizards), Alex Sarr (Wizards), Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta Hawks), Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder), Jaylon Tyson (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Cam Spencer (Memphis Grizzlies).
Team Vince: VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers), Derik Queen (Pelicans), Kyshawn George (Wizards), Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls), Egor Demin (Brooklyn Nets), Cedric Coward (Grizzlies) and Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies).
Team Austin: Sean East II (Salt Lake City), David Jones Garcia (Austin), Yang Hansen (Rip City), Ron Harper Jr. (Maine), Alijah Martin (Raptors 905), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (San Diego) and Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley)
* – Injured, won’t play