Moussa Diabaté ( , ; born 21 January 2002) 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 (appro ...

player for the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...

of the

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

(NBA). He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except wo ...

. Diabaté was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top centers in the 2021 class.

Early life and youth career

Born in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...

an and

Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...

n parents, Diabaté started playing basketball at age 12 with Sporting Club Maccabi de Paris. After a few months, he moved to USD Charonne, where his interest in the sport formed, and he later competed for Saint Charles de Charenton Saint Maurice. Diabaté was not allowed into the sports institute CREPS for academic reasons. At age 14, he moved to the United States to advance his basketball career. In eighth grade, he joined the middle school program of

Montverde Academy Montverde Academy is a private college preparatory school in Montverde, Florida, United States, located in the Greater Orlando area. The school is widely known for its athletic programs, particularly soccer and basketball. History The school ...

Montverde, Florida Montverde is a town in Lake County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,655 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Montverde was the location of a Native Ame ...

. At first, he did not speak English and struggled to adjust to the American style of play.

High school career

As a freshman in high school, Diabaté played for Florida Preparatory Academy in

Melbourne, Florida Melbourne ( ) is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is located southeast of Orlando, Florida, Orlando along Florida's Space Coast, named because of the region's proximity to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. The city ...

. For his sophomore season, he transferred to

DME Academy DME Academy DME Academy is a private sports training and educational institution located in Daytona Beach, Florida. Established in 2015 by Mike and Dan Panaggio, the academy offers comprehensive programs for middle school, high school, and post- ...

Daytona Beach, Florida Daytona Beach is a coastal Resort town, resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona� ...

. Diabaté grabbed 30 rebounds in a game against Marshall County High School. As a sophomore, he averaged 17.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. After the season, Diabaté competed for Nightrydas Elite at the

Nike Elite Youth Basketball League The Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, also known as Nike EYBL, or simply EYBL, is a basketball circuit for teams of players aged 17 and under. The circuit was founded in 2010 and is composed of AAU travel teams. Both boys and girls play in the ...

. For his junior season, he moved to

IMG Academy IMG Academy is a University-preparatory school, preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. The organization is set across over 600 acres (243 ha) and features programs consisting of sport ca ...

Bradenton, Florida Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a pri ...

. In December 2019, Diabaté helped his team reach the City of Palms Classic final. He participated in the

Basketball Without Borders Basketball Without Borders is a basketball instructional camp organized by the NBA in conjunction with FIBA. It presents itself as a “basketball development and community outreach program that unites young basketball players to promote the sport ...

Global Camp during NBA All-Star Weekend in February 2020. As a junior, Diabaté averaged 14.5 points and seven rebounds per game. In his senior season, he averaged 14.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, and led his team to a 21–3 record. He was selected to the

McDonald's All-American Game The McDonald's All-American Game is an American all-star basketball game played each year for boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the hi ...

and

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 and girls in the senior class. In 2015, a girl's game was introduced. Th ...

rosters.

Recruiting

Diabaté was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers and are typi ...

s in the 2021 class. On 9 November 2020, he committed to playing

for

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

over offers from

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

and Memphis, among others.

College career

On 20 February 2022, Diabaté was involved in the postgame melee following a 77–63 loss to

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

and appeared to throw punches. He was suspended one game by the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...

for his role in the brawl. Diabaté was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. He averaged 9.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in his freshman season. On 25 April 2022, he declared for the

2022 NBA draft The 2022 NBA draft (branded as the 2022 NBA Draft presented by State Farm for sponsorship reasons), the 76th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual NBA draft, draft, was held on June 23, 2022, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New ...

while maintaining his college eligibility. However, on 1 June 2022, Diabaté announced he would remain in the draft and forego his remaining eligibility.

Professional career

Los Angeles Clippers (2022–2024)

Diabaté was selected with the 43rd overall pick by the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

in the

. Diabaté joined the Clippers'

2022 NBA Summer League The 2022 NBA Summer League, also branded as the NBA 2K23 Summer League 2022, was an off-season competition held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) primarily at the Thomas and Mack Center and Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada on the cam ...

roster. In his Summer League debut, Diabaté scored ten points and seven rebounds in a 94–76 win over the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...

