NBA: Hamidou Diallo – "Africa, a land of opportunity"
Hamidou Diallo talks about his African roots during a visit to Paris Saint-Germain's training centre
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Hamidou Diallo is in Paris. The Detroit player is due to take part in the NBA Paris Game 2023, where the Pistons face Chicago on Thursday 19 January 2023. Beforehand, the Guinean basketball player took a trip around the French capital. He also visited PSG's training centre, where he met several young players who have come from Africa. The former Oklahoma man took the opportunity to talk about the continent.
"Connecting with your roots is essential for me. It's my identity and I want the world to know it. Seeing players from Africa live their dreams in a city like Paris is wonderful. That's why training centres are important too. They give a chance to young people who don't have every opportunity to get there. We're trying to build more and more in Africa so that Africans are not forgotten. There's an enormous amount of talent on this continent, whether in sport, business... It's a land of opportunity where it's possible to develop projects. We simply need to all get stuck in together. Once that happens, I feel the sky will be the limit. Africa can be as powerful as it can be", Hamidou Diallo told BasketSession.
An early talent who struggled
Before joining Detroit, Hamidou Diallo was drafted by Oklahoma. His huge potential was watched by every scout. But the man who won the All-Star Game Slam Dunk Contest by jumping over Shaquille O'Neal struggled to deliver on it.
Hamidou Diallo therefore had to move away to find consistency. His early fame even threatened to become a problem. "It's not something I had planned. I became a 5-star prospect late in my development. So when the media attention started, I knew it was because I had worked hard. I couldn't really let myself get distracted, I had to keep going. When you become a 5-star prospect, it's simply a sign that you have to raise the intensity of your work even more. Because at that point, all eyes are on you". Fortunately for the 24-year-old, Detroit are letting him develop naturally. He has played 39 games for them this season.