Zaccharie Risacher Bio
Zaccharie Risacher is a French professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 6 feet 8 inches tall and listed at 200 pounds, he plays the small forward position and wears jersey number 10. He was selected with the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, becoming the second consecutive French player to hear his name called at number one. In his debut NBA season, Risacher earned a place on the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2025.
Early Life and Background
Zaccharie Risacher was born on 8 April 2005 in Málaga, Spain, where his father, Stéphane Risacher, played professional basketball for Baloncesto Málaga from 2002 to 2006. After his father’s playing stint in Spain ended, the family returned to Lyon, France. Through his father, Risacher is of Martiniquais descent. He grew up surrounded by the rhythms of professional basketball, which shaped his early interest in the sport.
Risacher began playing organized basketball at a young age, first joining the youth setup at Élan Chalon at three and a half years old before moving on to the youth club Tassin in the suburbs of Lyon. In August 2020, he entered the youth program of ASVEL Basket, one of the most prestigious clubs in French basketball. He featured primarily for the club’s youth team in the LNB Espoirs, the French under-21 league, where he began to attract attention for his size and shooting touch.
Path to Professional Basketball
Risacher’s rise through the French basketball system was steady and well-guided. After establishing himself in the ASVEL youth ranks, he made his senior debut with LDLC ASVEL in 2021, appearing in a LNB Élite match against Metropolitans 92. He later made his EuroLeague debut on 18 January 2022 in a loss to Monaco, gaining valuable experience against top European competition. Across the LNB Espoirs that year, he averaged 12.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, a sign of the production he would soon bring to senior basketball.
On 16 June 2023, Risacher signed his first professional contract with ASVEL and was immediately loaned out to fellow top-flight club JL Bourg for the 2023–24 season. He was named to Team France for the LNB All-Star Game on 29 November 2023, and he also played in the Nike Hoop Summit that year. His performances in the EuroCup with JL Bourg, where the club reached the Finals, helped position him as one of the most promising prospects in Europe.
Zaccharie Risacher Career
Early Career (2020–2021)
Risacher’s competitive career began in the ASVEL youth system in 2020, where he trained and played in the LNB Espoirs. The structure of the ASVEL academy gave him daily access to high-level coaching and senior players, helping him adjust to the physical demands of professional basketball. His progress in those early years laid the foundation for a smooth transition to senior competition.
By 2021, he was already knocking on the door of the first team. His exposure to veteran teammates and demanding training sessions prepared him for the pace and intensity of the LNB Élite. The decision to integrate him into senior basketball, even in limited minutes, reflected the club’s belief in his long-term potential.
LDLC ASVEL Breakthrough (2021–2023)
During the 2021–22 season, Risacher split his time between ASVEL’s senior squad and the youth team, balancing EuroLeague minutes with strong Espoirs production. The 2022–23 campaign brought a major milestone, as ASVEL won the LNB Élite championship in 2022 and followed it up with a Leaders Cup title in 2023. He also became an LNB All-Star in 2023, recognition that confirmed his status as one of the top young talents in French basketball.
JL Bourg Loan (2023–2024)
Risacher’s loan to JL Bourg for the 2023–24 season gave him a starring role in the LNB Élite and the EuroCup. In April 2024, at 18 years and 362 days old, he was awarded the EuroCup Rising Star prize, becoming the second-youngest player to win the award, just a month older than Džanan Musa when he claimed it in 2018. He also led JL Bourg to the EuroCup Finals, where the team fell to fellow French side Paris Basketball.
On 12 May 2024, Risacher was named the Best Young Player of the 2023–24 LNB Élite season, having averaged 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 22 minutes per game. Those numbers, paired with his late-season surge, convinced NBA scouts that he was ready for the next step. He announced his entry into the 2024 NBA draft on 22 April 2024, with the NBA confirming his declaration on 2 May.
Atlanta Hawks Era (2024–Present)
On 26 June 2024, the Atlanta Hawks selected Risacher with the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft. He became the second consecutive Frenchman taken at number one, following Victor Wembanyama in 2023, and the fifth international player to be chosen first overall. He signed his rookie contract with the Hawks on 6 July 2024 and made his Summer League debut six days later, recording 18 points, five rebounds and two assists against the Washington Wizards.
