The reigning NBA rookie of the year. The reigning NBA defensive player of the year. The No. 1, No. 2 and No. 6 overall picks in this year's NBA draft. They all have something in common.
They're French.
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Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) shoots against Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, left, as forward Julius Randle looks on during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game in Chicago, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Yuki Kawamura (17), of Japan, shoots defended by Charlotte Hornets forward Harry Giles, forward Tidjane Salaun (31), of France, and guard K.J. Simpson (25) in the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Charlotte Hornets' Tidjane Salaun (31), of France, dunks in the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizlies, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Toronto Raptors forward Chris Boucher (25) dunks past Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (20) during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Wizards' Alex Sarr stands on the court during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) tries to get past Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) in the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) scores in the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
It's not a new concept for France to have players in the NBA; there's been about four dozen over the years. But this might be the golden era when it comes to the quality of French players in the world's top basketball league, with stars, rising stars and potential stars scattered everywhere.
San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama is the reigning rookie of the year, Minnesota's Rudy Gobert is a four-time defensive player of the year and the new influx of French talent is set to start its climb this season with No. 1 draft pick Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks, No. 2 pick Alex Sarr of the Washington Wizards and No. 6 pick Tidjane Salaün of the Charlotte Hornets.
“It's not just France. It’s Spain, it's Italy, it's Germany, all these places, Australia," San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Some of these kids start when they’re 13, 14, 15 years old, and they go to these clubs. They leave their families, go to the clubs. They go to school in the mornings and they play basketball in the afternoon. And they learn individual skills, they learn the team skills, how to play. It's serious stuff. They love the game like we all do here. They’ve got great coaches and over time, there you go.”
Basketball's global light has been shining on France for some time — and has been shining particularly brightly of late. The U.S. swept the men's and women's basketball gold medals at the Paris Olympics, beating France in both of those finals and neither win came easily; the American men found themselves in a three-point game until the final moments and the women won gold by a single point over the hosts.
Wembanyama — who gets to play two games in France in January when the Spurs and Indiana Pacers head to Paris for matchups — was the unanimous NBA rookie of the year. Gobert tied a record with his fourth defensive player of the year win and the top six picks in the draft were split down the middle with three from the U.S. and three from France, an unprecedented event.
“It's been great. It’s been great,” Risacher said, in perfect English, of getting used to life in Atlanta. “It’s an adjustment to make, but it's definitely a great thing to do. I mean, I’m 19 and I have the opportunity to do so much in my life. ... I'm super excited, super happy.”
The comparisons between Risacher and Wembanyama will be inevitable — both French, both No. 1 picks, in back-to-back years no less. It's something the Hawks have talked about, and it's something they hope doesn't hold this year's top pick back.
“I’ve tried to kind of articulate what I think is the reality of the situation," Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “You know, we literally won the lottery.
“What we’ve really tried to impress upon Zack is his work ethic is aligned with getting better," he added. “And I think he loves to play and that’s come out in some of the games. He knows how to play.”
Among those excited to see how Risacher plays: Wembanyama. But the Spurs star hasn't offered the Hawks rookie any tips on how to handle what awaits him with the NBA season starting this week.
“I’ll always be here for him, as a fellow future national-team teammate, I hope, and as a friend, of course," Wembanyama said. "But he’s got his own history to write. And I don’t think he needs any advice. I’m very confident in his mental strength.”
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Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) shoots against Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, left, as forward Julius Randle looks on during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game in Chicago, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Yuki Kawamura (17), of Japan, shoots defended by Charlotte Hornets forward Harry Giles, forward Tidjane Salaun (31), of France, and guard K.J. Simpson (25) in the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Charlotte Hornets' Tidjane Salaun (31), of France, dunks in the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizlies, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Toronto Raptors forward Chris Boucher (25) dunks past Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (20) during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Wizards' Alex Sarr stands on the court during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) tries to get past Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) in the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) scores in the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes on homes in the northern Gaza Strip overnight and into Sunday left at least 87 people dead or missing, the territory's Health Ministry said, as a large-scale operation continued against Hamas militants said to be regrouping.
The ministry said another 40 people were wounded in the strikes on the town of Beit Lahiya, which was among the first targets of Israel’s ground invasion nearly a year ago. The Israeli military said it carried out a strike on a Hamas target.
