NEW YORK (AP) — First Victor Wembanyama. Now Zaccharie Risacher.
These days, America’s college basketball players have to wait their turn in the NBA draft. It is others who occupy the first places.
Long live France!
The Atlanta Hawks drafted Risacher with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday, the second consecutive year a French basketball player has received this honor.
France placed three players among the first six drafted, a year after Wembanyama landed with the San Antonio Spurs.
“It’s amazing,” Risacher said. “We try to represent our country, and so I am very grateful to be a part of this. You know that more players are coming”
Risacher does not arrive with the immense expectation that Wembanyama generated, the enormous center who ended up winning the Rookie of the Year award.
But the Hawks considered Risacher to be the best option in what was considered a draft lacking elite talent.
The 19-year-old forward won the award for best young player in the French League last season. He surpassed another Frenchman, center Alex Sarr, in the draft.
By achieving it, he made history. It is the first time that the first pick in the draft in consecutive years does not come from the American college system.
“It shows the wealth of talent we have in France,” Sarr said. “I’m really excited for Zach. I think our national team is going to be really good.”
Sarr was chosen second, by the Washington Wizards, after playing last year for Perth, in the Australian National Basketball League.
The Hawks had just a 3% chance of winning the draft lottery to get the top pick. Once they got it, they had no clear alternative.
Much of the mock drafts showed split results between Risacher and Sarr. Atlanta also got to see UConn’s Donovan Clingan.
Houston drafted Kentucky freshman Reed Sheppard with the third pick. First-year college players had captured the top picks for 13 years in a row, from 2010 to ’22, before Wembanyama ended that streak.
Now the era of France has arrived.
Stephon Castle of the Huskies, the two-time reigning national champions, was drafted by San Antonio with the fourth pick.
It was the first of two selections that the Spurs had in the top 10. They also had the eighth but they traded it to Minnesota, which opted for Rob Dillingham, a point guard from Kentucky.
The Detroit Pistons got Ron Holland of the G League’s Ignite with the fifth pick before the Hornets drafted Tidjane Salaun, who played last year for Cholet Basket in France.
“I think basketball in France has improved and that is why we are in this draft,” said Saluan.
2024-06-27 03:44:00
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