Last night, the first round of the 2024 NBA draft was held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Over the last 10-20 years, we’ve seen international talent start to take over in the league. The last six winners of the MVP trophy have all been international players. In the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, France made NBA history.
It was the first time three players not from the United States were taken in the top 10 of the same draft. Zaccharie Risacher was the first overall pick by the Hawks. Alex Sarr was the second overall pick by the Wizards. Rounding out the three French players in the top 10 of the 2024 NBA Draft was Tidjane Salaun. He was selected sixth overall by the Hornets.
For the second straight year, the first player selected in the NBA Draft was French
THREE French players have been selected in the first SIX picks in the NBA Draft 😳
You are NOT finding the next Wemby 😂🫵 pic.twitter.com/D8J9CpQUZN
— Solo (@YT_Solo) June 27, 2024
In the 2023 NBA Draft, the Spurs had the first overall pick and selected Victor Wembanyama out of France. The 20-year-old had an incredibly dominant rookie season with San Antonio. Wemby averaged (21.4) points, (10.6) rebounds, (3.9) assists, (1.2) steals, and a league-leading (3.6) blocks per game. With that dominant campaign, Wembanyama was the unanimous Rookie of the Year. The first player since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2016 to do that. Additionally, he was named All-Defensive first-team last season and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Rudy Gobert.
After seeing Wembanyama tear up the league as a rookie, teams at the top of the NBA Draft were willing to take their chance on a French player. For the second straight year, the first pick in the NBA Draft was from France. The Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher. He’s a talented SF who is known for his versatility on both ends of the court. Risacher needs to polish off his ball-handling skills. The second overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft was also French. Washington took big man Alex Sarr.
3⃣ French players were drafted in the TOP 6⃣ of the 2024 NBA Draft🤯
#1 🇫🇷 Zaccharie RISACHER
#2 🇫🇷 Alex SARR
#6 🇫🇷 Tidjane SALAUN pic.twitter.com/ghp2M7zyBj— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) June 27, 2024
Sarr is 19 years old as this was his preferred landing spot. As a seven-footer, Sarr is going to bring rebounding and defensive intensity right away for the Wizards. The talented big man has a fluid shooting motion and has been working on his touch from beyond the arc. The final French player taken in the top 10 of the 2024 NBA Draft was Tidjane Salaun. He was the sixth overall pick by the Hornets. Salaun is a talented wing player at six-foot-nine. He has worked to add muscle to his frame to be able to compete with other pros. French talent is starting to find its way to the NBA.
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