Ousmane Dieng isn’t your typical rising NBA star. He’s quiet, observant, and plays with a smooth confidence that doesn’t scream for attention, but earns it anyway. From small-town courts in France to big-time arenas in the U.S., he’s taken every step with patience and purpose. His game speaks in calm moves and smart decisions, not highlight reels. Coaches trust him. Teammates rally around him. He’s just 19, but already holds himself like someone who’s seen the long road. Still, to truly understand where that composure comes from, we need to look deeper into the family that shaped him, story by story.

Who are Ousmane Dieng’s parents?

Ousmane Dieng’s parents are Ababacar Dieng and Marie-Pierre. Ababacar isn’t just Ousmane’s father, rather, he’s his first coach, his first role model, and the original blueprint for the dream his son now lives. Long before his son stepped on an NBA court, Ababacar was carving his own path across continents. He left Senegal young, chasing opportunity in France through basketball. That move wasn’t easy. New country, new language, new life, but he made it work. Ababacar instilled the love for basketball in his son.

The gym was their second home. Ousmane followed his father everywhere. Sat on benches. Watched games. Picked up moves. He didn’t just learn how to shoot, he learned how to think the game. How to keep cool. How to carry yourself.

While not much is known about Marie-Pierre, we do know that she is her son’s heartbeat and the person behind his journey. From the very start, she saw something special in him. “At six months, he had a plush ball in his hands,” she said. “A few months later, it was a balloon.” She laughed once, calling him “Shaquille O’Neal” because of his birth size, 59 cm and 4.6 kg.

What ethnicity are Ousmane Dieng’s Parents?

Leaving Senegal to make his hoops dreams come true, Ababacar is ethnically Senegalese. However, like him, Osumane’s mother Marie-Pierre, is also ethnically French.

Inside Dieng’s Relationship with His Parents

Inspired by his father Dieng’s goal in life was always set. He Left France for New Zealand at 18, following his father’s footsteps. And behind every big decision, every leap into the unknown, was Ababacar, offering guidance, steady and quiet. He didn’t push. He supported. He let Ousmane lead, but never let him walk alone.

When Dieng entered the 2022 Draft, he wasn’t just betting on himself, he was honoring that same bravery he saw in his dad. Now, Ousmane plays for the Thunder. He’s finding his rhythm, his voice, his place. But that quiet confidence? That instinct to give back, to be more than just a player? That started with Ababacar. His journey may not have ended in the NBA, but it planted the roots. Ousmane’s just taking it further.

Though he got his love for the game from his father, it was his mother who held her breath during his first steps in Villeneuve-sur-Lot. And again, when he joined the baby basketball team at just two and a half. As he climbed level by level, from local clubs to national titles, Marie-Pierre was always there.

When her son joined INSEP in Paris, she saw the next chapter forming. “There’s a great cocoon, it reassures you,” she shared, grateful for the care and structure. She stayed on top of everything: school, training, emotional ups and downs. He got his baccalaureate during the COVID lockdowns. Not an easy feat, but he stayed focused, and so did she.

Then came the leap to Oceania. “I didn’t expect this violence on social media,” she said. “As a mother, it’s hard to take.” But her son told them not to worry. “Ignore it, don’t read it,” he said. She found that strength in him remarkable. “He has a calmness that helps him move forward,” she said proudly.

Marie-Pierre traveled to New Zealand when he needed a boost. “We went to reboot him,” she said. That’s her way, quiet presence, always close, never too far. “He’s humble,” she said. “And we hope he stays that way.” So, that’s her, today, she is mother to Ousmane, one of the NBA’s big Frenchmen, but she is simple.