In a historic night for French basketball, Zaccharie Risacher was selected by the Atlanta Hawks as the first overall pick in the NBA Draft on Wednesday. The 19-year-old forward, standing at 6-foot-9 (2.06m), follows in the footsteps of fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, who was the top pick last year by the San Antonio Spurs.

Risacher's selection marks a significant milestone, with French players making a strong impact on the draft. "It's a blessing, you know," Risacher said. "So exciting. There are a lot of feelings and emotions right now. I don't know what to say but it's definitely special. For three years, what I have been through, and my family is here -- I'm so happy. This is amazing."

The draft saw French players dominate the early selections, with three of the top six picks being French, setting an NBA record for the most non-US players from one nation taken in the top 10. In total, four French players were picked in the first round.

- Zaccharie Risacher: Selected 1st overall by Atlanta Hawks. He was instrumental in JL Bourg's journey to the EuroCup final and was named the French league's 2023-24 Best Young Player.
- Alexandre Sarr: Picked 2nd overall by the Washington Wizards. The 19-year-old 7-foot (2.13m) center played for the Perth Wildcats in Australia's National Basketball League last season.
- Tidjane Salaun: Selected 6th by Charlotte. The 18-year-old forward averaged 9.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steals for Cholet Basket.
- Pacome Dadiet: Picked 25th by New York. The 18-year-old forward plays for Germany's Ratiopharm Ulm.

- Reed Sheppard: Selected 3rd by Houston, the University of Kentucky guard turned 20 on Monday and had a standout college season.
- Stephon Castle: Chosen 4th by San Antonio, the 19-year-old guard from Connecticut national college champions is expected to team up with Wembanyama.
- Zach Edey: The Canadian 7-foot-4 (2.24m) center and two-time US college player of the year went 9th to Memphis.
- Nikola Topic: Serbian guard selected 12th by Oklahoma City.
- Tristan da Silva: The German-Brazilian forward went 18th to Orlando.
- Yves Missi: Cameroonian center picked 21st by New Orleans.
- Kyshawn George: Swiss forward selected 24th by New York but expected to be traded to Washington.

Bronny James, son of LeBron James, is anticipated to be a second-round pick on Thursday. The 19-year-old college guard for Southern California averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 25 games last season. His father, LeBron James, has expressed his desire to play alongside Bronny next season.

The Los Angeles Lakers selected Dalton Knecht, a guard from Tennessee, with the 17th pick, their only first-round selection.

This year's draft underscores the growing influence of international players in the NBA, with France leading the charge in producing top-tier basketball talent.