Allez Le Bleu: Remembering every French player who made it to the NBA

The San Antonio Spurs are widely expected to select Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The Nanterre, France product is one of the most highly touted prospects in recent basketball history. With his impending arrival, we’ll take a look back at every Frenchman who has paved the way by appearing in an NBA game.

Fans who are extremely knowledgeable about Parker’s background might stop and question his inclusion on this list. After all, the Hall of Fame point guard was born in Belgium. However, he was raised in France, as his father was a professional basketball player in the country. Parker has been a mentor to Wembanyama during his meteoric basketball ascension.

Many fans may not realize that Wilkins was born in Paris. His father was a sergeant in the United States Air Force, and was stationed in France during Wilkins’ early years. The “Human Highlight Film”, as he was nicknamed, went on achieve notable individual accolades during his time in the NBA. He spent 12 seasons with the Atlanta Hawks.

Fournier is one of the most skilled offensive players in France’s basketball history. His long-range shooting ability has stretched defenses for a long time, and has the skill to pull up for jump shots off the dribble. His contributions helped France win the silver medal in the 2020 Olympics, as he averaged a team-high 18 points per game.

He is one of the premier shot blockers in NBA history. Gobert’s 7’1” frame, combined with his timing and long arms, have allowed him to be a nuisance to opposing players driving the ball to the basket. He’s been recognized as an All-NBA player four times, and has made the All-Defensive Team on six occasions.

His NBA career appeared to be coming to an anti-climatic end during his final season with the Charlotte Hornets, but Batum has found a solid role with the Los Angeles Clippers in his mid-thirties. His accuracy from three-point range has improved in Los Angeles, as he’s shot nearly 40% from downtown as a member of the Clippers.

The NBA currently finds itself in an era that features taller players with the ability to setup opportunities for their teammates. Back when Diaw was in the league, there weren’t too many 6’8” players who had that level of versatility. The Cormeilles-en-Parisis native won an NBA title in 2014 with the Spurs. He spent his final professional season in 2017-2018 playing in France.

Most of the initial names on this list are either well into their NBA careers or have retired, but Maledon is still in the early stages of his. He’s been in the NBA for three years, playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Charlotte Hornets. The Rouen native started 49 games as a 19-year-old for the Thunder in the 2020-2021 campaign.

He’s a familiar name for dedicated basketball fans at the turn of the century. Abdul-Wahad was selected in the lottery by the Sacramento Kings in the 1997 NBA Draft, and spent six years in the league. He jumped on to the NBA’s radar by having two great seasons as a junior and a senior at San Jose State University.

 Hoard’s full basketball story has yet to be written, as he’s only had a cup of coffee in the NBA. He’s played in 39 career games in three years, and has largely been viewed as a depth option. He got significant playing time down the stretch of the 2021-2022 season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 34 minutes in seven games.

It seems like the Sarr surname is going to be very well known amongst French and global basketball fans in the coming years. Olivier has spent some time in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has a younger brother, Alexandre, who is projected to be a first round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

It’s going to be interesting to see if Luwawu-Cabarrot gets additional chances to play in the NBA. He’s played in 328 career games for five different teams, but was not on a roster in the 2022-2023 season. Still, TLC is just 28 years of age. Even if he is not able to carve out a role in the NBA, he’ll likely be in the mix to represent France during international competition.

Lauvergne’s distinction may have come with the number he chose to wear on the court. 77 is not a very common selection for players, which made him an easy player to spot. Lauvergne spent four seasons in the NBA from 2014-2018, bringing a 6’11 stature to the floor. His story began in Mulhouse, France.

Ajinca’s NBA career is a testament to dedication and hard work. He was never given a large role in the league, as he topped out averaging 17 minutes per game with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2013-2014. However, it’s clear that teams valued his presence, as stuck around in the NBA for seven years.

Mahinmi had an interesting tenure in the NBA from a perception point of view. He was a solid reserve for the Dallas Mavericks as part of their 2011 title team. He played a similar role with the Indiana Pacers, before being signed to a surprisingly large contract by the Washington Wizards. His contribution level never really changed, but was seen as overrated after that deal was signed.

Right from the start, Dieng’s time in the NBA unpredictably exciting. He was taken with the 11^th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, only to be immediately traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dieng suited up for 39 games during his rookie season, and may get more playing time in the next couple of seasons.

Okobo was taken in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft, and appeared in 108 games for the team that selected him. The Phoenix Suns elected to start Okobo for 19 of those contests. He averaged 15 minutes per game throughout his career, and posted averages of four points and two assists per contest.

