Victor Wembanyama reacts to French compatriots being selected with the first two picks in the 2024 draft

The first day of the 2024 NBA Draft was a fine day for France as Zaccharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr were selected with the first and second overall picks, respectively. The Atlanta Hawks brought in Risacher, a move the franchise had tried to keep under wraps until a couple of days before the draft. Meanwhile, Sarr went to the Washington Wizards, as expected.

Last year's No. 1 pick, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs , offered an immediate reaction to the draft results, shouting out France.

The French taking over the league

This year's draft class is believed to be one of the weakest in NBA history, with no prospect being regarded as a consensus No. 1 pick. In the weeks leading up to the event, draft board experts couldn't agree on who the Hawks would select. There were even musings that former University of Connecticut big man Donovan Clingan would get the honor, but he wound up getting selected six picks later.

Atlanta ended up choosing French forward Risacher, who had a similar path to the NBA as Wembanyama after playing in Europe. It's unclear if the Hawks view him as a complementary piece to Trae Young and Dejounte Murray or plan to build the roster around him. Either way, the 2024 EuroCup Rising Star is expected to play meaningful minutes right from the onset.

As for the Wizards, they reportedly have had their sights set on Sarr for a long while. The former standout from Australia's National Basketball League seems to have defensive and outside shooting potential, although that's as far as his comparisons to Wemby go.

One more French prospect taken at No. 6

Another rookie from France was grabbed minutes after Wembanyama's tweet. The Charlotte Hornets appeared to have made a reach with the sixth overall pick by choosing Tidjane Salaun. It's unclear yet what the Hornets saw in the 6-foot-9 forward, but the selection helped make NBA history.

With several French prospects joining compatriot Wembanyama in the NBA, the Spurs star probably has more reasons to be excited about playing in the world's most prominent basketball league.

Interestingly, Wemby wouldn't have to face his fellow Frenchmen that much because most of them suit up for Eastern Conference squads. His draft classmate, Bilal Coulibaly, plays for the Wizards, which would also allow Washington to field a forward pairing of aspiring French stars.

Related: ESPN Draft Expert gives Zach Edey a nice NBA player comparison: "What if Jonas Valanciunas was six inches taller?"