Sidy Cissoko (/ˈsiːdi sɪˈsoʊkoʊ/ SEE-dee sih-SOH-koh; born 2 April 2004) is a French professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for the NBA G League Ignite.
| No. 25 – San Antonio Spurs | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward / shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 2 April 2004 Saint-Maurice, France[1] |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA draft | 2023: 2nd round, 44th overall pick |
| Selected by the San Antonio Spurs | |
| Playing career | 2021–present |
| Career history | |
| 2021–2022 | Baskonia |
| 2021–2022 | →Iraurgi SB |
| 2022–2023 | NBA G League Ignite |
| 2023–present | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2023–2024 | →Austin Spurs |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Early life
editCissoko's father, Yaya (or Yakia), was a basketball player who represented Senegal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.[2] Growing up in France, Sidy played basketball from a young age and looked up to Kyrie Irving, seeing as he was shorter than the rest of his teammates at the time.[3] He reached the under-15 level with CTC Center Essonne.[4]
In 2017, at 13 years of age, Cissoko moved to Spain and joined the youth ranks of Baskonia.[5][6] In 2020–21, Cissoko played with the Baskonia reserves in the fourth-tier Liga EBA and averaged a team-leading 17.4 points per game.[7][8] He also led the Baskonia junior (under-18) team to a fourth-place finish in the junior national championship while leading the competition in points and assists.[5]
Professional career
editCissoko was called up to the Baskonia first team ahead of the 2021–22 ACB season.[9] On September 26, 2021, Cissoko made his senior debut for Baskonia at the age of 17, playing 28 seconds in a 72–61 loss to Joventut Badalona.[10][11] This allowed Baskonia to retain his European rights.[12]
A few days after his debut, Cissoko was loaned out to Baskonia's satellite club, Iraurgi SB, in the second-tier LEB Oro.[13] He averaged 10.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 32 games played.[12][13] Cissoko trained with the Baskonia first team as well; he later said he learned a lot from watching Wade Baldwin IV.[3]
Cissoko was invited to play in the 2022 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon, recording three points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in 23 minutes for the World Team in a 102–80 loss to Team USA.[5][14]
NBA G League Ignite (2022–2023)
editOn July 19, 2022, it was announced that Cissoko had signed with the NBA G League Ignite, a developmental team affiliated with the NBA G League.[15] Cissoko became the first European player to sign with the Ignite.[12] He pointed to the success of 2022 lottery pick, Dyson Daniels, who played at the NBA Global Academy in Australia before spending the 2021–22 season with the Ignite.[15] At the time of his signing, Cissoko was ranked as the third-best European prospect in his class by Jonathan Givony of ESPN, behind countrymen Victor Wembanyama and Rayan Rupert.[15]
Cissoko was one of four Ignite players chosen to compete in the Rising Stars Challenge at the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend, recording one rebound, one assist and one steal for Team Jason in a 40–32 loss to Team Joakim.[16][17] He was also one of 24 players named to the G League's inaugural Next Up Game.[18]
On January 16, 2023, Cissoko scored a then-season-high 21 points in a 141–119 defeat to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.[19] In another loss to the Mad Ants the following day, he scored 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three.[20] Cissoko had five straight games of 20 or more points in February and March.[21] This included a season-high 24-point performance, along with six rebounds and four assists, in a 123–97 loss to the Memphis Hustle on February 24.[22] Cissoko tied his season high with 24 points against the Sioux Falls Skyforce on March 15.[23]
For the 2022 - 2023 regular season, Cissoko played in 28 games with the G League Ignite and averaged 12.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists while playing 29.3 minutes per game.[24]
On March 29, 2023, Cissoko announced he was entering his name in the 2023 NBA draft.[3]
San Antonio / Austin Spurs (2023–present)
editCissoko was selected with the 44th overall pick of the draft by the San Antonio Spurs. On July 27, 2023, he signed with the Spurs.[25]
He was immediately assigned to the Austin Spurs during his rookie season. He played 4 games with the Austin Spurs during the Tip-Off Tournament and averaged 9.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 27.0 minutes in those 4 games before finally having his NBA debut on November 20, 2023. In his debut, Cissoko played for 4 minutes and recorded no stats other than 1 turnover as the Spurs suffered a 25-point loss to the Los Angeles Clippers (99 - 124).[26]
Cissoko struggled shooting-wise in the NBA, shooting 1 for 7 FGs in his first 8 games. He gracefully turned this around and in the final 4 games of his rookie season, shot 15 for 26 FGs.[27]
Most of Cissoko's rookie season would be spent in the G-League. In his regular season debut with the Austin Spurs on December 28, 2023, Cissoko recorded 22 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in a 118 - 117 victory over the South Bay Lakers.[28]
He went on to average 15.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 29.3 minutes per game while the Austin Spurs finished with a 20 - 14 record and finished as the 7th seed, thus missing the playoffs.
