NEW YORK (AP) — First, Victor Wembanyama, now Zaccharie Risacher.
These days, American college players have to wait their turn in the NBA draft. It's someone else's time at the top.
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NEW YORK (AP) — First, Victor Wembanyama, now Zaccharie Risacher.
Matas Buzelis hugs family and friends after being selected by the Chicago Bulls as the 11th pick during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Tidjane Salaun hugs family and friends after being selected by the Charlotte Hornets as the sixth pick during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Cody Williams, right, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected by the Utah Jazz as the 10th pick during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Rob Dillingham, right, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected by the San Antonio Spurs during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Tidjane Salaun hugs family and friends after being selected by the Charlotte Hornets as the sixth pick during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Zaccharie Risacher reacts during an interview after being selected by the Atlanta Hawks as the first pick during the first round in the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Ron Holland II, right, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected by the Detroit Pistons as the fifth pick during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Stephon Castle reacts after being selected by the San Antonio Spurs as the fourth pick in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Reed Sheppard, right, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected third overall by the Houston Rockets during they first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Zaccharie Risacher reacts during an interview after being selected by the Atlanta Hawks as the first pick during the first round in the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Reed Sheppard, right, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected third overall by the Houston Rockets during they first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Alex Sarr, right, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the second pick in the NBA basketball draft during the first round by the Washington Wizards, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Alex Sarr, right, poses for a photo with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the second pick in the NBA basketball draft during the first round by the Washington Wizards, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Zaccharie Risacher, right, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the first overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Zaccharie Risacher, right, poses for a photo with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the first overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Zaccharie Risacher walks the red carpet before the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Alex Sarr waits for the start of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Zaccharie Risacher, second from left, and Alex Sarr, fourth from left, both of France, stand on stage with, from left, Ron Holland, Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard and Dalton Knecht before the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Potential first-round draft picks stand together for a photo at Barclays Center before the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, third from right, poses for a photo with some of the potential first-round selections before the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Zaccharie Risacher waits for the start of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
FILE - UConn guard Stephon Castle brings the ball up during a Sweet 16 college basketball game in the men's NCAA Tournament, March 29, 2024, in Boston. Castle is among the headliners of the guards in the upcoming NBA draft.(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)
FILE - Pennsylvania's Andrew Laczkowski, center, dives for a loose ball against Kentucky's Rob Dillingham, right, and Reed Sheppard during an NCAA college basketball game Dec. 9, 2023, in Philadelphia. Dillingham and Sheppard are among the headliners of the guards in the upcoming NBA draft. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
Zaccharie Risacher, of Bourg-en-Bresse, shoots a free throw during a Betclic Elite basketball game against Limoges in Bourg-en-Bresse, eastern France, on Oct. 31, 2023. New names will soon adorn replica NBA jerseys of French youths competing on basketball courts around Paris. Frenchmen Zaccharie Risacher, Alexandre Sarr and Tidjane Salaün are among the top picks in the NBA draft, where a second straight French No. 1 pick is expected after Victor Wembanyama last year. (AP Photo, File)
FILE - UConn center Donovan Clingan, right, deflects a shot by Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) during the first half of an Elite 8 college basketball game in the men's NCAA Tournament, March 30, 2024, in Boston. Clingan is among the headliners of the big men in the upcoming NBA draft.(AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
Vive la France!
The Atlanta Hawks took Risacher with the No. 1 pick Wednesday night and France landed three players in the top six in a historic night for the country.
“That’s amazing," Risacher said. “We try to represent our country and so, glad to be a part of it. You know there is more players coming in.”
Risacher doesn't come with the enormous height or hype of Wembanyama, the towering center who went to San Antonio last year and went on to win the Rookie of the Year award.
But the Hawks saw him as the best choice in what has been viewed as a draft absent of elite talent.
The 19-year-old forward was the winner of the best young player award in the French League last season and beat out fellow Frenchman Alex Sarr in the race to be the top pick.
When he did, it made NBA draft history. This is the first time that the draft has gone consecutive years without the No. 1 pick being someone who played at an American college.
“Shows the amount of talent we have in France," Sarr said. “Really excited for Zach. I think our national team is going to be really good.”
Sarr went second to the Washington Wizards after playing last year with Perth in Australia's National Basketball League.
The Hawks had only a 3% chance of winning the lottery to earn the No. 1 pick, and there was no obvious choice waiting once they did. Most mock drafts were split between Risacher and Sarr, and Atlanta also worked out UConn center Donovan Clingan.
Houston made Kentucky freshman Reed Sheppard the No. 3 pick. A one-and-done college player had topped the draft for 13 straight years from 2010-22 before Wembanyama ended that streak.
Now the draft is under French rule.
Stephon Castle of the two-time reigning national champion Huskies made it two straight college freshmen when San Antonio took him at No. 4, the Spurs' first of two picks in the top 10. They also held the No. 8 selection — though they dealt the rights to that pick, Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham, to Minnesota.
