Frank Bryan Ntilikina (; born 28 July 1998) is a French professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA). He was selected by the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

as the eighth overall pick during the

2017 NBA draft The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

. Ntilikina was born in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

and grew up in the French city of

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

. He stands at tall and plays the

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...

position.

Early life

Ntilikina was born in

Ixelles ( French, ) or (Dutch, ), is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located to the south-east of Brussels' city centre, it is geographically bisected by the City of Brussels. It is also bordered by the muni ...

, Belgium, on 28 July 1998, to

Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...

n parents, he moved to

Strasbourg, France Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

at age three. He began his youth club career at the age of five, playing for St-Joseph Strasbourg, before making the move to

Strasbourg IG Strasbourg Illkirch-Graffenstaden Basket, most commonly known as SIG Basket or SIG Strasbourg, is a French professional basketball club that is based in Strasbourg. The club, founded in 1929, competes domestically in the French Pro A League, and ...

's youth academy when he was 15. Ntilikina was invited to participate in the

Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school All-Star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys in the senior class including alumns like Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Bl ...

International Game in April 2014, tallying six points, three rebounds and one assist in 23 minutes off the bench, and helped SIG to a French Youth League Championship title in the 2014–15 season. In February 2016, he attended the "Basketball Without Borders Global Camp" in

Toronto, Canada Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anchor ...

, during the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend.

Professional career

SIG Strasbourg (2015–2017)

In December 2015, Ntilikina signed a professional contract with

SIG Strasbourg Strasbourg Illkirch-Graffenstaden Basket, most commonly known as SIG Basket or SIG Strasbourg, is a French professional basketball club that is based in Strasbourg. The club, founded in 1929, competes domestically in the French Pro A League, and ...

until 30 June 2019. He had made his debut at the professional level even before the deal, seeing 15 minutes of action on 4 April 2015, in a French

LNB Pro A The LNB Pro A, currently known for sponsorship reasons as Betclic Élite, is the top-tier men's professional basketball league in France. The competition has existed since 1921. Since 1987, the Ligue Nationale de Basket has governed the league. ...

2014–15 season contest against

Boulogne-sur-Mer Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the ...

. On 15 October 2015, Ntilikina logged his first EuroLeague minutes, scoring one point in 12 minutes and 16 seconds of play against

KK Crvena zvezda Košarkaški klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-cyrl, Кошаркашки клуб Црвена звезда, ), commonly referred to as KK Crvena zvezda mts for sponsorship reasons or simply Crvena zvezda, is a men's professional basketball Sports club, ...

. He saw the court in 32 contests during the 2015–16 Pro A season, scoring 1.2 points per game, and he was named the league's Best Young Player. In the 2016–17 season, Ntilikina became a key part of the Strasbourg team, as he appeared in 45 games for the team while averaging 19.3 minutes per game. His successful campaign led him to winning his second straight Pro A Best Young Player award.

2017 NBA draft

In April 2017, Ntilikina entered his name into the

. By NBA draft's entry deadline on 12 June, he became one of only 10 international underclassmen to remain in the NBA draft that year. Ntilikina also became one of 20 invitees for the green room on draft night. The night before the draft, Ntilikina played Game 4 in the LNB Pro A Finals with SIG Strasbourg before traveling to

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

to participate in the draft personally. After that night, he played his last game with SIG Strasbourg with them losing the LNB Pro A Finals to

Élan Chalon Élan Sportif Chalonnais, commonly known as Élan Chalon, is a French professional basketball club that is based in Chalon-sur-Saône, France. The team's main colors are red and white, and their mascot is a moose. The team's home arena is called ...

. During the build-up to the draft, there was heavy speculation that the

would select Ntilikina with the ninth overall pick. The Mavericks' owner

Mark Cuban Mark Cuban (born July 31, 1958) is an American billionaire entrepreneur, television personality, and media proprietor whose net worth is an estimated $4.8 billion, according to ''Forbes'', and ranked No. 177 on the 2020 ''Forbes'' 400 list ...

was quoted as saying that the Mavericks wanted a "pass-first point guard" and said "We can maybe go a little bit more for a project", both of which Ntilikina fit the bill for. When the Knicks ended taking Ntilikina with the eighth pick, the Mavericks chose point guard

Dennis Smith Jr. Dennis Cliff Smith Jr. (born November 25, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended North Carolina State University for one season of college basketba ...

Ntilikina was also rumoured to be coveted by the Knicks' front office and coaching staff, with whom he met in person.

