Only one Frenchman has been selected from the list of basketball players who will participate in the Rising Stars Challenge 2026, the traditional All-Star Weekend meeting dedicated to rookies and sophomores (players in their 2nd NBA year). This is Alexandre Sarr (Washington Wizards), already present a year ago during his rookie year. All-Star weekend will take place in Los Angeles from February 13-15.
Arriving in the NBA with high expectations, selected in 2nd position in the 2024 Draft, the 20-year-old from Bordeaux-Toulouse continues to chart a consistent and notable trajectory. Mobile, long (2.13m), capable of protecting the circle while integrating into the modern interior game, the young French pivot established himself as a credible element of his franchise from his first year, before reaching a milestone in his sophomore year. His selection for Rising Stars rewards constant progression more than a simple statistical brilliance, and confirms that he is now one of the young profiles identified by the league.
He impresses with already very complete statistics sheets (17.4 points on average this season / 7.3 rebounds / 2.7 assists). He also averages 2.1 blocks per game. He is improving in each statistical category compared to his first year. Which recently made his compatriot Victor Wembanyama say that the next Frenchman lined up in a team of starters at the All-Star Game, the meeting of the best players, could well be Sarr.
Sarr the only Frenchman retained
The downside? Alexandre Sarr is the only Frenchman selected, in a vintage rich in international talent and while France remains one of the main suppliers of young NBA players in Europe. A singularity which contrasts with recent years, marked by the presence of several Blues in this type of event: last year, three Frenchmen (Sarr, Coulibaly, Risacher) were selected.
This underlines both the demands of the field and the still very selective nature of this recognition. The performances this season of several legitimate French hopes have not been sufficient, in particular for Zaccharie Risacher, recently sent to the G-League by Atlanta, first choice in the 2024 draft, or even Tidjane Salaün (8th in the 2024 Draft). The June 2025 draftees had a complicated start in the League.
Rising Stars 2026 will also be marked by the presence of two teammates of Victor Wembanyama, with Spurs placing Stephon Castle and Ron Harper among the young players to watch. Added to this is one of the major attractions of the season: Cooper Flagg, now in Dallas, already considered a superstar in the making and a central figure of this rising generation. So many names which give this edition a particular depth and accentuate the competition to appear there.
