How French Basketball Turned Young Talents Into NBA Players

Imagine this you are walking through Paris and see a young guy named Darius draining threes on a court by a historic church. This ain’t unusual anymore. Basketball is booming in France, especially with a young French star, Victor Wembanyama, taking the NBA by storm.

“It is like something just clicked for a French basketball player,” Darius says. And he’s right.

More and more kids are joining teams, partly because France is producing amazing NBA players. We all know Tony Parker, a champion with the San Antonio Spurs. And this year, Rudy Gobert won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award!

But lately, it’s been crazy. Last year, Wembanyama, a super-talented player, became the number one draft pick. And guess what? This year, two more young French guys, Zacharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr, might be the top picks too! There’s even a third French player, Tidjane Salaün, expected to be picked early.

Also Read: Shaquille O’Neal Shared His List Of 10 Best Basketball Players Who Are Missing From Hall of Fame

“I’m so proud,” says another Parisian player, Antonin. “These guys make the NBA dream seem real, especially since some of them, like Victor, grew up right here in Paris.”

Even though French women haven’t quite reached the same level in the WNBA, things are looking up. Two French players were just drafted this year!

Also Read: 6 Unforgettable Moments from the Boston Celtics NBA Finals

Everywhere you look in Paris, you see signs of basketball’s popularity. There are tons of outdoor courts, and hundreds of thousands of people are registered in official basketball clubs. That number keeps growing!

“Basketball, or ‘le Basket’ as they call it here, has never been this popular,” says a sports historian. “Every court I pass by is ful of people playing basketball.”

You might even see teenagers rocking NBA jerseys and carrying a ball under their arm – it’s become a normal sight. One popular spot for basketball is behind a big building near a famous canal. There, players wait their turn for high-scoring games.