Africa-Press – Senegal. Basketball player Mouhamed Guèye, drafted in 39e position by the Charlotte Hornets, is the eleventh player of this Senegalese nationality to be selected to join the main basketball league in the world since 2000.
Guèye, drafted by the Charlotte Hornets, immediately transferred to the Atlanta Hawks, during the 2023 NBA draft ceremony, which took place on the night of Thursday June 22 to Friday June 23, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, At New York.
The draft is the main point of entry for the majority of players playing in the North American Basketball League. It designates an evening during which the commissioner of the NBA and the leaders of the 30 teams meet so that the latter choose in turn a player from university, high school, or abroad.
The draft allows the 30 NBA franchises to recruit the best university and foreign players to build their team.
Since the NBA is a closed league, there is no promotion or relegation between multiple divisions. The 30 franchises that make up the league never change. Therefore, to prevent the weakest from remaining in the bottom of the rankings, the draft system was created. It makes it possible to distribute young talents between the clubs, giving priority to the lower ranked ones.
Mamadou Ndiaye is the first Senegalese basketball player to be drafted in 2000. Aged 25 at the time, he had been in 26e position by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the draft. He would later join the Toronto Raptors.
This former pivot of 2.13 meters had thus inscribed his name and that of Senegal in the history of the main basketball league in the world.
The former Maccabi Haifa player (2010) was a pioneer and showed the way to his compatriots. And from 2003, the strong winger Malick Badiane will be drafted in 44e position by the Houston Rocket. The Senegalese pivot, however, could not evolve in the NBA.
The following year, in 2004, strong winger Pape Sow was chosen by the Miami Heat in the 47th position, at the age of 23. Two years later, in 2006, it was around Cheikh Tidiane Samb to be selected in 51e position by the Los Angeles Lakers.
It will take four years, in 2010, for another Senegalese to be drafted in the person of Hamady Ndiaye, enlisted by the Minnesota Timberwolves at 23 years old.
One of Senegal’s most famous basketball players, Gorgui Sy Dieng, will be enlisted in the 2013 draft, when he was chosen in 21e position by the Utah Jazz.
The bronze medalist of the last edition of the African Basketball Championship (2021) with the Senegal national team will be transferred to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In 2016, George Niang was chosen in the 50th position by the Indiana Pacers, before joining the Philadelphia 76ers in 2021.
Six years after the draft of this Senegalese-American, Khalifa Ababacar Diop was called up in 2022, the pivot having been picked up by the Cleveland Cavaliers at 21 years old.
DeSagana Diop and Mohamed Saër Sène alone in the top 10
In 2001, a year after the first Senegalese draft, DeSagana Diop became the second Senegalese basketball player to be drafted and the first to enter the top 10, being chosen in 8e position by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has been the coach of the Senegal men’s basketball team since July 2022.
The second Senegalese to be part of the first 10 selected during a draft is Mouhamed Saër Sène. He was chosen 2006 by the Seattle Super Sonics at the 10e position.
Other Senegalese basketball players have left their mark on NBA history without the chance to be selected by a North American Basketball League professional franchise.
There is Maurice Ndour, who played at a high level with the Ohio Bobcats (2012-2015), without being drafted, as well as Tacko Fall, a colossus of 2.29 meters.
This pivot, presented as one of the greatest players of his generation, could have been drafted in 2019, during which time he played for the Boston Celtics (2019-2020, then 2020-2021).
We can also mention the current president of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), Amadou Gallo Fall.
Khadimou Rassoul Cheikh Fall, registered for the 2020 NBA Draft, was not selected. As well as the Senegalese-Canadian and leader of Magic Lakeland since 2021, Abdou Karim Mané.
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