Risacher opened his regular season on 23 October 2024 with seven points and one rebound in a win over the Brooklyn Nets. By 6 November, he was already showing his scoring ceiling, putting up a then career-high 33 points in a victory over the New York Knicks. On 30 March 2025, he set a new career high with 36 points in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks, joining Allen Iverson, LeBron James and Anthony Edwards as the only number one picks with 35-plus points and five-plus three-pointers in a game as rookies. He pushed that mark to 38 points on 10 April 2025 in another win over Brooklyn. He made his playoff debut on 18 April against the New York Knicks, and the Hawks were eliminated in six games.
Driving Style and Strengths
Risacher is best described as a catch-and-shoot small forward who is equally capable of scoring off screens and from the mid-range. His size allows him to shoot over smaller defenders, while his mobility helps him slide across multiple positions. Coaches have praised his versatility, particularly his ability to defend both guards and forwards depending on the matchup.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in Risacher’s career include the 2022 LNB Élite championship with ASVEL, the 2023 Leaders Cup title, the EuroCup Rising Star award in 2024, and his selection as the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft. He also set a Brooklyn Nets opponent record of 38 points during his rookie season and joined an elite group of number one picks with his 36-point outburst against the Bucks.
Zaccharie Risacher Career Wins
Across his time in the LNB Élite, EuroCup and NBA, Zaccharie Risacher has built a résumé defined by team trophies and individual recognition. With ASVEL he captured an LNB Élite title in 2022 and a Leaders Cup in 2023, and at JL Bourg he led the club to the EuroCup Finals in 2024. On the individual side, he earned the EuroCup Rising Star honor, the LNB Élite Best Young Player award, an LNB All-Star selection and a place on the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2025.
LNB and EuroCup Highlights
Risacher’s LNB résumé includes a championship in 2022, a Leaders Cup title in 2023 and an All-Star nod the same year. In the EuroCup, he helped JL Bourg reach the 2024 Finals and was named the competition’s Rising Star at just 18 years old. His LNB Élite production during the 2023–24 loan, 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, was strong enough to earn him Best Young Player honors.
Other Wins and Performances
Risacher represented France at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup, where he averaged 10.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game and helped the team win a bronze medal. He also debuted for the France senior national team on 23 February 2024 against Croatia and later featured in EuroBasket 2025 qualifying games and the EuroBasket 2025 tournament.
Zaccharie Risacher Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Basketball runs deep in the Risacher family. His father, Stéphane Risacher, played professionally in Europe, including a four-year stint with Baloncesto Málaga in Spain, and won a silver medal with the France national team at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Through his father, Zaccharie is of Martiniquais descent, giving the family roots in both metropolitan France and the Caribbean.
Personal Life
Risacher’s younger sister, Aïnhoa Risacher, is also a professional basketball player and currently plays for LDLC ASVEL Féminin of the Ligue Féminine de Basketball. The siblings share a household shaped by basketball, with both having grown up watching their father compete at the highest levels of the French game.
2025 Season Performance
Risacher’s 2024–25 rookie campaign was a major individual success, even as the Hawks finished outside the league’s top tier. He set multiple career highs in the months after the All-Star break, including his 33-point game against the Knicks, his 36-point performance against the Bucks, and a 38-point finale against the Nets in April. By the end of the regular season, those scoring outbursts had cemented his place on the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Atlanta matched Risacher with playoff experience in April 2025, drawing the New York Knicks in the first round. He made his postseason debut on 18 April, but the Hawks were eliminated in six games, and his minutes were limited to 7.7 per game across the series. The short playoff run gave the rookie an early taste of postseason basketball and clear areas to attack in his development.
Heading into the 2025–26 season, expectations are built around Risacher’s shooting efficiency and defensive versatility, the two traits that defined his first year. With another year of NBA strength and conditioning under his belt, the Hawks are betting that his late-season scoring form carries over into a more consistent sophomore role. Continued growth as a decision-maker and on-ball defender will determine whether Atlanta views him as a long-term building block alongside the rest of its young core.
