Less than 24 hours after hearing his name called by commissioner Adam Silver at the NBA Draft, Pistons rookie Sekou Doumbouya landed in Detroit to a proper welcoming.



It just so happened that Chauncey Billups, the lead guard during the Pistons’ Eastern Conference dominance during the 2000s, was also in town. Billups saw Doumbouya near baggage claim, Doumbouya saw Billups, and the two gathered for a quick introduction before a picture was taken and a brief word of advice was shared.



“He just told me that I’m in the right place,” Doumbouya said. “He told me I could do big things over there.”



Doumbouya, 18, has already broken barriers in his pursuit for this NBA dream. He’s played the sport for only six years, and three years after picking up a basketball for the first time, the Guinea-born product was already playing professionally in France. Doumbouya, who was drafted No. 15 overall, was the youngest player selected in...