But the Spurs are holding onto Castle, who had a phone call with Wembanyama and can now throw passes to him to ease his transition from Dan Hurley in his old home to Gregg Popovich in his new one.
“I was just playing for the best coach in college basketball and now flipping to the NBA and going to play for a legendary coach like Coach Pop, it’s a blessing,” Castle said.
The Detroit Pistons took Ron Holland of the G League Ignite with the fifth pick before the Hornets took Tidjane Salaun, who played last year for Cholet Basket in France.
“I think the basketball in France is improved that’s why we are here in this draft," Saluan said.
Clingan, who won titles in both seasons in Storrs, finally went to Portland at No. 7.
The draft moved to a two-night format this year, with the first round being held as usual at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and the second round to be held Thursday at ESPN’s Seaport District studios.
The green room was filled with a number of unfamiliar faces who will head to the NBA from other leagues or other countries. A player who would have been one of the most recognizable was not in the arena: Zach Edey, the two-time AP Player of the Year from Purdue, was taken at No. 9 by Memphis.
Another All-American, Tennessee's Dalton Knecht, went lower than predicted, after dropping from an expected lottery pick to the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 17.
The Knicks had back-to-back picks as the round dragged toward the finish, but their fans had much more to cheer with the moves they made before the draft. New York made a deal to acquire Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn on Tuesday, then got OG Anunoby to agree to stay with the team on a five-year contract worth more than $210 million on Wednesday.
Bronny James was not drafted in the first round, though LeBron James' son had one of his USC teammates taken just before the night ended, with Isaiah Collier going to Utah with the No. 29 selection.
The first round then wrapped up with the NBA champion Boston Celtics taking Baylor Scheierman from Creighton.
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Devin Carter, right, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected by the Sacramento Kings as the 13th pick during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Matas Buzelis hugs family and friends after being selected by the Chicago Bulls as the 11th pick during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Tidjane Salaun hugs family and friends after being selected by the Charlotte Hornets as the sixth pick during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Cody Williams, right, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected by the Utah Jazz as the 10th pick during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Rob Dillingham, right, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected by the San Antonio Spurs during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Tidjane Salaun hugs family and friends after being selected by the Charlotte Hornets as the sixth pick during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Zaccharie Risacher reacts during an interview after being selected by the Atlanta Hawks as the first pick during the first round in the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Ron Holland II, right, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected by the Detroit Pistons as the fifth pick during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Stephon Castle reacts after being selected by the San Antonio Spurs as the fourth pick in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Reed Sheppard, right, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected third overall by the Houston Rockets during they first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Zaccharie Risacher reacts during an interview after being selected by the Atlanta Hawks as the first pick during the first round in the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Reed Sheppard, right, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected third overall by the Houston Rockets during they first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Alex Sarr, right, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the second pick in the NBA basketball draft during the first round by the Washington Wizards, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Alex Sarr, right, poses for a photo with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the second pick in the NBA basketball draft during the first round by the Washington Wizards, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Zaccharie Risacher, right, greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the first overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Zaccharie Risacher, right, poses for a photo with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the first overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Zaccharie Risacher walks the red carpet before the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Alex Sarr waits for the start of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Zaccharie Risacher, second from left, and Alex Sarr, fourth from left, both of France, stand on stage with, from left, Ron Holland, Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard and Dalton Knecht before the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Potential first-round draft picks stand together for a photo at Barclays Center before the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, third from right, poses for a photo with some of the potential first-round selections before the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Zaccharie Risacher waits for the start of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
FILE - UConn guard Stephon Castle brings the ball up during a Sweet 16 college basketball game in the men's NCAA Tournament, March 29, 2024, in Boston. Castle is among the headliners of the guards in the upcoming NBA draft.(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)
FILE - Pennsylvania's Andrew Laczkowski, center, dives for a loose ball against Kentucky's Rob Dillingham, right, and Reed Sheppard during an NCAA college basketball game Dec. 9, 2023, in Philadelphia. Dillingham and Sheppard are among the headliners of the guards in the upcoming NBA draft. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
Zaccharie Risacher, of Bourg-en-Bresse, shoots a free throw during a Betclic Elite basketball game against Limoges in Bourg-en-Bresse, eastern France, on Oct. 31, 2023. New names will soon adorn replica NBA jerseys of French youths competing on basketball courts around Paris. Frenchmen Zaccharie Risacher, Alexandre Sarr and Tidjane Salaün are among the top picks in the NBA draft, where a second straight French No. 1 pick is expected after Victor Wembanyama last year. (AP Photo, File)
FILE - UConn center Donovan Clingan, right, deflects a shot by Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) during the first half of an Elite 8 college basketball game in the men's NCAA Tournament, March 30, 2024, in Boston. Clingan is among the headliners of the big men in the upcoming NBA draft.(AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
