Hawks pick France's Zaccharie Risacher at No. 1 in NBA draft - ESPN

NEW YORK — The Atlanta Hawks selected French forward Zaccharie Risacher with the first pick in the 2024 NBA draft.

Risacher became the second consecutive international prospect — and fourth overall — to be taken with the top pick in the draft. He follows fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, who went No. 1 to the San Antonio Spurs in last year's draft.

Italian big man Andrea Bargnani was taken first by the Toronto Raptors in 2006, while the Houston Rockets took Hall of Fame center Yao Ming with the top pick in 2002.

Risacher, 19, played this past season for JL Bourg in France's LNB Elite league and averaged 11.1 points and 4.0 rebounds across competition in both the EuroCup and the French league. He is the son of longtime French professional basketball player Stephane Risacher, who won a silver medal with the French national team at the Olympic Games in 2000.

The 6-foot-9 forward separated himself throughout the draft process, with Atlanta — which jumped up from the 11th spot to the top spot in the NBA draft lottery last month for the first time in franchise history. Now, Risacher will go into a frontcourt alongside breakout forward Jalen Johnson with the Hawks, who enter the offseason with plenty of questions surrounding the future of their star-laden backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.

Fellow Frenchman Alex Sarr, also 19, was taken at No. 2 by the Washington Wizards, while Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard went to the Houston Rockets at No. 3.

«It just shows the amount of talent that we have in France,» Sarr said. «I'm really excited for Zacc. I think our national team is really going to be good.»

C'est la France frère