Cheick Diallo is a Mali-born basketball player who holds the position of power forward/center for the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans. He was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2016 NBA draft. Diallo completed his college career with the Kansas Jayhawks at the University of Kansas. Learn more about Cheick Diallo below.
Cheick Diallo Bio
Cheick Diallo was born on September 13, 1996, in Kayes, Mali, to Malian parents Mamadou Diallo and his wife Ramata Diallo. The young man emigrated to the United States at the age of sixteen to continue his basketball career. It was not an easy search for Diallo, who was not so fluent in English. He faced many challenges before he saw a light at the end of the tunnel. In the United States, Diallo enrolled at Our Savior New American School in Centereach, New York. There he played high school basketball with the school team. During his high school career, it took a while for Diallo to fit into the school’s playing pattern. As a result, he became a more impressive and versatile player for the team. During high school, he was a teammate of Chris Obekpa.
Prior to his college career, Diallo participated in the NBPA Top 100 Camp, for which he became MVP in 2013. He then enrolled at the University of Kansas where he played for the Jayhawks. When he joined the Jayhawks, Diallo had eligibility issues and was later approved by the NCAA. He made his first appearance with the Jayhawks in December 2015 against the Loyola Greyhounds. The star became an effective player in the team with an average of 7.5 minutes, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.0 points per game. At the end of his first division season, Diallo declared 2016 for the NBA Drat but waived the remaining years of his college eligibility. He was also named MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Boys Game in 2015.
Cheick Diallo NBA Career
Cheick Diallo was invited to participate in the NBA draft combine trials in May 2016. He had a standing range of 8 feet 11.5 inches and a wingspan of 7 feet 4.5 inches. During the draft, he was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers as the 33rd player to be selected in total this year. After the draft, he was immediately transferred to the New Orleans Pelicans. He joined the Pelicans for the NBA Summer League competitions, and after an impressive performance, Diallo signed his rookie contract with the Pelicans.
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Diallo had his first professional appearance in the regular 2016/17 season on October 29, 2016, when he recorded a block and a rebound when he played six minutes off the bench in the defeat to the San Antonio Spurs. Later, Diallo played two more games for the next 23 games of the regular season. In the defeat against the Los Angeles Clippers in December 2016, he scored a total of 19 points. He scored the same result against the Los Angeles Lakers in April 2017. Throughout his rookie season, Cheick Diallo was assigned to several teams, including Long Island Nets, Greensboro Swarm, and Austin Spurs of the NBA G- League, to familiarize himself with the game.
In 2018 he showed a significant improvement, averaging 4.1 rebounds and 4.9 points per game. He took part in the 2018 playoffs and recorded an average of 1.4 points and 1.3 rebounds per game in 7 games.
Cheick Diallo’s Brother and Family
The Malian basketball star has come a long way just to fulfill his dream of playing basketball at a professional level. His journey began a few years ago directly from his home country Mali, and today he has made it all the way to the NBA. He now competes against the best stars in the game, all thanks to the unparalleled support of his family. According to him, his family stood behind him all the way, and they are very proud of what he has become. He is now not his parents’ only child; he has five brothers, and he is the youngest of them all. His family currently lives in Mali.
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There is also speculation that the Malian star has another brother in the NBA. However, the rumor emerged after Hamidou Diallo’s draft by Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2018 NBA draft. Although the two players have the same last name, they are apparently not brothers. Cheick is the only one in his family who is interested in basketball; Hamidou, on the other hand, was born and raised in the United States. He may have Malian roots, but they are in no way related.
His Height, Weight, and Measurements
Cheick Diallo is a very interesting player with incredible height and great ball skills. He stands at a height of 2.06 m (6 feet 9 inches) and weighs 100 kg (220 pounds). Interestingly, he is the same height as other NBA top power strikers like Carlos Boozer and Antawn Jamison. He has black hair and brown eyes. Cheick’s chest, waist, and biceps measurements, as well as his shoe and foot size, are not currently available.
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