Every NBA franchise wants to have its own ‘diamond in the rough’ player story, right? Today, we bring forward the journey of Ibrahima Diallo. The Knicks recently signed him to an Exhibit 10 deal, adding an intriguing developmental piece to their roster. The move is likely intended to gauge his ceiling in the G League. At 26 years old, he has established a reputation as a reliable rebounder and shot blocker, making him a valuable asset on any team.

Ibrahima Diallo’s early life and background

Ibrahima Diallo was born in Saly, Senegal, on December 10th, 1999. He played a variety of sports, including soccer, which he held a keen interest in. Diallo didn’t care for basketball until he grew taller. His family considered it a “soft sport.”

“I was just getting taller and taller, so if I play soccer, a lot of the people, they laugh at me. I was good, though, in soccer. But they just laugh at me and say, ‘Bro, you tall. You need to go play basketball.’ And I just got one friend who played basketball. Everyone was telling me the same thing, same thing, every day,” Diallo said.

However, in 2012, his father convinced him to play basketball by offering him a pair of Jordan sneakers.

“I just like the shoes, and that shoes just made me play basketball. The Jordan shoes. Because I liked that shoe so bad, so I’m like, ‘All right, I want to go now,’” he admitted.

Eventually, in 2016, Diallo, who barely studied English, moved to Florida to pursue basketball, enrolling in Victory Rock Prep. Later, transferring to Prolific Prep in Cal for his senior season, where he averaged a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds to go along with almost four blocks per game.

Who are Ibrahima Diallo’s parents?

Ibrahima is one of seven children born to Mamadou Salif and Thiapatou Diallo. No further public information about them is available, but they have been very supportive of Diallo’s basketball journey. His mother even cried when the hoopster first told her that he wanted to go abroad for secondary education.

“My mom just started crying like every day because she knows I really want to do this and she wanted me to go follow my dream, but she was saying that’s going to be hard for them. Just letting your son just go to another life like so far and don’t know nobody there,” he recalled.

Who are the siblings of Ibrahima Diallo?

Ibrahima has six siblings (three brothers and sisters): Aissatou, Hady, Aminata, Seydina Mohamed, Khalifa, and Aboubacry.

What is the ethnicity and nationality of Ibrahima Diallo?

Diallo was born in Senegal and is a Senegalese national of African descent, representing a rich cultural heritage. His identity has played a key role in his international basketball exposure. He also mentioned that he grew up with a strong cultural base in Africa and that he missed going to the beach back in his hometown after moving to America. He once also cited Cameroonian center Joel Embiid as an inspiration.

Ibrahima Diallo’s college career

Diallo began his college career at Ohio State University, where he was with the Buckeyes for two seasons, but received limited playing time. During his second season, they made it to the NCAA tournament but lost in the first round. During his time there, he averaged 0.8 points and 1.5 boards in 3.8 minutes per game.

In his junior year, Diallo transferred to San Jose State, where he started almost every single game at forward. He finally got playing time, averaging 18.7 minutes per game, putting up 6.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks across two seasons. In his final season, he played for UCF, splitting his time between starting and coming off the bench, averaging 19 minutes per game and 6.3 rebounds, 5.6 rebounds, and led the Big 12 in blocks per game, at 1.8.

After his college career, he wasn’t selected in the 2024 NBA draft but was eventually signed by the Austin Spurs of the G League, alongside players like Harrison Ingram. For the Spurs, he averaged 5.3 points and 6.1 rebounds, along with 2.2 blocks in 32 games. They ended the season as the #1 seed in the West, but lost to the Stockton Kings in the Western Conference Finals.

Ibrahima Diallo’s Contract

Diallo was signed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Knicks before being waived, which allows him to play for its affiliate team in the G League, also giving him a chance to earn bonuses. This move keeps him close to the org and is a pathway to carve a potential NBA future. His next deal could be the minimum NBA salary, which is worth about $1,272,870.