The current NBA rookie of the year. The current NBA defensive player of the year. The No. 1, No. 2, and No. 6 picks in this year’s NBA draft. They all share one thing in common.
They’re French.
While France has had players in the NBA for years—about four dozen in total—this might be the best time for French players in the league. There are established stars, emerging talents, and promising newcomers all around.
Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio is the reigning rookie of the year, and Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert is a four-time defensive player of the year. This season, French talent is on the rise with No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher from the Atlanta Hawks, No. 2 pick Alex Sarr from the Washington Wizards, and No. 6 pick Tidjane Salaün from the Charlotte Hornets.
“It’s not just France. It’s Spain, it’s Italy, it’s Germany, all these places, Australia,” said San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. “Some of these kids start when they’re 13, 14, 15 years old, and they go to these clubs.
They leave their families, go to the clubs. They go to school in the mornings and play basketball in the afternoon. They learn individual skills, team skills, how to play. It’s serious stuff. They love the game just like we do here. They have great coaches, and over time, there you go.”
Basketball has been getting more attention in France for some time, and it has been particularly bright lately. The U.S. won both the men’s and women’s basketball gold medals at the Paris Olympics, defeating France in both finals, and neither victory was easy; the American men were in a close game until the end, and the women won gold by just one point against the hosts.
Wembanyama, who will play two games in France in January when the Spurs and Indiana Pacers meet in Paris, was the unanimous NBA rookie of the year. Gobert set a record with his fourth defensive player of the year award, and in a unique event, the top six picks in the draft were evenly split, with three from the U.S. and three from France.
“It’s been great. It’s been great,” Risacher said, speaking perfect English, about adjusting to life in Atlanta. “It’s an adjustment to make, but it’s definitely a great thing to do. I mean, I’m 19 and I have the opportunity to do so much in my life. … I’m super excited, super happy.”
People will naturally compare Risacher and Wembanyama since they are both French and were No. 1 picks in consecutive years. The Hawks are aware of this and hope it doesn’t hinder this year’s top pick.
“I’ve tried to kind of articulate what I think is the reality of the situation,” said Hawks coach Quin Snyder. “You know, we literally won the lottery.
“What we’ve really tried to impress upon Zack is his work ethic is aligned with getting better,” he added. “And I think he loves to play, and that’s shown in some of the games. He knows how to play.”
Among those looking forward to seeing Risacher’s performance is Wembanyama. However, the Spurs star hasn’t given the Hawks rookie any advice on how to handle the upcoming NBA season.
“I’ll always be here for him, as a fellow future national-team teammate, I hope, and as a friend, of course,” Wembanyama said. “But he’s got his own history to write. And I don’t think he needs any advice. I’m very confident in his mental strength.”