Palestinian officials say hundreds of people have been killed in Israel's two-week operation in northern Gaza, and that the health sector there is close to collapse.
The United States, meanwhile, was investigating an unauthorized release of classified documents that assess Israel’s plans to attack Iran, according to three U.S. officials. The documents indicate that Israel was moving military assets into place for a military strike in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Oct. 1.
The U.S. officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Iran supports both Hamas and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah.
The U.S. is urging Israel to press for a cease-fire in Gaza following the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar last week. But neither Israel nor Hamas has shown interest in such a deal after months of negotiations sputtered to a halt in August.
A year of escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah boiled over into all-out war last month. Israel sent ground troops into Lebanon early this month.
The Lebanese army said three soldiers were killed in an Israeli strike Sunday on their vehicle in southern Lebanon. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Lebanon’s army has largely kept to the sidelines in the war. The military is a respected institution in Lebanon but is not powerful enough to impose its will on Hezbollah or defend the country from an Israeli invasion.
Israel's military said Hezbollah fired more than 170 rockets into the country on Sunday. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said three people were lightly injured from a fire sparked by a rocket attack on the northern city of Safed.
Israel has increased strikes on southern neighborhoods of Beirut known as the Dahiyeh, a crowded residential area where Hezbollah has a strong presence. It is also home to many civilians unaffiliated with the militant group.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has called civilian casualties in Lebanon “far too high” in the Israel-Hezbollah war and urged Israel to scale back some strikes, especially in and around Beirut.
Among the dead from the strikes in Beit Lahiya were parents and eight children, according to Raheem Kheder, a medic. He said the strike flattened a multi-story building and at least four neighboring houses.
The Israeli military said it used precise munitions against a Hamas target. It said the area is an active war zone and it is trying to avoid harming civilians.
Mounir al-Bursh, director general of the Health Ministry, said the flood of wounded from the strikes compounded “an already catastrophic situation for the health care system” in northern Gaza, in a post on X.
Doctors Without Borders, the international charity known by its French acronym MSF, called on Israeli forces to immediately stop their attacks on hospitals in northern Gaza after the Health Ministry said Israeli troops had fired on two hospitals over the weekend.
“The ever-worsening escalation of violence and non-stop Israeli military operations that we have been witnessing over the past two weeks in northern Gaza have horrifying consequences,” said Anna Halford, an emergency coordinator for MSF.
Israel's military said it was operating near one of the hospitals but had not fired directly at it, and that it was looking into the other incident.
Internet connectivity went down in northern Gaza late Saturday and had not been restored by midday Sunday, making it difficult to gather information about the strikes and complicating rescue efforts.
Israeli forces have repeatedly returned to Jabaliya in northern Gaza, a densely populated urban refugee camp dating back to the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation.
The north has already suffered the heaviest destruction of the war, and has been encircled by Israeli forces since late last year.
Israel ordered the entire population of the northern third of Gaza, including Gaza City, to evacuate to the south in the war's opening weeks and reiterated those instructions this month. Most of the population fled last year, but around 400,000 people are believed to have remained.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led militants blew holes in Israel’s security fence and stormed in, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. Around 100 captives are still being held in Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed over 42,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who do not distinguish combatants from civilians. The war has destroyed large areas of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its population of 2.3 million people.
Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut and Zeke Miller, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Tara Copp in Washington contributed to this report.
Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Israeli police officers stand next to a site of a fire after a rocket, fired from Lebanon, hit an area near the town of Rosh Pinna, northern Israel, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Israeli police officers stand next to a site of a fire after a rocket, fired from Lebanon, hit an area near the town of Rosh Pinna, northern Israel, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Members of the Israeli forces watch a fire after a rocket, fired from Lebanon, hit an area near the town of Rosh Pinna, northern Israel, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Smoke rises to the sky as fire burns in a site next to houses after a rocket, fired from Lebanon, hit a location near the town of Rosh Pinna, northern Israel, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
A Israeli police officer walks past site of a fire after a rocket, fired from Lebanon, hit an area near the town of Rosh Pinna, northern Israel, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Workers clean a street as smoke rises from a destroyed building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A worker cleans a street as smoke rises from a destroyed building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Workers clean a street as smoke rises from a destroyed building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrikes on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes on Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Workers clean a street under a giant portrait of the late Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughniyeh, as smoke rises from a destroyed building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
