Thierry Darlan

Thierry Serge Darlan (born 3 February 2004) is a Central African professional basketball player for the NBA G League Ignite of the NBA G League. He is a graduate of the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal. Darlan also plays for the Central African Republic national team.

Thierry Darlan
No. 84 – NBA G League Ignite
PositionPoint guard / Shooting guard
LeagueNBA G League
Personal information
Born (2004-02-03) 3 February 2004
Bangui, Central African Republic
NationalityCentral African
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight189 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolNBA Academy Africa
(Saly, Senegal)
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2022Petro de Luanda
2023–presentNBA G League Ignite

Early career

Born in Bangui, Darlan joined the NBA Academy Africa at an early age.

Darlan was invited to the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland in 2022, but was forced to miss the game due to an injury. In September 2022, he played at the Basketball Without Borders event in Cairo where was named the camp's MVP.[1][2]

Professional career

First experiences in the BAL (2022)

Darlan made his professional debut in 2022 with Angolan club Petro de Luanda in the Basketball Africa League (BAL). Under the BAL Elevate program, he was assigned to Petro.[3] He was on the roster that made it to the 2022 BAL Finals, where they lost to US Monastir.[4] He averaged 4.3 points and 2 rebounds in the 2022 BAL season.[5]

In the same year, in November 2022, Darlan and the NBA Academy played in the Road to BAL 2023 where they faced professional teams from across the continent. He averaged a team-high 23 points per game, as well as 5.7 assists per game, helping the academy win two out of three games.[6]

NBA G League Ignite (2023–present)

On 2 March 2023, Darlan committed to the NBA G League Ignite, choosing to become a professional player instead of playing in college. He had drawn offers from Arizona, Kansas and Santa Clara, among others.[7] On 25 May, he officially signed with the Ignite.[8]

National team career

Darlan made his debut for the Central African Republic senior national team in 2022 during the 2023 World Cup qualifiers, in which he averaged 12.7 points in three games.[9] He made his debut at age 18 in July 2022 during the third round of the qualifiers, scoring 12 points in the game against Guinea.[10]

Player profile

Darlan is a 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) tall combo guard with a 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) wingspan and is known for his playmaking abilities and defensive versatility because of his large frame.[7][11]

Personal

Darlan is the grandson of Jean Pascal Darlan and the cousin of Bruno Darlan, who both were basketball players.[12]

References
  1. Shaw, Jamie (22 December 2022). "Live Scouting: NBA Academy Africa breakout Thierry Darlan". On3. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  2. "Highly sought-after NBA Academy talents star at BWB Africa camp in Cairo". ESPN.com. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  3. "NBA Academy and BAL give African teens an alternative to soccer". ESPN.com. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  4. Olgário, Marcos (21 April 2022). "É NOTÍCIA: Serge Darlan refere que estar na BAL pelo Petro foi um aprendizado". Bola em Campo (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  5. Proballers. "Thierry Darlan, Basketball Player". Proballers. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  6. "Thierry Serge DARLAN at the Africa Champions Clubs ROAD TO B.A.L. 2023 2022". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  7. "International prospect Darlan picks the Ignite". ESPN.com. 2 March 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  8. "Top International Prospect Thierry Darlan Signs With Ignite". NBA.com. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  9. "FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  10. NBB. "À 18 ans, Thierry Serge Darlan brille sur la plus grande scène internationale - NEWS BASKET BEAFRIKA". NEWS BASKET BEAFRIKA 🏀 (in French). Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  11. "Thierry Darlan, NBA Academy Africa , Combo Guard". 247Sports. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  12. "Serge Darlan keeping up basketball tradition with uncle as CAF head coach". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
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