Older fans will read the phrase “French Connection” and wonder why it sounds familiar. It might be because it was a famous Gene Hackman movie decades ago. Well, this article has nothing to do with that ground-breaking film. This, instead, is about connecting teams in the Southeast Division of the NBA to the French Republic. You’ll be surprised at how every team in the league has employed at least one player who was born in France.
Washington Wizards
A few French guys have suited up for the Wizards, but Ian Mahinmi might have the best career among those players. He can tell stories about playing with Tim Duncan when he was a San Antonio Spur. He can say he played with Paul George back in Indiana with the Pacers and with Bradley Beal when they were with the Wizards. Best of all, he can brag about winning a title with Dirk Nowitzki back in 2011 while with the Dallas Mavericks. Let’s see if Bilal Coulibaly, another French prospect that the Wizards recently drafted, will have a better career.
Charlotte Hornets
Theo Maledon, born in northern France, was just part of the roster last season and played 44 games, just over half the season. Let’s hope they bring him back because his scoring average went up when he was a starter in the last six games he played. The problem right now is that Maledon is a point guard — like LaMelo Ball. If Ball comes back healthy next season, Maledon’s minutes will surely take a dive, to say the least.
Miami Heat
Yakhouba Diawara is an easy name to forget, so you’ll be forgiven if you don’t remember this particular player. He stayed in Miami for two seasons and appeared in 69 games. Another player, Ronny Turiaf, might be more recognizable and just a tad luckier. He joined the Heat in March 2012 and won a title with the team three months later when they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals.
Atlanta Hawks
Many don’t know that the high-flying Dominique Wilkins was born in Paris. The player known as “The Human Highlight Film” played for the Hawks for almost 12 years, and without a doubt, his dunks would have been perfect in this age of social media. While he was one of the many faces that represented the NBA in those video highlights from 1985 to 1990, his surely stuck out.
Evan Fournier’s best portion of his career clearly happened while he was in Orlando. From 2014 to 2021, Fournier made the most out of his playing time and helped guide the team to the Playoffs in 2019 before losing in the first round to the eventual champions, the Toronto Raptors. Another connection worth remembering is Wilkins. Yes, the “Human Highlight Film’s” legendary basketball career ended in 1999 when he finished his career in Orlando.
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