2023-04-20 19:06:32
His entourage had cast doubt a few days ago. This doubt is now removed. Officially. This Thursday afternoon, Bilal Coulibaly announced on his social networks that he would present himself well for the next NBA draft. A publication taken up in stride by his prestigious training partner, Victor Wembanyama, who communicated the information to his 1.3 million subscribers on Instagram. The two friends are scammed by Comsport, the powerful player agency. It would be the first time since 2003 – and Boris Diaw and Mickaël Piétrus then in Pau – that two players from the same team in the French championship would be “drafted” the same year.
Aged 18 – he was born in July 2004 – Coulibaly could still wait, acquire a bit of high-level experience, before presenting his name at the annual high mass of American basketball, which will be held on the night of June 22 to 23. But the native of Saint-Cloud is a young man in a hurry, a studious player who learns and progresses quickly. A diamond polished by the master Vincent Collet, the coach of the Mets and coach of the Blues.
Unknown to the general public at the start of the season, confined for months to matches of the Espoirs championship where he multiplied the blows with matches with more than 30 points (37 against Fos in January), Coulibaly knew how to seize his chance when Collet offered him playing time. During the absence of point guard Tremont Waters in January and February, he lived up to expectations, defensively and offensively. The departure of the Puerto Rican leader a few weeks ago (after an altercation with a teammate in the locker room) should allow the leaping rear – whose spectacular dunks and counters are looping on the networks – to put themselves a little more in value .
In 23 Betclic Elite games (including 3 in the 5 Major), he averaged 4 points and 2.6 rebounds. The NBA scouts (scouts) had already had their eye on him for some time. The French under-18 international also took part in an exhibition match in Nanterre last summer between young Americans – including Bronny James, the son of LeBron James – and French. He had finished best player of the meeting.
Bilal Coulibaly is officially the 4th Frenchman to stand for the next draft after Victor Wembanyama, Rayan Rupert and Sidy Cissoko. For the moment, and according to numerous projections from specialized sites, he would be chosen between 25th and 33rd place. Another French nugget, the leader of Portel Nadir Hifi could also register his name for the big night of the NBA.
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