New historic night for French basketball: Zaccharie Risacher (19 years old, JL Bourg-en-Bresse) was chosen in first position in the 2024 Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, who had the first choice. “It’s incredible, I don’t know what else to say,” he said just after shaking hands with NBA boss Adam Silver. His compatriot Alexandre Sarr (19 years old, Perth/Australia) was selected by… the second team, the Washington Wizards. “It’s such a special moment,” Sarr reacted, in tears, after his selection. Two French people in the first two places in the most prestigious Draft in the world: this is unprecedented for French sport, less than a month before the start of the Paris Olympic Games.
A year ago, Victor Wembanyama had already made history by being selected in first position by the San Antonio Spurs, a first for a Frenchman. The “competition” this year was more open, certainly also less competitive, but the feat remains significant for blue-white-red basketball, which is slowly but surely placing its pawns almost everywhere on the map of the United States.
What would you say to the Zacchariah of the future? 📝
“Dear Zaccharie, I want to get there, to be among the best, I can’t wait. There is a lot of work to do but I will do everything possible to get there”#NBADraft – Tonight from 2:00 a.m. on beIN SPORTS pic.twitter.com/TlJ2KqnUTY
— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) June 26, 2024
The vintage could even be even better, with a 2nd round planned for this Thursday. For the first time, the Draft takes place over two days. Two other French people will be in the running to be selected from 30th to 60th place: Pacôme Dadiet (18 years old, Ulm/Germany) and Melvin Ajinca (20 years old, Saint-Quentin). For the third year in a row, at least four French players should therefore be drafted, a further sign of the vitality of the French ecosystem.
An exceptional generation, in the footsteps of Wemby
This Draft thus highlights the exceptional 2004/2005 generation, which also includes Victor Wembanyama, Bilal Coulibaly and Rayan Rupert, selected last year in the NBA. A generation that has already been able to benchmark itself at the highest level, playing in professional championships for several months. An advantage when joining the American League.
For these French hopes, the rest will involve the Summer League, these friendly matches scheduled for the beginning of July in Las Vegas and California in particular, and which allow the newly drafted to familiarize themselves with the environment of their new team.
These French people will not, however, start from scratch. Zaccharie Risacher is the son of former international Stéphane Risacher, 123 caps for the French team and silver medal at the Sydney Olympic Games (2000). Alexandre Sarr is the brother of Olivier, who has been playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder for three years. And he will find Bilal Coulibaly in Washington, drafted last year in 7th position and who showed during his first season that he was already ready for the difficulty of the NBA. The Wizards posted one of the worst records in the League last year (15 wins, just ahead of the Detroit Pistons, 14) but are a team in reconstruction, where Sarr, this pivot who moves like a fullback, will have playing time .
Zaccharie Risacher will not land in the same context: the Hawks were lucky in the lottery. They only had a 3% chance of picking up the first pick of the Draft. Their last seasons have indeed been rather good, and their record of 36 victories last year augurs great possibilities for the next year. Surrounded by stars Dejounte Murray and Trae Young (if Atlanta decides to keep them), it is a team cut out for the play-offs that the former Bourg-en-Bresse player will join.
