Latest news with #Essengue
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Who is Noa Essengue? Exploring background, parents, and his unusual journey to NBA after trying judo and tennis
Image credit: Noa Essengue/Instagram There's a young NBA star in town, and there's a buzz. The Chicago Bulls picked French teenager Noa Essengue in the NBA Draft. Until recently, Essengue was just a regular teenager playing basketball — and that too without any college experience — but he quickly became a trending topic and the talk of the town after being selected in the top 15. Who is Noa Eseengue? Born in 2006 in Orleans, Loiret, France, Essengue began his basketball journey through the French youth development system with Orleans Loiret Basket. In 2021, the then 18-year-old signed his first professional contract with Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball. After spending two years with Centre Fédéral, Essengue moved to the German league and joined Ratiopharm Ulm. He spent one season with Ulm before making a significant leap in his career. In the 2024–25 season, he joined the top professional tier and never looked back. Essengue averaged 10.7 points and five rebounds for Ulm. He also represented France at the 2024 FIBA U-18 EuroBasket tournament and later joined the senior team for the EuroBasket qualifiers in 2025. Who are Noa Essengue's parents? After being picked by the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Draft, curiosity about Essengue's background — including details about his parents' names, professions, and education — flooded the internet. Social media was abuzz with searches and speculation. So, who are Noa Essengue's parents? Essengue is the son of former Cameroonian basketball player Gaston Essengue. Gaston played college basketball for the UNLV Rebels from 2005 to 2007. He averaged 5.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game in 65 appearances. Though Gaston's name gained attention during the 2007 season, he went undrafted in the 2007 NBA Draft. He went on to play professionally in countries like France and Turkey for over a decade. Essengue's mother was a math teacher at a school. But it was his older brother Mathis who was for reason behind him opting for basketball. 'I don't really have a sporty family,' Essengue told 'But I think I have the advantage of having a very close-knit family. When I was little, I didn't live with my dad, but mostly with my older brother Mathis and my mom. I followed my older brother a lot; as soon as he changed sports, I followed him everywhere. He started doing judo, I followed him and did it for five years. After that, he went to tennis, and I went to tennis too. One day he decided to play basketball, and I signed up too. I started to enjoy it and thought, 'Why not make it my career?' he revealed.' Also Read: Noa Essengue eyes 2025 NBA draft in Brooklyn after taking sudden exit from German League Standing at 6'10', Noa Essengue is a talent to watch out for in the upcoming season. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Bulls take 18-year-old Essengue at No. 12. Their Central rivals select older players in 2nd round
An uneventful NBA draft for the Central Division likely didn't do much to change its balance of power for the immediate future. The only Central Division team with a first-round pick was the Chicago Bulls, who bet on Noa Essengue's long-term upside by using the No. 12 overall pick on the 18-year-old French forward. A few of their Central rivals then added more experienced college players in Thursday's second round. Indiana added a pair of 23-year-old guards, as they acquired the No. 38 pick from San Antonio to take Marquette's Kam Jones and then chose Liberty's Taelon Peter at No. 54. Detroit also added a 23-year-old guard by selecting Tennessee's Chaz Lanier at No. 37. With the first of its two second-round picks, Cleveland took 21-year-old Duke guard Tyrese Proctor at No. 49. Those older guards represented a contrast from the big swing Chicago took on a teenager. Essengue is the second-youngest player in this draft class and only three days older than No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, the former Duke star who went first overall to Dallas. The 6-foot-9 Essengue has played professionally in Germany the last two years. 'I think I can do pretty much everything, all the little details like shooting, passing the ball, attacking the rim,' Essengue said. 'That's my biggest strength right now, is the open-court game.' Essengue has been playing for Ratiopharm Ulm, but he left his team as it competed in the German league finals to be in New York for the draft. 'We talked a lot with my coaching staff, all the staff from Ulm,' Essengue said. '(I said), 'If I go to the green room, I'm leaving. The coach said, 'Yes, go to see your dream.' So yeah, the day I (found out) I'm in the green room, Coach said, 'Just go there and live your dream, and we're gonna finish the job.' ' Essengue's youth means that this pick might not pay immediate dividends for the Bulls, who have just one playoff appearance in the five seasons since Arturas Karnisovas was hired as executive vice president of basketball operations. 