For a brief moment, Bilal Coulibaly was an Indiana Pacer. Then, he was traded to the Washington Wizards.
A whirlwind night for Coulibaly at the NBA draft on Thursday was part of a memorable one for his country.
It’s a time of basketball renaissance for France with four players drafted from that country — and two of them going to the San Antonio Spurs. This is the second straight year — third time overall — that four or more French players have been taken in the same draft.
Coulibaly and his much-heralded French teammate and No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama also made draft history by becoming the first two players from France to both be taken in the top 20, according to research provided by the league.
“We coming,” Coulibaly said after being taken at No. 7 by the Pacers before being traded. “We coming.”
Make that, France has already arrived.
Between Wembanyama, the generational talent who went to theSpurs (once home of French great Tony Parker) and Coulibaly, the 18-year-old versatile forward, the country remains a hot bed for hoops.
There have been more NBA players from France than from any other country outside of North America, according to the league.
Coulibaly joins Wembanyama, Killian Hayes (seventh overall in 2020) and Frank Ntilikina (No. 8 in ’17) as French players taken in the top 10.
“For French basketball, I’m so happy for it,” Coulibaly said. “We’re getting more and more in this league. So yeah, just happy for that.”
It was a longer wait than expected for Rayan Rupert, the French guard who played last season for the New Zealand Breakers. Rupert, the last invited player left in the room, went in the second round — and with the 43rd selection — to Portland.
A pick later, Sidy Cissoko joined Wembanyama in San Antonio. Cissoko became the first European-born prospect to play in the NBA G League Ignite last season.
On the horizon is another big-time player — Zaccharie Risacher, a small forward who turned 18 in April and is a developing into quite a talent. He has reached France’s top professional league — playing on the Parker-owned ASVEL squad — and helped France finish third in the 2022 FIBA U-17 World Cup.
Just in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics next summer, too.
“We just wish the best for French basketball, French national team,” Coulibaly said. “We’ll see this summer what’s going on. I don’t know if I’m going to the French national team or not. We’ll see, and just hope the best for that team.”
Coulibaly spent this season with Metropolitans 92 of the French league — with Wembanyama on the same squad.
Wembanyama lobbied for Coulibaly to be a top-5 pick. He was close.
“Wemby is more than a teammate. That’s like my brother,” Coulibaly said. “He’s just a great guy. So yeah, that’s just unbelievable. Yeah, he’s good.”
Coulibaly, too.
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