Eli John Ndiaye Faye Bio
Eli John Ndiaye Faye is a Senegalese-Spanish professional basketball player who plays as a power forward. He currently competes in the National Basketball Association system for the Atlanta Hawks, on a two-way contract with the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League. Standing 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) tall and weighing 95 kg (209 lb), he developed through the Real Madrid youth system and later contributed to senior titles in Spain and Europe before pursuing his NBA opportunity.
Early Life and Background
Eli John Ndiaye Faye was born on 26 June 2004 in Guédiawaye, a densely populated suburb of Dakar in Senegal. Growing up in a country where basketball has grown steadily alongside football, he showed an early aptitude for the sport, drawing attention from international academies before reaching his teenage years.
In 2017, at just 13 years old, Ndiaye left Senegal and joined the Real Madrid youth academy, one of the most respected development programs in European basketball. The move marked a decisive step in his career, immersing him in a structured, high-tempo environment designed to prepare players for the senior level.
He quickly adapted to the Spanish system, helping Real Madrid’s youth teams lift the 2018 Minicopa, a prestigious under-age title organized by the Spanish Basketball Federation. During the summer of 2020, he obtained Spanish citizenship through naturalization, allowing him to be registered without occupying a foreign-player slot on senior rosters.
Path to Basketball
Ndiaye’s progression through the Real Madrid junior ranks was steady and well documented. In the 2020-21 season, he was a key player on the junior squad and participated in the 2021 Adidas Next Generation Tournament, where he earned several MVP honors. That same stretch, he contributed to Real Madrid’s run to the Spanish Super Cup, signaling his readiness for the next step.
He also played a role in winning the 2021 EB Next Generation Tournament and was named the event’s Most Valuable Player, an award that highlighted his growing reputation across Europe. These junior achievements positioned him as one of the top young forwards in the Spanish pipeline and accelerated his transition to senior basketball.
Eli John Ndiaye Faye Career
Early Career (2021-2022)
Eli John Ndiaye Faye began his senior career with Real Madrid B, the club’s Liga EBA subsidiary, during the 2021-22 season. The reserve team offered him a chance to play regular minutes against grown men, an important bridge between the academy and the professional first team.
Even while playing for Real Madrid B, Ndiaye had already debuted with the senior squad in the EuroLeague in September 2021 against Fenerbahçe, stepping in while Edy Tavares was on paternity leave. That appearance made him the seventeenth young player to debut for the senior team under coach Pablo Laso, a testament to the club’s trust in his development.
Real Madrid Breakthrough (2022-2025)
During the 2022-23 season, Ndiaye became a regular member of Real Madrid’s first team in the Liga ACB, earning consistent rotation minutes in one of Europe’s strongest domestic leagues. His expanded role coincided with one of the most successful periods in the club’s modern history.
With Real Madrid, he won a EuroLeague championship in 2023, three Liga ACB titles in 2022, 2024, and 2025, a Spanish Cup in 2024, and three Spanish Super Cups between 2021 and 2023. Playing alongside seasoned veterans and under demanding coaching staffs, he refined his interior defense, rebounding, and screen-game fundamentals while learning how to contribute on a contender.
Atlanta Hawks Era (2025-Present)
On July 3, 2025, Eli John Ndiaye Faye signed a two-way contract with the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association, formalizing his move from European basketball to the NBA system. Under the deal, he was assigned to the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate based in College Park, Georgia.
His NBA debut, however, was delayed when he underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum. He was waived on December 31, 2025, having appeared only for the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League. The Hawks organization retains ties to his development, and his contract record with the team begins in 2025.
Driving Style and Strengths
Ndiaye is a power forward whose game is built around physical interior play, rebounding, and defensive versatility. He is comfortable operating in the pick-and-roll, setting hard screens, and finishing around the rim, while his length allows him to contest shots and protect the rim in team defensive schemes developed during his years at Real Madrid.
Notable Events and Milestones
His most prominent milestone came in 2023, when he helped Real Madrid capture the EuroLeague title, the highest club competition in European basketball. Earlier, in 2021, he was named MVP of the EB Next Generation Tournament, signaling his arrival as a top European prospect.
Eli John Ndiaye Faye Career Wins
Eli John Ndiaye Faye has compiled an impressive collection of titles for a player of his age, primarily earned during his three seasons as a rotation member of Real Madrid’s senior squad. His resume includes top-level European and Spanish honors before his transition to the NBA G League in 2025.
Real Madrid Highlights
With Real Madrid, Ndiaye won the 2023 EuroLeague championship, a crown jewel of European club basketball. He also lifted three Liga ACB titles in 2022, 2024, and 2025, the Spanish Cup in 2024, and three Spanish Super Cups in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
His first senior Spanish title came with the 2021 Spanish Super Cup, won while he was still attached to the junior ranks, while his most recent senior title was the 2025 Liga ACB championship, secured before his move to the United States.
Other Wins and Performances
On the youth stage, he won the 2021 EB Next Generation Tournament with Real Madrid’s junior squad and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. He also contributed to the 2018 Minicopa win during his earliest years in the Real Madrid academy.
Eli John Ndiaye Faye Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Detailed public information about Eli John Ndiaye Faye’s parents and extended family is not widely available in verified sources. He was raised in Guédiawaye, Senegal, before relocating to Spain in 2017 to join Real Madrid’s youth program at age 13.
Personal Life
Ndiaye holds dual Senegalese and Spanish nationality, having obtained Spanish citizenship through naturalization in 2020. There is no public record of a spouse or children. He is known professionally by his full name, Eli John Ndiaye Faye, and continues to be identified by that name across official team and league records.
2025 Season Performance
Eli John Ndiaye Faye’s 2025 campaign represented a major transition year, moving from Real Madrid, where he had just won the Liga ACB title, to the Atlanta Hawks organization. He signed a two-way contract with the Hawks on July 3, 2025, and was assigned to the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League to begin his adjustment to American professional basketball.
His season was cut short by a torn labrum that required season-ending surgery, preventing him from making his NBA debut during the 2025-26 campaign. He was waived on December 31, 2025, having appeared only for the Skyhawks in the G League.
Despite the injury setback, the 2025 season advanced his development within the NBA system and connected him to the Hawks’ coaching and medical staff. His outlook going forward depends on full recovery from surgery and renewed opportunities to compete at the G League or NBA level.