A French Revolution is slowly taking over the NBA.
Zaccharie Risacher and Alexander Sarr took the spotlight, selected as the no.1 and no. 2 overall picks respectively in the opening round of the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday (PH time).
Childhood friends from 🇫🇷… now the No. 1 & 2 picks! pic.twitter.com/JlJSfaU7Q0
— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) June 27, 2024
The Atlanta Hawks selected Risacher as the top pick, making him the second consecutive French player to be drafted no. 1 overall after Victor Wembenyama last season.
With the 1st pick of the NBA Draft, the @ATLHawks select Zaccharie Risacher (@Zacch_10)!
— NBA (@NBA) June 27, 2024
2024 #NBADraft presented by State Farm LIVE on ABC & ESPN! pic.twitter.com/26i0gXKLvq
Risacher, who played in the JL Bourg in France’s top professional league, will now be part of the squad featuring the backcourt duo of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. The 19-year-old is expected to add more size, shooting, and defense to the Hawks.
"There's a lot of feelings and emotions right now."
— NBA (@NBA) June 27, 2024
Zaccharie Risacher is the 2024 No. 1 pick 🙌 pic.twitter.com/S3rhltLCwX
He was the winner of the best young player award in the French League last season, beating out his childhood friend Sarr and UConn’s Donovan Clingan in the race to be the top pick.
Sarr then landed to Washington Wizards, using their highest selection in 14 years to add some much-needed size to a team that won only 15 games last season.
Alex Sarr is selected 2nd overall by the @WashWizards in the 2024 #NBADraft presented by State Farm!
— NBA (@NBA) June 27, 2024
Watch on ABC & ESPN. pic.twitter.com/ErcRFNPAf2
The 7-foot-1 Sarr played last season for the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s National Basketball League. He averaged 9.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.5 blocks in 30 games last season.
It marked the first time that two Frenchmen went 1-2 in a NBA Draft, also making Risacher and Sarr as the first pair of drafted players who played outside of US college.
Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard went to the Houston Rockets as the no. 3 pick while two-time NCAA champion Stephon Castle from UConn Huskies joins Wembanyama in Spurs as San Antonio selected him fourth overall.
Reed Sheppard is selected 3rd overall by the @HoustonRockets in the 2024 #NBADraft presented by State Farm!
— NBA (@NBA) June 27, 2024
Watch on ABC & ESPN. pic.twitter.com/rzVHRun9Ww
Stephon Castle is selected 4th overall by the @spurs in the 2024 #NBADraft presented by State Farm!
— NBA (@NBA) June 27, 2024
Watch on ABC & ESPN. pic.twitter.com/EOZ5l8SoS2
G League Ignite’s Ron Holland rounded up the top 5 picks after going to the Detroit Pistons.
Other notable players such as Clingan went to no.7 to the Portland Trail Blazers, Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham selected by the Spurs before getting traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, big man Zach Edey going ninth to the Memphis Grizzlies and Serbia's Nikola Topic going to the OKC Thunder as 12th overall.
Round 2 of the 2024 NBA Draft will be held tomorrow, Friday (PH time).
[ALSO READ: 2024 NBA Draft: Latest results]