. On July 22, 2022, Diabaté signed a

two-way contract A two-way contract is a professional sports contract that stipulates that an athlete's salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play. This is opposed to a one-way contract that would pay the same salary regardless o ...

with the Clippers. On October 22, 2022, Diabaté dressed for the second game of the season for the 2022–23 Los Angeles Clippers but did not play. The second time he dressed, he played in the team's 5th game on October 27, for 1:47 accumulating an assist, steal, 2 rebounds, a field goal and a free throw against the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

. He posted his first professional double double on November 18, for the

Ontario Clippers The San Diego Clippers are a professional basketball team based in San Diego County, California, that competes in the NBA G League. The team plays its home games at Frontwave Arena. The Clippers began play in the 2017–18 NBA G League season, 20 ...

against the

Salt Lake City Stars The Salt Lake City Stars are an American minor-league professional basketball team. They are a member of the NBA G League, based in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Valley City, Utah, and are affiliated with the Utah Jazz. Before the 2016–17 ...

with 24 points (on 10 for 12 shooting from the field) and 10 rebounds. On December 14, he was named G League Player of the Week for a pair of 20-point/20-rebound efforts. On December 17, in his 8th NBA game, with

Paul George Paul Clifton Anthony George (born May 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "PG-13", he is a nine-time NBA All-Star and six-time member of the ...

Ivica Zubac Ivica Zubac ( ; ; born 18 March 1997) is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Croatian national basketball team. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in ...

Reggie Jackson Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cal ...

and Norman Powell unable to play, he made his first start at home against the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

. Following the season, he was named to the G League's All-Rookie team. He was also named to the postseason

All-NBA G League Team The All-NBA G League Team is an annual NBA G League (G League) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every G League season. The voting is conducted by the league's head coaches. The team has been selected in every season of th ...

third team. On July 14, 2023, Diabaté signed another two-way contract with the Clippers.

Charlotte Hornets (2024–present)

On July 31, 2024, Diabaté signed a

with the

. On November 12, he posted his first NBA double double with 12 points and 15 rebounds against the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...

. In his next outing on November 16 he tallied 12 points and 14 rebounds against the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

for another double double. The game marked Diabate's fourth consecutive game with at least 11 rebounds. On February 9, 2025, Diabaté's contract was converted to a standard three-year NBA deal. The following night he posted a career high 21 points and 10 rebounds against the

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

National team career

Diabaté led

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

to fourth place at the

2018 FIBA U16 European Championship The 2018 FIBA U16 European Championship was the 32nd edition of the Under-16 European Basketball Championship. The competition took place from 10 to 18 August 2018 in Novi Sad, Serbia. Sixteen (16) teams are participating, including 2017 Divisio ...

Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...

, Serbia. He averaged 11.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, recording 16 points and 17 rebounds against

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

in the quarterfinals. At the

2019 FIBA U18 European Championship The 2019 FIBA U18 European Championship was the 36th edition of the FIBA U18 European Championship. The competition took place in Volos, Greece, from 27 July to 4 August 2019. Participating teams * * * * * * ''(Automatically qualified as hos ...

Volos Volos (; ) is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about north of Athens and south of Thessaloniki. It is the capital of the Magnesia (regional unit), Magnesia regional unit of the Thessaly Region. Volos ...

, Greece, he averaged 13.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game for

, who came in fifth place. In a group stage win over

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, Diabaté recorded 14 points and 20 rebounds.

Career statistics

NBA

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 22 , , 1 , , 8.9 , , .511 , , .500 , , .625 , , 2.3 , , .2 , , .3 , , .4 , , 2.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 11 , , 0 , , 5.8 , , .526 , , , , .643 , , 2.2 , , .4 , , .5 , , .1 , , 2.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Charlotte , 71 , , 8 , , 17.5 , , .596 , , .000 , , .595 , , 6.2 , , .8 , , .6 , , .6 , , 5.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 104 , , 9 , , 14.4 , , .581 , , .125 , , .603 , , 4.9 , , .6 , , .6 , , .5 , , 4.7

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2021–22 , style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 26 , , 24.9 , , .542 , , .214 , , .619 , , 6.0 , , .8 , , .3 , , .9 , , 9.0

References

External links

Michigan Wolverines bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diabate, Moussa 2002 births Living people 21st-century French sportsmen Basketball players from Paris Black French sportspeople Charlotte Hornets players French expatriate basketball people in the United States French men's basketball players French sportspeople of Guinean descent French sportspeople of Malian descent Greensboro Swarm players IMG Academy alumni Los Angeles Clippers draft picks Los Angeles Clippers players McDonald's High School All-Americans Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players NBA players from France Ontario Clippers players Power forwards