Latest news with #NoaEssengue
Time of India
15 hours 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.
CBS News
a day ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Bulls trade down with Lakers, pick Australian Lachlan Olbrich in 2nd round of NBA Draft
For their second-round NBA Draft pick Thursday night, the Chicago Bulls traded down from 45 to 55 with the Los Angeles Lakers for cash considerations, and then took Australian big man Lachlan Olbrich. Olbrich stands 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 230 pounds, and played the last two seasons in the NBL in Australia —helping his team win the league's championship last season. Olbrich also impressed at the NBA Draft Combine. He is also expected to get a two-way deal with the Bulls. This pick comes a day after the Bulls also looked outside the college ranks for their first-round pick, taking Frenchman Noa Essengue 12th overall. Essengue spent this past season playing in the top professional league in Germany. He is an athletic big man who said himself he can do pretty much everything, but does need to improve his shooting. Essengue is also only 18 years old, and it seems unlikely he'll be a key contributor anytime soon. That seems to be fine with general manager Marc Eversley who described the Bulls as a team in transition. "I think we're just going to continue to focus on player development, and you know, we've established a style of play offensively. I think the next iteration of this is really identifying who we are defensively, and how we can improve. You know, for our young players — I'll use Matas [Buzelis] as an example — Matas, second half of the season, was terrific. I think everybody in the room would agree," said Eversley. "How does he now respond to be on the scouting report? What does he do in the summer to work on his game, knowing that?"
Winnipeg Free Press
a day 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:
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago Bulls trade down in the 2nd round of NBA draft
The Chicago Bulls are moving down — but not out — in the second round of the NBA draft. The Bulls made a swap Thursday morning with the Los Angeles Lakers, trading the No. 45 pick for the No. 55 pick and cash considerations, per a report by ESPN. General manager Marc Eversley hinted after Wednesday's first round that the Bulls were considering a trade down in the second round. The Bulls currently have 12 players under contract for the 2025-26 season, a number that will jump to 13 if they complete expected plans to re-sign Josh Giddey. The roster is expected to undergo further change before the start of the season, but this overstuffed lineup of guaranteed contracts makes the draft a bit of a puzzle for the Bulls this year. The Bulls already added young talent by selecting French teenager Noa Essengue with the No. 12 pick. Essengue is only 18 years old — and won't turn 19 until December — which means the Bulls will take their time developing him into a regular rotation player. If the Bulls still choose to pick in the second round, that player would have to make a considerable impression during summer league in Las Vegas to muscle out a spot on an already crowded roster. The second round of the NBA draft will begin Thursday at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN. Who is Noa Essengue? 6 things to know about the Chicago Bulls' No. 12 pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Grading Chicago Bulls Noa Essengue 2025 NBA Draft pick
The post Grading Chicago Bulls Noa Essengue 2025 NBA Draft pick appeared first on ClutchPoints. The pick is in. The Chicago Bulls used the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to select French phenom Noa Essengue. Leading up to the draft, it sounded like the top contenders for the Bulls were Essengue, Derik Queen and Collin Murray-Boyles. Murray-Boyles was taken with the ninth pick in the draft, so it likely came down to Queen or Essengue. Queen has a lot of potential, but there were also a lot of concerns about him. The Bulls picked Essengue, and Queen was taken by the Atlanta Hawks with the next pick. Advertisement For a while leading up to the draft, it was sounding like the Bulls were going to take Derik Queen. There were a lot of mixed opinions surrounding that pick in the fan base. There are a lot of mixed reactions about Noa Essengue as well. He has a ton of potential and raw talent, but there are fans worried about the team's ability to develop him into an elite NBA player. There were also talks about the Bulls potentially trading up to try to draft a player like Ace Bailey. Bailey was originally expected to be a top-three pick, but he slid down to #5. The Bulls decided that it wasn't worth trading up, and they were confident that they could get a talented player at 12. They went with Noa Essengue. Now the wait is over. The Bulls made their pick, and while they still have another player to select in the second round on Thursday, Essengue is the one that will receive all the attention. Let's grade this draft pick and break it down. Bulls Noa Essengue draft grade: B Noa Essengue is coming to the Bulls from Europe as he has been playing for Ratiopharm Ulm, a professional team located in Ulm, Germany. Essengue played in 18 games during the 2024-25 season, and he averaged 12.4 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 56% from the floor. Essengue doesn't shoot a ton of threes and shot just under 30% from beyond the arc. Advertisement Essengue is one of the youngest prospects in the draft as he doesn't turn 19 until December. He has tremendous length as he stands at 6'10', and he has a 7'1″ wingspan. It might take Essengue a little while to flourish at the next level because of his age, but he has the tools to be successful. He is tremendous on the defensive end which is a big plus for the Bulls, and his athleticism and size make him difficult to defend on offense. His shooting is something that needs to be worked on as defenders don't have to worry about him shooting the deep ball very often. Because of that, it makes it more challenging for Essengue to easily get to the rim. If he can become a shooting threat, it will make him a completely different player. There was some chatter about the Bulls potentially drafting a guard despite having plenty of depth there, but they obviously did not go that route. Chicago needed to improve the frontcourt as Nikola Vucevic is not only nearing the end of his career, but he is also one of the team's most likely trade candidates. If Noa Essengue pans out the way the Bulls hope, they will have size and athleticism down low for a long time. Here is what ClutchPoints' NBA insider Brett Siegel said about Noa Essengue before the draft: Advertisement 'There continues to be a lot of talk about some teams wanting to trade up in this year's draft to grab Noa Essengue, a polarizing French prospect who has the length and lateral quickness to be an impactful forward right away,' Siegel wrote. 'While multiple teams inside the top 10 have interest in Essengue, there are also teams like the Thunder outside of the lottery that have been linked to him. Esengue could go anywhere from 8-15 in this year's draft, as it does appear as if Oklahoma City would be his floor.' Overall, this is a solid pick for the Bulls. We can analyze it as much as we want, but only time will tell how good of a pick this is. Noa Essengue clearly has the talent to be an outstanding player in the NBA, but the Bulls will need to be there to develop him along the way. If Chicago can do that, this pick should end up working out. Related: Marc Eversley gets real on decision to not trade up in NBA Draft Related: Noa Essengue's Joakim Noah take will immediately endear him to Bulls fans
