During the NBA draft, the Atlanta Hawks selected French forward Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick. Risacher, who is 19 years old and stands at 6ft 9in, previously played for ASVEL and JL Bourg in the French league. This marks the second consecutive year that a French player has been chosen as the top pick in the draft, following Victor Wembanyama last year.
Frenchman Alexandre Sarr was selected by the Washington Wizards with the second overall pick. Sarr, who is also 19 years old, played with the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s National Basketball League last season. The draft also saw other top picks like Reed Sheppard from Kentucky going to the Houston Rockets and UConn’s Stephon Castle being selected by the San Antonio Spurs.
Three French players, including Risacher and Sarr, were among the first six picks in the draft. Tidjane Salaun, an 18-year-old from France, was taken by the Charlotte Hornets. The draft also included players like Ron Holland from G League Ignite, who will be joining the Detroit Pistons.
LeBron James has expressed his desire to play with or against his son, Bronny James, who is expected to be selected in the second round of the draft. The first round of the draft took place at the Barclays Center in New York, while the second round is set to be held at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York.