Petro certainly looked every bit the part of an NBA player, standing 7’0” and weighing in at 247 pounds. The SuperSonics took him in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft, which is where Petro spent the first three years of his career. He would then go on to play for the Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets and Atlanta Hawks.

De Colo profiles as a classic table setter point guard. He only played 119 games in the NBA from 2012-2014, but has been a staple for the French team during international competition. De Colo averaged over six assists per game during the 2020 Olympics. Fans may hold out hope that De Colo, now 35, will be able to suit up for the French one last time in Paris in 2024.

For a brief instant, it felt like Diawara was going to be able to carve out a solid career in the NBA. The 6’7” swingman appeared to have potential as a defensive player. However, his time in the NBA lasted four seasons, which he spent with the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat from 2006-2010. Diawara played college basketball for Pepperdine University.

During his time at Gonzaga University, it felt like Tillie would be well on his way to a standout professional basketball career. His numbers with the Bulldogs didn’t necessarily jump off the page, but he had a smooth shot, and good size at 6’9”. Tillie played for the Memphis Grizzlies for two seasons in 2020 and 2021, and will hope to get another opportunity elsewhere soon.

Toupane has accomplished something that not everyone can boast about. He is an NBA champion, as he was part of the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks title team. While his numbers and on-court impact may have been pedestrian, the Mulhouse, France native will be able to display his championship ring for the rest of his life.

The Clippers played Diabate for 22 games in the 2022-2023 season, after taking him in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft. Before making it to the pros, Diabate spent one season playing at the University of Michigan. He averaged nine points and six rebounds during his sole campaign in Ann Arbor.

NBA scouts were intrigued by Moiso’s potential, as the 6’10” forward appeared to be perfectly suited to make an impact at the next level. He spent two years playing college basketball at UCLA, and made a notable improvement in his sophomore year. Moiso wouldn’t ever find his footing in the NBA though, playing for six teams in five years.

Sy’s NBA career was about as short as his surname. He appeared in three career games for the Atlanta Hawks in the 2010-2011 season. However, he’s played professionally in France for 13 years, for Le Havre, Gravelines, Le Mans, Strasbourg and Cholet. He’s averaged eight points and three rebounds during his career in France.

The Boston Celtics didn’t really know what they were getting when they invested a first round pick on Yabusele in 2016. The “Dancing Bear”, as he was nicknamed, spent most of his two years in Boston on the bench. He averaged just over six minutes per game in 74 career NBA contests. Yabusele did get minutes for France during the 2020 Olympics.

Even the most knowledgeable NBA fans would have to think hard to remember Stewart, who played in the league from 1997-2005. The Cucq-Trepied-Stella-Plage product started 37 games for the Sacramento Kings in the 1997-1998 season, and averaged a respectable two blocks in that campaign. After that, he didn’t receive much playing time in any of his other stops.

McQueen was born in Paris, but went to high school in South Carolina, and played his college ball at North Carolina State University. He will be able to say that he played for the Detroit Pistons right before their “Bad Boys” era began. McQueen got into three games for Detroit in the 1986-1987 season.

Mokoka suited up for the Chicago Bulls during the 2019 and 2020 NBA seasons. He played 25 games in those two years, but hardly got off the bench. He’s still a very young player, and will look to make it back to the league in the near future.

He doesn’t have a ton of NBA experience, but Poirier has been part of two of the most successful franchises in recent years. He played in 22 games for the Boston Celtics in 2019-2020, and in 10 games for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2020-2021. Poirier also averaged 11 minutes for France during the 2020 Olympics.

The Dallas Mavericks played Rigaudeau for 11 games during the 2002-2003 campaign. That edition of the Mavericks team was loaded, leaving only a small amount of minutes for the Frenchman to play. He played professional basketball all over Europe in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.

Cornelie may be a name to keep an eye on. He got some run for the Denver Nuggets in the 2021-2022 season, playing in 13 games. He was also selected to be on the French national team, and played a little bit during the 2020 Olympics. He’ll need to improve to get additional chances, but practicing against Rudy Gobert and Nikola Jokic in recent years can help him develop.

Ayayi played in some high profile games with Gonzaga University, as the program was one of the best in the United States when he was there. He was a guard who helped push the tempo for the Bulldogs. The Bordeaux native played in seven games for the Washington Wizards in 2021-2022, and will look to sign on with another team before next season begins.

Murphy played in 24 games for the Chicago Bulls in the 2013-2014 season as a 23 year-old. The league has not come calling since. Murphy spent four years at the University of Florida, where he averaged seven points and three rebounds per game.

Howard played in two games for the Houston Rockets during the 2019-2020 season. He was born in Montbrison, France.