Zaccharie Risacher

Zaccharie Risacher ( ; ; born 8 April 2005) is a French professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the first overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2024 NBA draft.

Early life

Risacher was born on 8 April 2005, in Málaga, Spain, where his father, Stéphane Risacher, played professional basketball for Baloncesto Málaga from 2002 to 2006. His family moved back to Lyon, France, where he started playing club basketball at Élan Chalon at the age of three and a half, at youth club Tassin in the suburbs of the city.

Risacher entered the youth program of ASVEL Basket in August 2020. He primarily played for the club's youth team in LNB Espoirs, the French under-21 league.

Professional career

LDLC ASVEL (2021–2024)

Risacher made his debut with ASVEL's senior team in 2021, in a LNB Élite match against Metropolitans 92. He also made his EuroLeague debut later in the season, on 18 January 2022, in a 75–100 loss to Monaco. He averaged 12.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in the LNB Espoirs competition.

JL Bourg (2023–2024)

On 16 June 2023, Risacher signed his first professional contract with ASVEL, before being immediately loaned out to fellow first-tier club JL Bourg for the 2023–24 season. On 29 November 2023, he was named to Team France for the LNB All-Star Game.

Internationally, Risacher featured for JL Bourg in the 2023–24 EuroCup, where the team eventually reached the Finals, before losing to fellow French side Paris Basketball. In April, Risacher was awarded the EuroCup Rising Star prize; at the age of 18 years and 362 days, he became the second-youngest player to win the award, being just a month older than Džanan Musa, who had won the award in 2018.

On 12 May 2024, Risacher was named the Best Young Player of the 2023–24 LNB Élite season, having averaged 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 22 minutes per game.

Atlanta Hawks (2024–present)

On 22 April 2024, Risacher announced that he had declared for the 2024 NBA draft; his entry was confirmed by the NBA on 2 May.

On 26 June 2024, Risacher was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft. In the process, he became the second consecutive French player to be drafted with the number one pick, after San Antonio Spurs had picked Victor Wembanyama in the previous year's draft; furthermore, he became the fifth international player to be taken with the first selection, after Wembanyama himself, Andrea Bargnani (in 2006), Andrew Bogut (in 2005) and Yao Ming (in 2002). Risacher was selected alongside fellow Frenchmen Alex Sarr (drafted by the Washington Wizards with the second pick) and Tidjane Salaün (drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the sixth pick), making France the first foreign nation to have at least three native players picked in the top 10 spots of any NBA draft.

On 6 July 2024, Risacher signed with the Hawks and six days later, he made his NBA Summer League debut against the Washington Wizards, recording 18 points, five rebounds and two assists in a 94–88 loss. Risacher made his NBA regular-season debut on 23 October, recording seven points and one rebound in 19 minutes played in a 120–116 win over the Brooklyn Nets. On 6 November, Risacher put up a career-high 33 points in a 121–115 win over the New York Knicks. On 30 March, 2025, Risacher scored a then career-high 36 points in a 145–124 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. He became the fourth 1st overall pick to record 35+ points, 5+ threes in a game as a rookie after Allen Iverson, LeBron James and Anthony Edwards. On 10 April, Risacher put up a career-high 38 points in a 133–109 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

National team career

Risacher played for the France under-17 basketball team at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup. He struggled with consistency during the tournament which culminated by a zero-point, five-turnover performance in the final against Spain. He averaged 10.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as France won the bronze medal.

In February 2024, Risacher was selected for the France senior team for their EuroBasket 2025 qualifying games.

Player profile

Playing at small forward, Risacher is regarded as a very efficient catch-and-shoot player as well as a good shooter coming off screens or from mid-range. His versatility has been praised for his ability to defend both guards and forwards on the perimeter.

Career statistics

NBA

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, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Atlanta
, 75 , , 73 , , 24.6 , , .458 , , .355 , , .711 , , 3.6 , , 1.2 , , .7 , , .5 , , 12.6
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 75 , , 73 , , 24.6 , , .458 , , .355 , , .711 , , 3.6 , , 1.2 , , .7 , , .5 , , 12.6

Personal life

Risacher's father, Stéphane Risacher, also played basketball professionally; he won a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics with the France national team. Risacher's younger sister, Aïnhoa, is also a professional basketball player, currently playing for ASVEL Féminin.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Risacher, Zaccharie
2005 births
Living people
21st-century French sportsmen
ASVEL Basket players
Atlanta Hawks draft picks
Atlanta Hawks players
First overall NBA draft picks
French men's basketball players
JL Bourg Basket players
NBA players from France
Small forwards
Sportspeople from Málaga