Noa Essengue
{{Short description|French basketball player}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Noa Essengue
| image = 2024-11-09 ALBA Berlin gegen ratiopharm Ulm (Basketball-Bundesliga 2024-25) by Sandro Halank–055.jpg
| caption = Essengue with Ulm in 2024
| number = 24
| position = Power forward
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 10
| weight_lbs = 200
| father = Johnny Furphy
| league = NBA
| team = Chicago Bulls
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2006|12|18}}
| birth_place = Orléans, Loiret, France
| draft_year = 2025
| draft_round = 1
| draft_pick = 12
| draft_team = Chicago Bulls
| career_start = 2021
| career_end =
| years1 = 2021–2023
| team1 = Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball
| years2 = 2023–2025
| team2 = Ratiopharm Ulm
| years3 = 2023–2024
| team3 = →OrangeAcademy
| years4 = {{nbay|2025|start}}–present
| team4 = Chicago Bulls
| highlights =
| medal_templates = {{MedalSport|Men's basketball}}
{{MedalCountry|{{bku|16|FRA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|FIBA U16 European Championship}}
{{MedalBronze|2022 North Macedonia|Team}}
}}
Noa Essengue (born December 18, 2006; {{IPA|fr|nɔɑ əsɛnɡe}}){{cite AV media |publisher=Skweek | title=Noa Essengue: A dream in the making |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a61WzIk6-Ok |date=16 November 2024 |time=00:00:30 |via=YouTube}}{{cite AV media |publisher=Goatoguy | title=Get to know - Noa Essengue |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox3a-9friY0 |date=5 April 2024 |time=00:00:16 |via=YouTube}} is a French professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Professional career
Essengue was born in Orléans and played for the youth department of Orléans Loiret Basket as a child.{{cite web|url=https://www.larep.fr/orleans-45000/sports/noa-essengue-pepite-du-basket-originaire-d-orleans-convoque-en-equipe-de-france-a-17-ans_14581451/|title=Sports - Noa Essengue, pépite du basket originaire d'Orléans, convoqué en équipe de France à 17 ans|work=La République du Centre|date=October 17, 2024|access-date=October 30, 2024|language=French}} He began his professional career playing for Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball, a team affiliated with INSEP, in Nationale Masculine 1 (NM1).{{cite web|url=https://www.bebasket.fr/noa-essengue-entre-lasvel-et-ulm-noah-manet-vers-lyonso|title=Noa Essengue entre l'ASVEL et Ulm, Noah Manet vers LyonSO|first=Gabriel|last=Pantel-Jouve|website=BeBasket.fr|date=June 9, 2023|access-date=October 30, 2024|language=French}}
Essengue signed with Ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) on July 21, 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.bebasket.fr/le-prospect-noa-essengue-choisit-ulm-plutot-que-lasvel|title=Le prospect Noa Essengue choisit Ulm plutôt que l'ASVEL|first=Alexandre|last=Lacoste|website=BeBasket.fr|date=July 21, 2023|access-date=October 30, 2024|language=French}} He spent most of his first season assigned to OrangeAcademy, Ulm's developmental team.{{cite web|url=https://www.swp.de/sport/sport-ulm-alb-donau-kreis/orange-academy-in-der-pro-b-essengue-energie-reicht-nicht_-ulmer-verlieren-ueberraschend-73212593.html|title=Essengue-Energie reicht nicht! Ulmer verlieren überraschend|first=Christian|last=Kern|work=Südwest Presse|date=March 3, 2024|access-date=October 31, 2024|language=German}} In the 2024-25 season, playing for coach Ty Harrelson at Ulm, Essengue became a "key contributor" for the team, according to FIBA.{{Cite web |date=2025-06-18 |title=Next Big Thing: Noa Essengue continues rise of future French stars |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-eurobasket-2025/news/next-big-thing-noa-essengue-continues-rise-of-future-french-stars |access-date=2025-06-27 |website=FIBA |language=en}}
On June 26, 2025, Essengue was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the 12th pick in the NBA Draft.{{Cite web |title=Chicago Bulls select Noa Essengue No. 12 overall in 2025 NBA Draft|url=https://bulls.com/news/chicago-bulls-select-noa-essengue-no-12-overall-in-2025-nba-draft |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=Chicago Bulls |language=en}}
National team career
Essengue was named to the France under-18 national team to compete in the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket.{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/nba/draft/newsfeed/nba-draft-noa-essengue-ben-saraf-and-ratiopharm-ulm-s-orange-campus|title=NBA Draft: Noa Essengue, Ben Saraf, and Ratiopharm Ulm's 'Orange Campus'|first=Andrew|last=Bernucca|website=SI.com|date=August 20, 2024|access-date=October 30, 2024}} He was named to the senior team for France's EuroBasket 2025 qualifier matches against Cyprus.{{cite web|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Basket/Actualites/Equipe-de-france-la-premiere-liste-de-fauthoux-avec-nolan-traore-et-noa-essengue/1514280|title=Équipe de France : la première liste de Fauthoux avec Nolan Traoré et Noa Essengue (Bleus)|work=L'Équipe|date=October 17, 2024|access-date=October 31, 2024|language=French}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{FIBA|new_id=320237-noa-essengue}}
- [https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Noa-Essengue/Summary/188669 RealGM profile]
- [https://www.proballers.com/basketball/player/249148/noa-essengue Proballers profile]
{{Chicago Bulls current roster}}
{{2025 NBA draft}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Noa, Santiago}}
Category:Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball players
Category:Chicago Bulls draft picks
Category:French expatriate basketball people in Germany
Category:French men's basketball players