Spurs Rookie Sidy Cissoko Wants to 'Follow The Dynasty' in San Antonio
The San Antonio Spurs had an incredibly successful draft last week, drafting Victor Wembanyama at pick No. 1 and Sidy Cissoko at pick No. 44 in the second round.
Something to note about the Spurs' draft class is their nationality. Obviously, Wembanyama played in France leading up to the draft, and he and Cissoko are both French. Cissoko played with the G League Ignite ahead of the draft.
Fortunately for the Spurs, they've already got a rich history of finding success with French products in the league. Most notable of those are Tony Parker and Boris Diaw. Those two have laid the groundwork on what Cissoko should strive to achieve in San Antonio.
"Boris Diaw, TP [Tony Parker] did something great here, so now I want to follow the dynasty from what they did before," Cissoko said. "I know they got the great legacy here and I know being a French guy here is a dream."
The 19-year-old grew up in France, but moved to Spain at 13-years-old to focus on his basketball career. At 17-years-old, Cissoko moved to the top division in Spain for a brief stint, before being moved back to the second division.
Wembanyama was able to grow up playing pro basketball, and learning to be a pro is all Wembanyama has been able to do. The same goes for Cissoko, who has plenty of pro experience himself. Once he took the leap to play for Ignite, he officially sealed his notoriety and built enough professional experience to be prepared for the pros.
Now, the French duo will be able to join a solid young core to take the next step in the Spurs rebuild, and they will quickly be able to build chemistry and begin doing their best to put together a winning culture. With mentors like Parker, Diaw, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli, the Spurs young core will have an easier time adjusting to the NBA.
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