Ousmane Dieng’s NBA dreams finally came true when the New York Knicks selected him as 11th overall in the 2022 NBA draft. He was immediately traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for three future first-round picks. This was a major step for Dieng, moving him from the international stage straight to the biggest hoops league.

Fast forward to a couple of years, the Frenchman is one of those young hoopsters who’s promising to be the next big forward with the OKC Thunder. But for now, let’s divert ourselves from his on-court story and take a look at his journey off the court.

What is Ousmane Dieng’s ethnicity and religion?

On May 21, 2003, Ousmane Dieng was born to Ababacar and Marie-Pierre in the small town of Villeneuve-sur-Lot, in southwestern France. Talking about his ethnicity- it’s also fully French! On the other hand, there is not much information available on Dieng’s religious practices. And we understand him being private about the faith he chooses to follow or not to follow.

What is Ousmane Dieng’s Nationality? Has he represented the French senior team?

Ousmane Dieng’s nationality is French. Growing up in the nearby Lot-et-Garonne region in France, he always wanted to hoop. Dieng’s inspiration was his dad, Ababacar, who hooped too. “My dad was playing basketball. I was always in the gym with him, watching his games. I just started playing really young and I fell in love with the sport… I started watching the NBA with Kobe. I watched a lot of Kobe. I watched a lot of KD. I watched a lot of Paul George. I’m taking parts of the game from Luka, KD, Ingram. I want to be an NBA All-Star. I want to be a champion. I want to be an MVP,” Ousmane revealed.

Dieng’s passion for basketball has never been in doubt, ever since playing for Villeneuve Basket Club and JSA Bordeaux. He never looked back. He naturally stood out there, which led him to catch the attention of bigger programs. Ousmane’s next step took him to the prestigious INSEP in Paris, a renowned institution for developing elite French athletes.

In 2019, the French player got the silver medal for the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship. Who knew that he would quickly make his mark in the INSEP under-16 team? Well, he didn’t stop there!

He had plans to make it even bigger by the 2020-2021 season. Guess what, he started playing for Centre Fédéral in the Nationale Masculine 1. He averaged 12.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. His impressive numbers showcased his versatility and ability to make an impact. However, his domestic performance didn’t only grab the attention of locals, he was also being scouted by NBA teams and college basketball programs in the USA!