Risacher Goes #1To Atlanta

Photo: Special to the NY Beacon

By Shara Talia Taylor

NBA hopefuls surrounded by their family, friends and fans waited eagerly for their names to be called in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn June 26th.

The Atlanta Hawks selected French basketball forward 19-year-old Zaccharie Risacher with the first pick and were followed by the Washington Wizards who chose French basketball forward 19-year-old Alex Sarr and the Houston Rockets who selected 20-year-old guard Reed Sheppard of the Kentucky Wildcats third overall.  French talent shined, while familiar faces showcased in the Big East Men’s basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden found NBA homes and the first NBA father-son duo came to be with the selection of Bronny James, were highlights from the 2024 NBA draft. “We are trying to represent our country and I’m so glad to be a part of it,” Risacher said about being a part of the new pool of French talent in the NBA.

Risacher was listed at 6’9, 215lbs in his NBA Draft profile and was highlighted as a successful shooter who made nearly 39% of his attempted shots from behind the arc and shot better than 46% from the floor, overall. He played for Jeunesse Laïque de Bourg-en-Bresse (JL Bourg), a basketball club that plays in the Ligue Nationale de Basketball (LNB) Élite, a men’s French professional basketball league.

According to NBA.com Risacher, who was born in Spain and raised in Lyon, France, was named the 2023-24 French League Best Young Player, played in 32 French League Pro A regular season games (23 starts) and averaged 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 21.9 minutes of play. “He’s got great size,” said Hawks General Manager and former New York Knicks player Landry Fields in an introductory press conference posted by the Atlanta Hawks on Youtube. “Shooting is at a premium in the NBA and a guy of his size and that caliber of player, to have that as well, is just tremendous.” 

French basketball pro, forward-center Victor Wembanyama was selected No. 1 by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2023 NBA draft. Risacher and Wembanyama were the only French players to be drafted first overall in the NBA Draft. Sarr was also excited to join his countrymen in the NBA. “It’s a team that I’ve watched a lot this past year,” said Sarr about going to Washington, D.C. “I think I can be really impactful to the team and I can’t wait to add my game to the roster.” 

Sheppard said it was unbelievable hearing his name called third. “It was a dream come true,” he said. “It’s something that I’ve been dreaming of since I was a little kid.”

It has been a big year for University of Connecticut (UConn) players guard Stephon Castle and Center Donovan Clingan, who won the Big East tournament this year and were the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball national champions. 

“It really means the world to me and I wouldn’t trade this for anything,” Castle said. Castle was selected No. 4 by the San Antonio Spurs and the Portland Trail Blazers chose Clingan of as the 7th overall pick of the draft.

“A lot of winning, a lot of succeeding in these past two years,” Clingan said. “I feel like I’m going to keep that chip on my shoulder and go into Portland with a lot of confidence with a willingness to learn.”

UConn Men’s Basketball Coach Dan Hurley was also at the arena during the first round. “Beautiful, a better feeling than winning anything we won this year or at least right there,” he said about the two players selected in the top 10. “Just to see the tears with Steph and the emotion there, because the families put so much into it.”

He said things happened for him because of Clingan and his teammates. “Donovan changed my life as a coach forever,” he said.

Many anticipated the call for Bronny James, a 6’2″ 210 lbs guard from University of Southern California (USC) and the son of NBA star Lebron James of the Los Angeles Lakers. Bronny was selected Thursday by the Lakers at the No. 55 slot as he and Lebron became the first father-son duo to be in the NBA at the same time.

The Brooklyn Nets did not have picks in the draft, but tweeted they have negotiated trades to gain picks for the 2025 draft.

The New York Knicks added rookies forward Pacome Dadiet of Germany’s Ratiopharm Ulm, guard Tyler Kolek of the Marquette University Golden Eagles, guard Kevin McCullar Jr. of the Kansas Jayhawks and center Ariel Hukporti of Germany’s MHP Riesen to their roster.

The NBA Summer League season starts July 8.