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Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif
Staying in Chicago for over four years, Stacey King played alongside Michael Jordan, winning three titles in the process. Always attentive to Bulls news, he reacted to the drafting of Noa Essengue and took the opportunity to talk about French basketball.
His name may not resonate with younger fans, but he was nevertheless a member of the legendary Bulls team of the early ’90s. Stacey King was fortunate enough to rub shoulders with Michael Jordan and complete a Three Peat alongside him. Now, as host of the Gimme The Hot Sauce podcast, he comments on franchise news, including the draft.
Stacey King excited about Noa Essengue’s arrival at the Bulls
As holders of the #12 pick this year, Chicago have used it to draft Frenchman Noa Essengue. A decision that delighted Stacey King:
Stacey King: “I think it’s a great pick, especially at that position, although it seems to me that a lot of people were thinking, or even praying that the Bulls would select a guard.”
“Instead, they picked up a kid who’s the second youngest in his draft and has immense potential. And knowing the franchise’s situation, which isn’t quite sure whether it’s rebuilding or not, accumulating young talent like him is a good thing. The Bulls already have a few on their roster, and he seems capable of contributing to the team right away.”
Clearly well-informed about Essengue, King was particularly complimentary about the young winger’s… defence. Indeed, according to him, the young French wing’s qualities in this area should enable him to shine in his rookie season:
Stacey King: “Defensively, he looks ready. He’s going to be able to switch easily on posts 1-4, he’s also going to be able to run in transition…”
“He’s a player Josh Giddey will love to play with. Between him and Matas (Buzelis), the Bulls have two young wingers who can be lethal in transition and cause big damage on defense.”
In order to justify this great confidence, the former big man mentioned the talent contained in the new generation of French basketball, which apparently impressed him greatly during the Paris Olympic Games:
Stacey King: “If you know the French program and you’ve seen a Wemby or the young guy from Atlanta (Zaccharie Risacher) play… All these guys are lottery picks now! They’re coming in strong in the US, and almost beat Team USA at the Olympics! They could even win the next ones in 2028!”
