Knicks Rookie Describes Draft Experience
It's been a week since the New York Knicks welcomed the youngest player to their squad by drafting French wing Pacome Dadiet with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Dadiet, who turns 19 later this month, is an extremely raw prospect with a lot of room to grow, but being in the New York City during the draft gave him a taste of what his life would soon be like.
"I don't think I really believed what was happening," Dadiet said. "It was like a dream becoming true. To be honest, I always said my favorite city in the [United] States is New York. I already love the fans, so I'm really excited to start playing here."
Dadiet may be with the Knicks, but it will likely be a little while longer before he plays consistently at Madison Square Garden. He began his pro career in LNB Pro A in France with Paris Basketball at the age of 16 in 2021, but he played only eight games with the club.
Dadiet then left France to go to Germany to play for OrangeAcademy, which was the developmental team for Ratiopharm Ulm. He played with Ulm in the Bundesliga last season, averaging 6.6 points per game.
Dadiet still has a lot of growing to do both physically and in terms of basketball, which is why he'll likely begin his career in the G League with Westchester before playing nightly in New York with the contending Knicks.
Dadiet is still a few years away from being a potential key player for the Knicks, but there is a sense of drive with the young kid from France. He had to bounce around Europe in order to get to the best position possible to become an NBA prodigy. He did that and became a first-round pick in the process.
If he can continue along the trajectory that he's set out for himself over the past few years, there's reason to believe he can play in New York in due time.
JEREMY BRENER
Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.