The spirit of France was alive and thriving on Wednesday night as the NBA draft saw Zaccharie Risacher snatched up by the Atlanta Hawks with the number one pick in the evening’s proceedings. This achievement marked an unprecedented event in NBA history, with the draft passing a second consecutive year without a marquee selection who has wet his feet in the American collegiate waters.
The icing on the French cake was three out of the top six picks being French players, an achievement that left Risacher, a talented 19-year-old forward, brimming with pride. “That’s amazing,” he said, “We try to represent our country and I’m glad to be a part of it. More players are sure to follow in our footsteps.”
Risacher may lack the sky-reaching stature and the media frenzy attached to Victor Wembanyama, the formidable center who joined the San Antonio Spurs last year and bagged the Rookie of the Year award. Yet the Atlanta Hawks saw worth and potential in Risacher, a beacon of talent in a draft perceived to be bereft of star-studded players.
Risacher wasn’t just another number on the board; he waved the flag for France with a prestigious feather in his cap – the Best Young Player award in the French League – trumping the likes of fellow compatriot Alex Sarr in the race to the number one draft pick.
The joy was clearly reflected in the words of Alex Sarr, who went second in the draft to the Washington Wizards after a remarkable stint with Perth in Australia’s National Basketball League. “Shows the amount of talent we have in France,” he professed, “our national team will be a force to be reckoned with.”
Meanwhile, with a slim 3% chance of landing the lottery pick, the Atlanta Hawks had to wrestle with a difficult decision of who to pick. Mock drafts were divided with options like Risacher and Sarr. And not forgetting UConn center Donovan Clingan who was also in the frame.
Notably, the third pick snuggled into the capable hands of Kentucky freshman Reed Sheppard, representing Houston. The league witnessed a staggering 13-year streak of one-and-done college players spearheading the drafts from 2010 to 2022; a streak that was broken by the French player Wembanyama.
A cascade of promising players followed, including Stephon Castle bagging the fourth pick with San Antonio, Ron Holland of the G League Ignite landing with Detroit at number five, and Tidjane Salaun from the French club, Cholet Basket, joining the Hornets at number six. Notably, two-time reigning national champion Huskies claimed their second successive college freshman in the form of Castle, securing San Antonio a prized player.
On the other side of selection night, some starry names found themselves further down the pecking order than anticipated. Dalton Knecht from Tennessee, for instance, dropped from being a potential lottery pick to joining the Los Angeles Lakers at number 17. Similarly, Zach Edey, the celebrated two-time AP Player of the Year from Purdue, was claimed by Memphis at the ninth spot.
Meanwhile, as the evening wore on at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, news broke that New York Knicks had successfully brokered a deal to nab Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets. It also sealed a five-year contract valued at over 210 million dollars with OG Anunoby.
The Utah team rounded off the first night of the draft by selecting Isaiah Collier from USC, a former teammate of LeBron James’ son, Bronny James. The NBA champions Boston Celtics concluded the night’s proceedings by drafting Baylor Scheierman, a talented player hailing from Creighton.
The continued influx of international talent reflected in this year’s NBA draft speaks volumes for the increasing global influence on the sport of basketball, painting an exciting future for the league. France’s dominance in this year’s event further points towards the growing basketball talent the country is producing, shaking up traditional expectations and adding a new dynamic to the NBA player spectrum.
All eyes now turn towards these young rookies, as they look to carve out successful careers in the world’s most prestigious basketball league. Time and hustle on the cour will tell how their stories unfold.