'I see him as a two-way player who can impact the game both offensively and defensively,' Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said. 'His ability to get to the free-throw line and play downhill is super intriguing to us. I think he'll be able to be a versatile wing defender.' Chicago Bulls Needs: The Bulls were seeking frontcourt help, particularly at center with veteran Nikola Vucevic entering the final season of a three-year, $60 million deal. Who they drafted: They took Essengue at No. 12 overall. In the second round, they acquired the No. 55 pick from the Los Angeles Lakers and selected 6-9 forward Lachlan Olbrich, a 20-year-old from Australia. NBA comparison for Essengue: His ball-handling skills and ability to finish and defend have drawn comparisons to Pascal Siakam and Nicolas Batum. But he will need to improve his shooting. Essengue turns 19 in December. Detroit Pistons Needs: The Pistons could use some size and outside shooting. They lacked frontcourt muscle when burly forward Isaiah Stewart missed much of the first-round playoff matchup with the New York Knicks. Detroit also needed to make more 3-pointers in the closely contested series. The three-time championship franchise finally has a star to build around in All-NBA third team guard Cade Cunningham. Now, it needs time to determine if former first-round picks Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland can help Cunningham on the perimeter. Who they drafted: They used the No. 37 overall pick on Lanier, a 6-4 guard who averaged 18 points his lone year at Tennessee after spending four seasons at North Florida. Indiana Pacers Needs: With centers Myles Turner, Thomas Bryant and Isaiah Jackson all potentially hitting free agency, Indiana's most glaring hole is frontcourt depth. Indiana would like to re-sign Turner, a deal that could send the Pacers into the first salary cap apron. Finding an experienced big man would be ideal. Even after losing Tyrese Haliburton to a torn Achilles tendon, Indiana still has plenty of backcourt bodies. Who they drafted: Indiana obtained the No. 38 overall pick in a trade with San Antonio and used it on Kam Jones, a 6-3 guard who earned Associated Press All-America second-team honors at Marquette. They used the No. 54 pick on Peter, who had 13.7 points per game at Liberty this year after previously playing for Tennessee Tech and Arkansas Tech. Milwaukee Bucks Needs: Damian Lillard's torn Achilles, Gary Trent Jr.'s unrestricted free agency and Kevin Porter's potential free agency (he has a $2.5 million player option) creates plenty of backcourt questions. The Bucks also could use a young big man. Brook Lopez and Jericho Sims are unrestricted free agents, and Bobby Portis could join them if he doesn't pick up his $13.4 million option Who they drafted: In the second round, the Bucks used the 47th overall pick on Bogoljub Markovic, a 6-11 forward from Serbia. Markovic turns 20 on July 12. Cleveland Cavaliers Needs: Cleveland doesn't have many roster holes, but it does have a need for a big body in the middle to add depth. The Cavaliers have Jarrett Allen and NBA defensive player of the year Evan Mobley, but not much else when it comes to someone with size and who can be physical in the paint. That need was apparent during their second-round playoff loss to Indiana. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Who they drafted: The Cavs used the 49th overall pick on Proctor. They also had the No. 58 selection and took Saliou Niang, a guard from Senegal. Proctor is a good playmaker and shot 40.1% on 3-pointers last season. He could fill a need if the Cavs are unable to re-sign Ty Jerome or Sam Merrill, who are unrestricted free agents. The 21-year old Niang is a good defender but needs work on his jumper. He is expected to be with Virtus Bologna in the Euroleague next season. ___ AP sports writers Larry Lage, Michael Marot, Joseph Reedy and Andrew Seligman contributed to this report. ___ AP NBA:
6 days ago
- Sport
Bulls take 18-year-old Noa Essengue at No. 12 for Central Division's lone first-round pick
