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French NBA rookies await their turn on Olympic team
Victor Wembanyama sat out World Cup in 2023, now plays in Olympics; Zaccharie Risacher, Alexandre Sarr look to 2028
Andscape at the Olympics is an ongoing series exploring the Black athletes and culture around the 2024 Paris Games.
LILLE, France – Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert and the French men’s national team play their first game of the Olympics as host nation Saturday against Brazil. Two interesting omissions from the French roster are the 2024 NBA draft’s top two picks: Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher and Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr.
“Surprised? No. I wasn’t surprised that I’m not there,” Risacher said the day before the Hawks selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA draft on June 26. “I wanted to be on the team. That was a goal from the beginning of the season. But I didn’t make it … I have good things coming up with the draft and everything. I’m happy to be there in the NBA and I have some [years] to realize my dream.
“I wanted to be on the national team, especially for the Olympics in Paris. That would be great. But that is not going to happen. But I’m not mad. I’m just living the great life of a basketball player. Why can I be mad?”
So why didn’t Risacher and Sarr get picked?
Several NBA executives told Andscape it’s par for the course that lottery picks don’t play for their national teams during the summer when they get selected in the NBA draft. Memphis Grizzlies rookie center Zach Edey, drafted ninth overall, wasn’t selected to play for the Canadian national team at the Olympics but played for his new team in summer league action. French men’s basketball team coach Vincent Collet explained the omission of Risacher and Sarr from his standpoint to Andscape.
“I knew they would get drafted very high and our Olympic committee imposes us to give the final roster before [the] 7th of July, which meant we couldn’t see them before giving the final roster,” Collet told Andscape. “They are very good and could make the team in another situation. But we couldn’t select them without seeing them.
“It wouldn’t be fair for others. They will be part of the French basketball upside.”
Christian Liewig/Corbis/Getty Images
Collet coached Wembanyama with Paris Metropolitans 92 during the 2022-23 French Pro A season. But Wembanyama didn’t play for the French national team during World Cup play in 2023. The 7-foot-4 center was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs and played two games on their summer league team instead. Not playing for France last summer also gave Wembanyama an opportunity to adjust to the Spurs and San Antonio.
The 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, a league-high 3.6 blocked shots and 1.2 steals last season. Washington Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly also didn’t play for France during the 2023 World Cup but is on the Olympic roster now. Coulibaly averaged 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists as a rookie with Washington last season and is expected to have a bright future with the franchise.
“It would not be realistic in terms of development and not careful in terms of health,” Wembanyama told L’Equipe in 2023 about his decision to miss FIBA World Cup. “I hope people will understand. It’s frustrating for me too. The France team is still my focus. I want to win as many titles as possible with it. But I think it’s a necessary sacrifice.”
Perhaps being away from the Olympics could be a good thing for Risacher and Sarr, since both struggled at the NBA 2K Summer League recently in Las Vegas.
In two games, Risacher averaged 14.5 points (39.3% shooting, missed 12 of 16 3-point shots), 5.0 rebounds and 2 assists in 29.5 minutes per game. In four games, Sarr averaged 5.5 points and missed 38 of 47 field goal attempts (including 15 of 17 3-point attempts) while averaging 7.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Now, they can adjust to their new NBA towns and teams while watching France on television.
“Every day is kind of new,” Risacher said. “A new experience. That is what made the [draft] process exciting. I’m still discovering a new country, new cities. And that is special, too …
“My first year it’s going to be important to do whatever coach asks me to fit on the team. I think that is the advantage I will have on everybody.”
The next Olympic Games are 2028 in Los Angeles. While USA Basketball is always laden with top NBA talent, French basketball will be expected to be a medal contender as well with the possibility of young talent like Wembanyama, Coulibaly, Sarr, Risacher, Olivier Sarr and two rookies drafted in the 2024 first round, Tidjane Salaün and Pacôme Dadiet.
“We should be amongst the best teams and other players are coming,” Collet said.
“It’s amazing to see how we are growing as a nation,” Risacher said.