Projected 11th Pick in 2022 NBA Draft Commits To Sky Sport Breakers

The Sky Sport Breakers have again cemented themselves as the premier basketball organisation in the world for the next generation of NBA Stars.

RJ Hampton was the trailblazer; now the Breakers have secured another NBA Next Star for the 2021/22 NBL season.

But unlike RJ, who was a sensation growing up in America, the Breakers' new recruit is the talk of Europe, with ESPN already predicting he will be number 11 in the 2022 NBA Draft.

18-year-old French phenom Ousmane Dieng is one of France's most promising young stars and is a product of the INSEP Academy, the French training centre for elite athletes in Paris.

The Academy's most famous alumni include four-time NBA Champion Tony Parker and Boris Diaw, who played over 1000 games in the NBA, including winning a championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014.

At 6’9”, Dieng has shown versatility and playmaking skills that allow him to play both guard positions as well as on the wing, most notably impressing NBA scouts at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament against the top under 18-year-olds from Europe.

He averages 12.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.5 assists per game in France's third division, which is the premier breeding ground for young French talent.

Dieng represented his country at the FIBA U16 European Championships two years ago and is in France's U19 squad, the top seeds in pool two for the upcoming FIBA World Cup in July.

Speaking from his home base in Paris, Dieng has been inspired by RJ Hampton's ground-breaking pathway to the NBA through the Breakers Organisation.

Hampton has just completed his first NBA season, clocking up an impressive 51 games, the highlight being named the NBA's Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month last month.

"The Breakers have already had great success in developing NBA level players, and I can't wait to join their program in a move that will advance my career and prepare me for the NBA draft next year, he says.

"The NBL is one of the world's best basketball leagues, and I believe this move is the best step forward for me as I strive to become an NBA player." 

Sky Sport New Zealand Breakers Chief Executive Matt Walsh is thrilled another teenage basketball prodigy is choosing his club to develop his game ahead of the NBA G-League.

"It's exciting to see another one of the top prospects in the world choose the Breakers and the NBL.

"Ousmane is a unique talent, and we will develop him into one of the top picks for the 2022 NBA Draft."

Hungry Jack's NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger is delighted to be welcoming Ousmane Dieng as a Next Star for the new NBL season.

"Ousmane is an exciting prospect who has had a spectacular junior career in France," says Loeliger from the NBL's Headquarters in Melbourne, Australia.

"He is already projected to be a first-round draft pick in 2022, and it is an endorsement of the NBL that he has chosen our league as his best pathway to preparing for the NBA. 

"The Next Stars program continues to attract high-quality players from across the globe, which validates the NBL's standing as one of the best basketball leagues in the world outside of the NBA.

The Next Stars program has already shown it is a proven pathway to the NBA with not only RJ Hampton but also LaMelo Ball, who was number three in the 2020 NBA Draft following a season with the Illawarra Hawks.