At the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery, the Hawks lucked out, jumping nine spots to land the No. 1 overall pick. That would eventually turn into Zaccharie Risacher, who Atlanta is set to roll out alongside star Trae Young in its new core.
At the Hawks’ media day on Monday, fans got their first look at Risacher in his new threads.
At 6-foot-9 with premier shooting ability, joins an illustrious list of active No. 1 picks, which includes the likes of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Davis and plenty more.
He’s likely a shoe-in for one of the team’s starting forwards positions, playing alongside Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Jalen Johnson and Clint Cappella.
When asked who he was excited to face in the NBA, Risacher gave what’s quickly becoming a much-used answer:
“As a rookie, every game is going to be special, going to be different,” Risacher said. “I’m excited just to start the season. Especially with this calendar, we play every two days, every three days, so that’s different than in Europe. Like I said, every game is going to be special.”
“If I had to choose one, I can’t wait to play and compete against KD, that was my favorite player growing up, still is.”
As one of the top players of all time, Kevin Durant is becoming a player many want to face off against. Many upcoming prospects watched him in Oklahoma City, where he flanked Russell Westbrook.
Now, Risacher is looking to replicate Durant’s success as a lengthy sharpshooter.
“I would say I’m a versatile player,” Risacher said at media day. “I like to do a lot of things on the court. I think I can be useful in many ways — scoring, shooting, rebounding, defending, there’s so much stuff I can help the team to win games.”