The Chicago Bulls took a chance on the long-term upside of 18-year-old French forward Noa Essengue to highlight an otherwise quiet opening round of the NBA draft for Central Division teams. Chicago was the only Central team with a first-round selection Wednesday. The Bulls used the No. 12 pick on the 6-foot-9, 194-pound Essengue, who has played professionally in Germany the last two years. 'I think I can do pretty much everything, all the little details like shooting, passing the ball, attacking the rim," Essengue said. "That's my biggest strength right now, is the open-court game.' Essengue has been playing for Ratiopharm Ulm, but he left his team as it competed in the German league finals to be in New York for the draft. 'We talked a lot with my coaching staff, all the staff from Ulm," Essengue said. '(I said), 'If I go to the green room, I'm leaving. The coach said, 'Yes, go to see your dream.' So yeah, the day I (found out) I'm in the green room, Coach said, 'Just go there and live your dream, and we're gonna finish the job.' ' Essengue is the second-youngest player in this draft class and only three days older than No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, the former Duke star who went first overall to Dallas. His youth means that this pick might not pay immediate dividends for the Bulls, who have just one playoff appearance in the five seasons since Arturas Karnisovas was hired as executive vice president of basketball operations. 'I see him as a two-way player who can impact the game both offensively and defensively," Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said. 'His ability to get to the free-throw line and play downhill is super intriguing to us. I think he'll be able to be a versatile wing defender.' Chicago went 39-43 for the second straight season and finished ninth in the Eastern Conference before getting knocked out of the play-in tournament by Miami for a third consecutive year. While Chicago was the only Central Division team to pick Wednesday, the reigning Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks all have second-round selections Thursday. The Pacers traded out of the first round last week when they sent the No. 23 overall selection to New Orleans. In that deal, the Pacers reacquired their own 2026 first-round pick that had been sent to Toronto in the trade that brought Pascal Siakam to Indiana. New Orleans had landed that pick in a trade that sent Brandon Ingram to Toronto. Needs: The Bulls were seeking frontcourt help, particularly at center with veteran Nikola Vucevic entering the final season of a three-year, $60 million deal. Who they drafted: Essengue at No. 12 overall. NBA comparison for Essengue: His ball-handling skills and ability to finish and defend have drawn comparisons to Pascal Siakam and Nicolas Batum. But he will need to improve his shooting. Essengue turns 19 in December. Needs: The Pistons could use some size and outside shooting. They lacked frontcourt muscle when burly forward Isaiah Stewart missed much of the first-round playoff matchup with the New York Knicks. Detroit also needed to make more 3-pointers in the closely contested series. The three-time championship franchise finally has a star to build around in All-NBA third team guard Cade Cunningham. Now, it needs time to determine if former first-round picks Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland can help Cunningham on the perimeter. Who they drafted: Detroit didn't have a first-round pick. The Pistons own the seventh pick in the second round, No. 37 overall. Needs: Damian Lillard's torn Achilles, Gary Trent Jr.'s unrestricted free agency and Kevin Porter's potential free agency (he has a $2.5 million player option) creates plenty of backcourt questions. The Bucks also could use a young big man. Brook Lopez and Jericho Sims are unrestricted free agents, and Bobby Portis could join them if he doesn't pick up his $13.4 million option Who they drafted: The Bucks didn't have a first-round pick. They pick 47th overall in the second round. Needs: Cleveland doesn't have many roster holes, but it does have a need for a big body in the middle to add depth. The Cavaliers have Jarrett Allen and NBA defensive player of the year Evan Mobley, but not much else when it comes to someone with size and who can be physical in the paint. That need was apparent during their second-round playoff loss to Indiana. Who they drafted: The Cavs didn't have a first-round pick. They have two second-round selections: No. 49 and No. 58. Needs: With centers Myles Turner, Thomas Bryant and Isaiah Jackson all potentially hitting free agency, Indiana's most glaring hole is frontcourt depth. Indiana would like to re-sign Turner, a deal that could send the Pacers into the first salary cap apron. Finding an experienced big man would be ideal. Even after losing Tyrese Haliburton to a torn Achilles tendon, Indiana still has plenty of backcourt bodies. Who they drafted: Indiana didn't have a first-round pick. The Pacers have a second-round selection at No. 54 overall. ___
Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Who is Noa Essengue? 6 things to know about the Chicago Bulls' No. 12 pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
