When New Orleans center Alexis Ajinca starts discussing his childhood participation and world-class ability in a different sport from basketball, he often receives incredulous looks of disbelief. That may be because it’s difficult to picture the now 7-foot-2 native of France in a BMX race, running circles around his competition on his bike as a pre-teen. Luckily for Ajinca, whenever a new friend or acquaintance thinks Ajinca is just telling a tall tale, he simply pops in videotape from the 1997 BMX world championships in Saskatoon, Canada. In the recording, a 9-year-old Ajinca – already about 6-foot tall – finishes as a runner-up in his age group.
Alexis Ajinca athletic career began as world-class BMX rider
