French players make history with top two picks in 2024 NBA Draft
CNN
France is becoming a cradle of top talent for the world’s premier basketball league as French nationals were taken with the two top picks in the NBA Draft on Wednesday and four players were taken in the top 25 picks.
France is becoming a cradle of top talent for the world’s premier basketball league as French nationals were taken with the two top picks in the NBA Draft on Wednesday and four players were taken in the top 25 picks. It marks the second consecutive year a Frenchman has been drafted as the first overall pick in the annual event after Victor Wembanyama’s blockbuster selection by the San Antonio Spurs last season. The Atlanta Hawks took compatriot Zaccharie Risacher as the top pick this year at the event in Brooklyn, New York. Standing 6 feet 8 inches (203 centimeters) tall, the 19-year-old small forward spent last season with JL Bourg-en-Bresse of France’s LNB Élite league, where he averaged 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 23 games. “There’s a lot of feelings and emotions right now. I don’t know what to say, but it’s definitely special. I feel blessed. My family is here, and I’m so happy to have them here,” Risacher told the ESPN broadcast. The Washington Wizards took fellow Frenchman Alexandre Sarr with the second overall pick.
