Two 19-year-old professional basketball players from France were the top two draft picks in the NBA draft on Wednesday, knocking an American job seeker to the third spot, ESPN reports, and this follows the 2023 draft when another Frenchman took the top spot.
Zaccharie Risacher, a 6’9″ forward playing in the top French professional league, was chosen by the Atlanta Hawks. Seven-foot-one Alex Sarr, a center/forward who plays in the Australian professional league, was selected second by the Washington Wizards. Risacher and Sarr first played against each other as 13-year-olds in French youth leagues. Another Frenchman, Tidjane Salaun, was selected sixth by the Charlotte Hornets.