NBA draft winners and losers: A big night for France; a tough one for Brooklyn

Their timing couldn’t be better: Paris will host the Olympics next month, France will be one of the leading threats to the United States’ gold medal hopes, Wembanyama was named rookie of the year in May, and Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, a French stalwart, recently won his fourth defensive player of the year award.

“We are trying to represent our country, and I’m so glad to be a part of it,” Risacher said. “There are more players coming in. I’m really proud of being a part of the success of my country. Trying to understand what Victor, Rudy and other French players did really helped me to develop myself as a player.”

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