The Chicago Bulls added another lengthy wing to their arsenal by selecting French teenager Noa Essengue with the No. 12 pick in the first round of Wednesday's NBA draft. Without any NCAA playing experience, Essengue is one of the lesser-known names to be selected with a top 15 pick. So why did the Bulls take a swing on him? And what does his future look like in Chicago? Here's what to know about the newest Bull. A native of Orléans, France, Essengue came up through the French youth development system with Orléans Loiret Basket before signing his first professional contract in 2021 with Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball. Essengue left for the German league to join Ratiopharm Ulm in 2023, where he played one season in the youth development league before moving up to the top professional tier for the 2024-25 season. He averaged 10.7 points and 5 rebounds per game for Ulm this season. Essengue is also a future prospect for the French national team. He competed for the U-18 team at the 2024 FIBA U-18 EuroBasket tournament, then moved up to the senior team for EuroBasket qualifiers in 2025. Essengue caused a bit of a stir leading up to the NBA draft when he chose to leave Germany while his team, Ulm, was still competing in the finals of the Basketball Bundesliga championship. Ulm faced Bayern Munich in the fourth game of a five-game series Tuesday, only hours before the draft took place in New York City. Although Essengue missed a must-win game — a 67-53 home loss which pushed the series to a final game Thursday — the rookie said this was always the agreed-upon plan with the coaching staff. (The 18-year-old was averaging only 3.7 points in fewer than 14 minutes per game in the finals series before he left.) 'We talked a lot with my coaching staff, all the staff from Ulm,' Essengue said. 'It was like, 'If I get in the green room, I'm leaving.' And the coach said yes. So on the day I learned I'm in the green room, the coach said, 'Just go there, live your dream and we'll finish the job.'' Essengue's teammate Ben Saraf also left after he was invited for draft night festivities. Saraf was selected No. 26 by the Brooklyn Nets. General manager Marc Eversley said the front office first watched Essengue last September when Ulm played a preseason friendly against the Portland Trail Blazers. At the time, Essengue was a raw 17-year-old still finding his footing at the top level of German professional basketball. He hit a trio of 3-pointers while logging 20 points and eight rebounds, making a strong impression on Eversley and other NBA executives. Although Essengue is versatile enough to play anywhere between the three and the five, Eversley said the Bulls ideally see him as a wing who can match up against a wide range of frontcourt and backcourt opponents. Eversley drew his own comparisons between Essengue and 2024 draft pick Matas Buzelis, who excelled in his rookie season as an oversized wing who could pick up a wide variety of assignments on defense. It might seem counterproductive to draft two players with similar skillsets in back-to-back drafts, but Eversley cited this as a strength — rather than a weakness — in the team's draft strategy. 'I like the length, the versatility, the ability to be switchable on defense,' Eversley said. 'Those are all intriguing qualities.' Eversley said the Bulls kept in touch with three or four other teams to negotiate the potential of trading up for a higher pick. Such a trade could have allowed the Bulls to take a swing on a true center like Khaman Maluach (No. 10, Phoenix Suns) or a more developed forward like Collin Murray-Boyles (No. 9, Toronto Raptors). Ultimately, the Bulls front office didn't feel it was worthwhile to move up in the draft order. 'We felt comfortable that the player we wanted was going to be there for us,' Eversley said. 4 players with Illinois ties were picked in 1st round of NBA draft. Here's what to know about should come as no surprise, but an untested rookie who won't turn 19 until late December is going to have more weaknesses than strengths in his debut season. So yes, Essengue will come to the Bulls with a long to-do list to build out his game to an NBA level. Although he's lengthy with large hands and a sprawling reach, the forward needs to get stronger to begin finishing through contact and providing a physical challenge to opposing bigs. Essengue is excellent at getting to the free-throw line in Germany, but it's unclear if that talent will translate to the NBA. The rookie's shooting will be a major focus. And both his ball-handling and playmaking will need extensive development — not just this year, but in the long term — to give Essengue the independence to actually create proactively. It's too early to say. Essengue will be in Chicago this weekend to begin his onboarding process. He is also expected to participate in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he will get his first minutes playing alongside Buzelis. But beyond this summer, the Bulls are still determining the appropriate timeline for the teenager. Eversley made it clear that the front office understands the patience necessary to establish a strong foundation with a selection this young. And that means the Bulls still haven't ruled out stashing Essengue for a year as they wait to clear out contracts for the 2026-27 season. Ultimately, the rookie's debut could be contingent on the front office's ability to execute a collection of crucial transactions to move players like Nikola Vučević.
