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🏀 Blunt Insight: The French Are Coming
From Wembanyama to Five in ‘25: France’s Takeover of the NBA Draft Is No Accident
Samuel Rogers
June 26, 2025
🇫🇷 The NBA’s Most Dangerous Import Isn’t a Product. It’s a Pipeline.
For the third year in a row, a French player could define the top of the NBA Draft.
In 2023, Victor Wembanyama changed the league.
In 2024, Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr went No. 1 and 2.
In 2025, five more French prospects could hear their names called.
This is not a coincidence. It’s a systemic, data-supported, industrial pipeline of basketball excellence. One that is now outproducing NCAA bluebloods, the G League Ignite, and even other international powerhouses.
This is France’s decade in the NBA.
📦 2025: France Could Tie Its Own Draft Record
🇫🇷 Projected French Draftees
Name | ESPN Rank | Position | Projection |
|---|---|---|---|
Noa Essengue | 9 | Forward | Lottery |
Joan Beringer | 15 | Center | First Round |
Nolan Traoré | 23 | Guard | First Round |
Noah Penda | 31 | Forward | Fringe 1st / 2nd |
Mohamed Diawara | 81 | Forward | Second Round |
⛳ If all five are drafted, France would tie its own record set in 2023, when Wemby and Bilal Coulibaly headlined a breakout class.
🧠 How Did France Leapfrog the World?
🎓 1. Elite Youth Infrastructure (INSEP)
France’s INSEP is a centralized Olympic-grade development program where teens train year-round in pro-level facilities. This isn’t just school—it’s sports science, nutrition, psychology, and NBA-level analytics by age 15.
🏀 INSEP Alumni: Wembanyama, Coulibaly, Batum, Gobert
🎓 Graduation Rate to NBA (2020–2025): 25%+ of top graduates go pro
🏀 2. Pro Experience Before Age 18
Unlike NCAA or G League Ignite, France’s LNB Pro A and Pro B leagues integrate teen talent early. Most top French prospects log pro minutes by 16—many in EuroLeague by 17.
📊 Wemby logged 33 games in EuroCup before turning 19.
🧮 French teens average 5x more pro minutes than NCAA one-and-dones.
📐 3. NBA-Ready Skill Archetypes
France is producing switchable wings, long defenders, stretch bigs, and pass-first guards—the modern NBA blueprint.
Trait | Avg. in French Prospects | NBA Trend Match |
|---|---|---|
Wingspan/Height | 7’1” wingspan @ 6’8” avg | ✅ |
Versatility | 3+ positions on offense/defense | ✅ |
Shot Selection | High efficiency, low usage | ✅ |
Defensive Tools | Rim deterrence + lateral quicks | ✅ |
🇫🇷 French youth basketball teaches NBA systems before players arrive.
🌍 Global Context: France Is #1 Outside North America
🧮 NBA Player Nationality Breakdown (2024–25)
Country | NBA Players | Global Rank |
|---|---|---|
🇺🇸 United States | 357 | 1st |
🇨🇦 Canada | 25 | 2nd |
🇫🇷 France | 14 | 3rd |
🇷🇸 Serbia | 8 | 4th |
🇩🇪 Germany | 7 | 5th |
🔥 France has more players in the NBA than any country outside of North America.
🏟️ NBA’s French Market Bet Is Already Live
NBA Paris Games: Held 3 years straight, featuring Wembanyama in 2025
NBA Store Paris: One of just 3 flagship international retail locations
Viewership Growth: France is the #1 non-U.S. League Pass subscriber base
📈 The NBA isn’t waiting. They’re building in France.
🔎 Bonus Insight: NCAA vs. France Pipeline
Metric | NCAA Top Prospects | French Prospects |
|---|---|---|
Avg. Age Entering Draft | 19.6 | 18.9 |
Pro Games Pre-Draft | 32 | 64+ |
3PT % in Final Year | 32.4% | 36.1% |
Defensive RAPTOR Rating | 0.3 | 1.2 |
The French model is not only faster and more efficient, it’s producing better shooters and defenders.
🚀 What’s Next? A Prediction
If five French players go in the first 40 picks again:
🔁 France becomes the first country ever to go 3 straight drafts with No. 1 picks
🧱 Spurs, Hawks, Rockets, and Hornets continue building French core rosters
🇫🇷 French Olympic squad in 2028 could feature 10+ NBA players
And don't rule this headline out for 2026:
"France Becomes First Non-U.S. Country With No. 1 Pick Three Years in a Row"
💣 Blunt Take
The U.S. still dominates basketball globally. But France is now the clear No. 2—in talent, development, and NBA production.
They didn’t get lucky.
They got organized.
👉 Want more sharp data on where the NBA is going before it gets there?
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