NBA – The only Frenchman in the Finals, Ousmane Dieng admits: “I didn’t play for long, it’s special”

Par Guillaume Kagni | Journaliste sportif

The last Frenchman in the running for the title, Ousmane Dieng isn’t necessarily in the Thunder’s rotation, but has to rely on his teammates to win his first NBA title. After the victory in Game 2, in which he took part, the MVP of the G League Finals spoke about the experience.

Being under contract with the Thunder is both a blessing and a curse for young Ousmane Dieng. The downside of the situation is that the Frenchman is part of a talented group where it’s hard to make a place for yourself, especially in the wing and strong-wing positions. With the likes of Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, Mark Daigneault has plenty of talent at his disposal.

To make up for the disappointment of not making it into the rotation, Dieng can at least be satisfied with Oklahoma City’s collective results. Thanks to the exploits of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and others, he is currently competing in the NBA Finals, and even had the opportunity to play in Game 2 against the Pacers. He thus became the 7ᵉ tricolore to participate in this title series.

Ousmane Dieng talks about his Finals with the Thunder

Obviously, he’s not expected to play the biggest role in this series, and if no one gets injured, if the gap isn’t huge, then he won’t be taking to the floor again. Nevertheless, he can watch the show from the front row, and after his side’s victory in Game 2, he spoke to L’Equipe.

I didn’t play long, but yeah, it’s pretty special. I’ve been back in the play-offs at the end of games when there were gaps like that, so I was kind of expecting it. I don’t think I realize it yet, but frankly, it’s incredible. It’s especially good to have got this win after match 1. We’re happy. We’ve already put in more shots than we did on Thursday.

I wasn’t serene, apart from maybe the last thirty seconds. But not otherwise. We stay calm in the dressing room after that, because we know it’s a long series. We’ve been through this before. The coach said it was good, but we’ve got to go and win one at their place, so we’ve got to stay focused and then we’ll see. Everyone was disappointed with the defeat and everyone wanted us to win game 2.

Ousmane Dieng doesn’t yet realize that he has set foot on the Finals floor, and that if the Thunder win, he will officially be NBA champion. After his G League title and his Finals MVP trophy at the lower level, he’s about to get his hands on the greatest reward of all. For that, he’ll have to finish the job, and above all be ready when needed.