National team career
editCissoko played for the France national under-18 team at the 2021 FIBA U18 European Challengers. He averaged 7.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.4 steals per game. At the 2022 FIBA U18 European Championship the following year, Cissoko averaged 11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.4 steals per game.
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league |
NBA
editRegular season
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | San Antonio | 12 | 0 | 11.7 | .485 | .083 | .800 | 1.8 | .8 | .6 | .3 | 3.8 |
| Career | 12 | 0 | 11.7 | .485 | .083 | .800 | 1.8 | .8 | .6 | .3 | 3.8 | |
References
edit- ^ "Sidy Cissoko" (in Spanish). Liga ACB. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "Basketball - Babacar Sané is getting closer to the NBA". Sud Quotidien (in French). October 29, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022 – via AllAfrica.
- ^ a b c Gómez Mira, Noelia (March 29, 2023). "Sidy Cissoko, un ex de Baskonia rumbo a la NBA: "Creo que no iré al Mundial, me presento al draft"". Relevo (in Spanish). Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "Toutes les saisons du joueur CISSOKO Sidy" (in French). frenchbasketballscouting.fr. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c Gómez Mira, Noelia (February 1, 2023). "Cómo pasar en ocho meses de la LEB Oro al All-Star de la NBA: la proeza de Sidy Cissoko". Relevo (in Spanish). Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ San Martín, Oscar (March 29, 2023). "Sidy Cissoko se presentará al próximo draft de la NBA". Noticias de Álava (in Spanish). Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "Baskonia | Liga EBA 2020/2021" (in Spanish). Spanish Basketball Federation. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ San Martín, Oscar (July 27, 2021). "El canterano Sidy Cissoko también se irá cedido al Iraurgi". Noticias de Álava (in Spanish). Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ Aroca, Jon (August 16, 2021). "Los jóvenes Hanzlik, Savkov y Cissoko harán la pretemporada con el Baskonia". El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "Triunfo de prestigio del Joventut frente al Baskonia (72-61)" (in Spanish). Liga ACB. September 26, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Gazapo Ramos, Ruben (September 27, 2021). "Sidy Cissoko debutó con el Baskonia en Badalona". Baskonistas (in Spanish). Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ a b c Álvarez, Guille (July 20, 2022). "De la LEB Oro a la G-League: Sidy Cissoko opta por la nueva vía formativa de la NBA". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Romero, Pablo (July 10, 2022). "2021/22: La energía azpeitiarra llegó de la mano del talentoso escolta Sidy Cissoko" (in Spanish). Spanish Basketball Federation. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "XXIII Annual Nike Hoop Summit -- 2022". USA Basketball. April 11, 2022. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ a b c Givony, Jonathan (July 19, 2022). "NBA draft prospect Sidy Cissoko signs with G League Ignite program". ESPN. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ "Ignite Set For Exciting NBA All-Star 2023 Slate" (Press release). NBA G League Ignite. February 7, 2023. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Taylor, Cody (February 17, 2023). "NBA Rising Stars: Jose Alvarado named MVP to lead Team Pau to title". Rookie Wire. USA Today. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Coles, Joe (February 7, 2023). "Neemias Queta, Frank Jackson and Scoot Henderson selected to play in G League Next Up Game". Deseret News. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "Mad Ants Use Big First Quarter To Top Ignite" (Press release). NBA G League. January 16, 2023. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "Mad Ants Hold Off Late Ignite Rally For Sweep" (Press release). NBA G League. January 17, 2023. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ Scotto, Michael (March 18, 2023). "2023 Aggregate NBA Mock Draft: Scoot Henderson stays at No. 2, Cam Whitmore moving up". HoopsHype. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "Ignite Defeated By Hustle, 123-97" (Press release). NBA G League Ignite. February 24, 2023. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "Ignite Falls Short in Hard-Fought Battle Against Skyforce" (Press release). NBA G League. March 15, 2023. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ https://stats.gleague.nba.com/player/1631321/?Season=2024-25&SeasonType=Regular%20Season
- ^ "Spurs Sign 2023 Second Round Draft Pick Sidy Cissoko". NBA.com. July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/202311200SAS.html
- ^ https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/cissosi01/gamelog/2024
- ^ <https://stats.gleague.nba.com/game/2022300011//