The star of Paris Basketball Nadir Hifi reveals in an interview with Le Parisien his dream of playing in the NBA next season.
It’s quite rare to note, but this year, unless there is a big surprise, no French player will be drafted in the NBA in the first round (or even the second). No French player appears in the list of the top 30 on specialized websites. However, this does not mean that no new French player will evolve in the world’s greatest league next season, as they can be recruited during the summer without going through the draft. And Nadir Hifi hopes to be one of them. The point guard-shooting guard, star of Paris Basketball, does not hide his desire to go play in the NBA, after three seasons in Le Portel and three seasons in the capital.
Hifi: “I am ready”
This is what the 23-year-old player confides in an interview with Le Parisien. “I am very sought after, I don’t hide it from you, but I am still under contract with Paris. Nevertheless, my only option for now is the NBA. It’s no mystery: I am ready for the NBA. I hope to have a chance to go there as early as this summer. I can no longer enter the draft, but hopefully, it can be done through a direct contract. It’s not something I can control, but the desire is clearly there. All I can do while waiting for an opportunity is to show on the field what I am capable of by being successful.”
Hifi not drafted in 2023
Nadir Hifi had presented himself in the 2023 draft (where Victor Wembanyama was chosen as number 1), at the end of his adventure in Le Portel, but he was not selected. The following season, after a good first season in Paris (15.6 points on average), he had briefly touched the American dream when he played in the Summer League with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He then averaged 11.3 points in 13.6 minutes over three games, but had to return to France due to a family problem. Will the 2026 season be the opportunity to realize his dream by convincing a franchise?
