"The NBA evaluators spent the week guessing at Biyombo's age as they attended the World Team's practices. A half-dozen NBA scouts and executives told me they believed Biyombo was older than his listed age of 18, based not only on his mature body but also his leadership skills, as he led the Internationals through their pre-practice stretches and was their most vocal and energetic player," says Ian Thompson of SI.com.
Writes Johnathan Givony of of DraftExpress:
"Our research has revealed some slightly different information. Coaches who have worked with Biyombo earlier in his career while he was still in Congo think he's "no older than 20 at most," while Biyombo's agent, Igor Crespo, has evidence that proves Biyombo is even younger. Crespo says he took Biyombo to a specialist to conduct a bone age study immediately upon his arrival in Spain (Biyombo was reportedly 16). The study involves taking x-rays of an adolescent's wrist and hand to see if his growth plates are still open. Because the cartilage in Biyombo's hand hadn't fused at that point, the specialist came to the conclusion that he could be 16 or 17 at most, but not 18, when growth plates are expected to be closed."But they could be way off as well. Biyombo could actually be a decade older than the studies by Igor Crespo saying that he is 16 or 17!
According to TNT's David Alridge, the star from Congo could actually be between the range of 23-26 years of age!
Biyombo has a lot of positives in his game and could be a lottery pick, as Chad Ford writes:
"Biyombo is a huge draw for NBA scouts and GMs. Very few of them have seen him up close. He's a 6-foot-9, 245-pound Serge Ibaka-type player with a crazy 7-foot-7 wingspan. He's been playing well in Spain of late and every week he seems to be creeping up NBA draft boards."Nonetheless, this is all very interesting.
Somebody find this man's age!
