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Meet the 7 players of African descent that will now play in the NBA.
On June 22, 2023, the NBA Draft took place at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.
In total, twelve foreign athletes representing eight different nations were chosen: three in the first round and nine in the second.
Seven players were selected in Tuesday night's international selection who were either born in Africa or have strong ties to the region.
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1. Victor Wembanyama of France with ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The San Antonio Spurs made Victor Wembanyama their first-round pick, making him the highest-drafted French player ever and the 14th player from outside the United States to receive that honor.
This year, Wembanyama, who averaged 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game, received the LNB's MVP at the youngest age ever.
2. Bilal Coulibaly of France with ties to Mali
The Indiana Pacers chose Bilal Coulibaly with the seventh overall pick; he was later traded to the Washington Wizards, making history by selecting two French players in the top 10.
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3. James Nnaji from Nigeria
The Detroit Pistons selected James Nnaji with the number 31 overall pick, making him the fifth player from Nigeria to be selected in the previous five years.
Nnaji has played for FC Barcelona in the ACB and EuroLeague for two seasons after beginning to play basketball in 2016.
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4. Mouhamed Gueye from Senegal
The Charlotte Hornets selected Mouhamed Gueye with the 39th overall pick.
5. Rayan Rupert from France with ties to Morocco
The Portland Trail Blazers selected Rayan Rupert with the 43rd overall pick.
In Australia's National Basketball League (NBL), Rupert played for the New Zealand Breakers this past season as a member of the Next Stars Program, which has recently assisted in the development of LaMelo Ball, Ousmane Dieng, Josh Giddey, and R.J. Hampton into NBA players.
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6. Sidy Cissoko from France with ties to Senegal
The San Antonio Spurs selected Sidy Cissoko with the 44th overall pick, making 2022 and 2016 the second season in a row and the third time overall that at least four French players were chosen.
7. Toumani Camara from Belgium with ties to Mali
The Phoenix Suns selected Toumani Camara with the 52nd overall pick, making him the second NBA draftee from Belgium.
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