SI

Victor Wembanyama, NBA World React to France Dominating the 2024 NBA Draft

Three of the top six draft picks in 2024 hail from France.

Tom Dierberger

Zaccharie Risacher arrives for the first round of the 2024 NBA draft at Barclays Center.
Zaccharie Risacher arrives for the first round of the 2024 NBA draft at Barclays Center. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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One year after the San Antonio Spurs selected one of the most exciting prospects in sports history, Victor Wembanyama, with the top pick, the Atlanta Hawks drafted fellow Frenchman Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick on Wednesday night.

With the very next pick, the Washington Wizards selected Alex Sarr—a 19-year-old center out of France. It marked the first time in NBA history that two international players were picked back-to-back with the No. 1 and No. 2 selections, and they both happened to reign from France.

Just a few minutes later, the French basketball community had another chance to celebrate when the Charlotte Hornets picked Tidjane Salaun with the No. 6 pick. Later, Pacome Dadiet would be drafted by the Knicks with the 25th overall pick, also out of France.

Wembanyama celebrated a big night for basketball in France with a post on social media:

The rest of the NBA world chimed in as well:

Risacher joined an exclusive list of international prospects to be selected with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft in the modern era, following in the footsteps of Chinese center Yao Ming (2002), Italian center Andrea Bargnani (2006) and Wembanyama (2023).

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Tom Dierberger

TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a writer and editor for the Breaking & Trending News Team at Sports Illustrated. Tom joined SI in 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports, and NBC Sports. In his spare time, Tom can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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