Fox Sports
7 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Bulls take 18-year-old Noa Essengue at No. 12 for Central Division's lone first-round pick
Associated Press The Chicago Bulls took a chance on the long-term upside of 18-year-old French forward Noa Essengue to highlight an otherwise quiet opening round of the NBA draft for Central Division teams. Chicago was the only Central team that entered Wednesday with a first-round selection. The Bulls used the No. 12 pick on the 6-foot-9, 194-pound Essengue, who has played professionally in Germany the last two years. 'I think I can do pretty much everything, all the little details like shooting, passing the ball, attacking the rim," Essengue said. "That's my biggest strength right now, is the open-court game.' Essengue has been playing for Ratiopharm Ulm, but he left his team as it competed in the German league finals to be in New York for the draft. 'We talked a lot with my coaching staff, all the staff from Ulm," Essengue said. '(I said), 'If I go to the green room, I'm leaving. The coach said, 'Yes, go to see your dream.' So yeah, the day I (found out) I'm in the green room, Coach said, 'Just go there and live your dream, and we're gonna finish the job.' ' Essengue is the second-youngest player in this draft class and only three days older than No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, the former Duke star who went first overall to Dallas. His youth means that this pick might not pay immediate dividends for the Bulls, who have just one playoff appearance in the five seasons since Arturas Karnisovas was hired as executive vice president of basketball operations. Chicago went 39-43 for the second straight season and finished ninth in the Eastern Conference before getting knocked out of the play-in tournament by Miami for a third consecutive year. While Chicago was the only Central Division team scheduled to make a pick Wednesday, the reigning Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks all have second-round selections Thursday. The Pacers traded out of the first round last week when they sent the No. 23 overall selection to New Orleans. In that deal, the Pacers reacquired their own 2026 first-round pick that had been sent to Toronto in the trade that brought Pascal Siakam to Indiana. New Orleans had landed that pick in a trade that sent Brandon Ingram to Toronto. Chicago Bulls Needs: The Bulls were seeking frontcourt help, particularly at center with veteran Nikola Vucevic entering the final season of a three-year, $60 million deal. Who they drafted: Essengue at No. 12 overall. NBA comparison for Essengue: His ball-handling skills and ability to finish and defend have drawn comparisons to Pascal Siakam and Nicolas Batum. But he will need to improve his shooting. Essengue turns 19 in December. Detroit Pistons Needs: The Pistons could use some size and outside shooting. They lacked frontcourt muscle when burly forward Isaiah Stewart missed much of the first-round playoff matchup with the New York Knicks. Detroit also needed to make more 3-pointers in the closely contested series. The three-time championship franchise finally has a star to build around in All-NBA third team guard Cade Cunningham. Now, it needs time to determine if former first-round picks Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland can help Cunningham on the perimeter. Who they drafted: Detroit didn't have a first-round pick. The Pistons own the seventh pick in the second round, No. 37 overall. Milwaukee Bucks Needs: Damian Lillard's torn Achilles, Gary Trent Jr.'s unrestricted free agency and Kevin Porter's potential free agency (he has a $2.5 million player option) creates plenty of backcourt questions. The Bucks also could use a young big man. Brook Lopez and Jericho Sims are unrestricted free agents, and Bobby Portis could join them if he doesn't pick up his $13.4 million option Who they drafted: The Bucks didn't have a first-round pick. They pick 47th overall in the second round. Cleveland Cavaliers Needs: Cleveland doesn't have many roster holes, but it does have a need for a big body in the middle to add depth. The Cavaliers have Jarrett Allen and NBA defensive player of the year Evan Mobley, but not much else when it comes to someone with size and who can be physical in the paint. That need was apparent during their second-round playoff loss to Indiana. Who they drafted: The Cavs didn't have a first-round pick. They have two second-round selections: No. 49 and No. 58. Indiana Pacers Needs: With centers Myles Turner, Thomas Bryant and Isaiah Jackson all potentially hitting free agency, Indiana's most glaring hole is frontcourt depth. Indiana would like to re-sign Turner, a deal that could send the Pacers into the first salary cap apron. Finding an experienced big man would be ideal. Even after losing Tyrese Haliburton to a torn Achilles tendon, Indiana still has plenty of backcourt bodies. Who they drafted: Indiana didn't have a first-round pick. The Pacers have a second-round selection at No. 54 overall. ___ AP sports writers Larry Lage, Michael Marot, Joseph Reedy and Andrew Seligman contributed to this report. ___ AP NBA: recommended