New York Knicks (2017–2021)

On 22 June 2017, Ntilikina was selected by the

with the eighth pick in the

. On 5 July, Ntilikina signed with the Knicks. He was the second youngest active player in the NBA during his rookie year behind

Ike Anigbogu Christopher Ike Anigbogu (born October 17, 1998) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Birmingham Squadron of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for one season with the UCLA Bruins. As a freshman, he was ...

. Ntilikina made his NBA debut on 19 October 2017, in a 105–84 loss to the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

. He scored his first points on 28 October against the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...

in a 107–86 win. He recorded nine points, two rebounds, five assists and a steal during the Knicks' home opener. On 15 January 2018, Ntilikina recorded his first double-double with 10 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, two blocks, and a steal in a 119–104 win over the

. On 24 January 2018, he was selected to represent Team World for the

Rising Stars Challenge The Rising Stars Challenge is a basketball exhibition game held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) on the Friday before the annual All-Star Game as part of the All-Star Weekend. The current format to be used in 2022 includes first- and ...

during the

2018 NBA All-Star Weekend The 2018 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 18, 2018, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2017–18 season. It was the 67th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at Staples ...

. His rookie season in New York was considered by many as underwhelming, and was often claimed to be a

draft bust A draft is a process used in some countries (especially in North America) and sports (especially in closed leagues) to allocate certain players to teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players. When a team sele ...

. Ntilkina was limited to 43 games in his second season due to injuries. Heading into his third season, Ntilikina was coming off a strong performance in the

2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 18th tournament of the FIBA Basketball World Cup for men's national basketball teams. The tournament was hosted in China and was rescheduled from 2018 to 2019, becoming the first since 1967 FIBA World Ch ...

. In the early part of the season, Ntilikina took over starting point guard duties and began to show great signs of defense. On 23 November 2019, Ntilikina racked up six steals in a 111–104 loss to

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

. However, like his previous two seasons, he struggled to shoot the ball and eventually was demoted in favor of Elfrid Payton.

Dallas Mavericks (2021–present)

On 16 September 2021, Ntilikina signed with the

. He made his debut on 21 October 2021, in a 87–113 loss to the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...

, playing four minutes.

National team career

Ntilikina averaged 7.4 points, 2.0 assists, 1.6 rebounds, and one steal per game, en route to winning the 2014 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship with the Under-16 French Junior National Team. He was spectacular in helping France's Under-18 national team win the

2016 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship The 2016 FIBA U18 European Championship was the 33rd edition of the FIBA U18 European Championship. The competition was originally scheduled to take place in Samsun, Turkey, from 30 July to 7 August 2016, but was postponed indefinitely due to the ...

, scoring 31 points, including 7-for-10 from three-point range, in the championship game against the Under-18 Lithuanian team. He averaged 15.2 points, 4.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.2 steals a game in the tournament, draining 50 percent of his field goal attempts, including 58.6 percent of his shots from long distance, en route to Most Valuable Player honors. Ntilikina dished out a game-high eight assists, to go along with 13 points and four rebounds, at the FIBA European Under-18 All-Star Game, in September 2015. Ntilikina helped France win a bronze medal in the

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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, 43 , , 16 , , 21.0 , , .337 , , .287 , , .767 , , 2.0 , , 2.8 , , .7 , , .3 , , 5.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 57 , , 26 , , 20.8 , , .393 , , .321 , , .864 , , 2.1 , , 3.0 , , .9 , , .3 , , 6.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 33 , , 4 , , 9.8 , , .367 , , .479 , , .444 , , .9 , , .6 , , .5 , , .1 , , 2.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, 58 , , 5 , , 11.8 , , .399 , , .342 , , .960 , , 1.4 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , .1 , , 4.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 269 , , 60 , , 17.9 , , .371 , , .331 , , .775 , , 1.8 , , 2.3 , , .7 , , .2 , , 5.2

Playoffs

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, 12 , , 0 , , 10.3 , , .333 , , .300 , , 1.000 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , .7 , , .1 , , 1.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 15 , , 0 , , 8.5 , , .320 , , .286 , , 1.000 , , .8 , , .6 , , .5 , , .1 , , 1.5

References

External links

*
Frank Ntilikina
at euroleague.net * *
Frank Ntilikina
at lnb.fr {{DEFAULTSORT:Ntilikina, Frank 1998 births Living people 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup players Basketball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Black French sportspeople Dallas Mavericks players French expatriate basketball people in the United States French men's basketball players French people of Rwandan descent Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics National Basketball Association players from France New York Knicks draft picks New York Knicks players Olympic basketball players of France Olympic medalists in basketball Olympic silver medalists for France People from Ixelles Point guards SIG Basket players Sportspeople from Strasbourg Black Belgian sportspeople Sportspeople from Brussels