Cheick Diallo
Cheick Diallo | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 13, 1996 Kayes, Mali |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2015–present |
Cheick Tidiane Diallo (born September 13, 1996) is a professional basketball athlete from Mali currently playing for the Taoyuan Taiwan Beer Leopards in the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL). Recognized as a five-star prospect and honored as the Most Valuable Player of the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, Diallo spent one collegiate season with the Kansas Jayhawks before declaring for the 2016 NBA draft, where he was chosen 33rd overall by the Los Angeles Clippers.
Early life
Diallo’s origins trace back to Kayes, Mali, located approximately a 15-hour drive from the capital city, Bamako. As the youngest among six brothers, he honed his basketball abilities by playing alongside older peers and relatives. In February 2012, Diallo relocated to the United States to advance his basketball aspirations despite having limited English skills. His introduction to basketball began in 2010.
High school career
Through an international recruitment initiative, Diallo enrolled at Our Savior New American School in Centereach, New York. Initially, he was overshadowed by teammate Chris Obekpa, but over time, he developed considerably, gaining acclaim for his shot-blocking prowess, rebounding capabilities, and overall versatility. In 2013, Diallo was invited to participate in the NBPA Top 100 camp and became the first African player to earn MVP honors there. During his junior year in 2014, he averaged 18.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks per contest, leading his team to a 28–3 record and securing a division championship. In his senior season, Diallo posted averages of 17.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game.
Diallo received MVP recognition at the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game after contributing 18 points and 10 rebounds to help the East squad secure a 111–91 victory. Additionally, he was named MVP of the 2015 Jordan Brand Classic, where he tallied 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Ranked as a five-star recruit, Diallo was positioned seventh overall and third among power forwards in the class of 2015. On April 28, 2015, he committed to play for Kansas.
College career
Diallo missed Kansas’s first five games during his freshman year at the University of Kansas due to NCAA eligibility investigations. Clearance came on November 25, 2015, after the NCAA determined that any benefits received were minimal and impermissible. Throughout his sole college season, Diallo averaged 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds across an average of 7.5 minutes per game.
In April 2016, Diallo declared for the NBA draft, choosing to forgo three remaining years of collegiate eligibility. At the NBA Draft Combine, he measured an impressive wingspan of 7 feet 4½ inches along with a standing reach of 8 feet 11½ inches.
New Orleans Pelicans (2016–2019)
On June 23, 2016, Diallo was selected with the 33rd pick by the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2016 NBA draft but was traded that same evening to the New Orleans Pelicans. After averaging 10.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks over five games in the Summer League, he officially signed with New Orleans on July 22, 2016. Diallo made his NBA debut on October 29, logging six minutes off the bench with one rebound and one block.
While his rookie season featured limited playing time early on, Diallo notably scored a career-high 19 points along with ten rebounds during a December 10 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers. On April 11, 2017, he again scored 19 points facing the Los Angeles Lakers, followed by a season finale performance with twelve points and a personal best sixteen rebounds against the Portland Trail Blazers. Throughout his rookie year, Diallo had multiple stints in the NBA Development League with teams such as the Austin Spurs, Long Island Nets, and Greensboro Swarm through flexible assignment provisions.
In the following season (2017–18), Diallo achieved season-best scoring marks with fourteen points on March 9 and seventeen points on March 18 during a victory over the Boston Celtics. On February 6, 2019, he recorded a season-high eighteen points contributing to a win versus the Chicago Bulls. Later that month, Diallo posted sixteen points alongside a career-high eighteen rebounds against the Indiana Pacers, then matched his scoring peak while shooting perfectly in a triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Phoenix Suns (2019–2020)
Diallo inked a two-year deal with the Phoenix Suns on July 23, 2019. On November 24, he achieved a personal best by scoring 22 points during a 114–102 defeat against the Denver Nuggets.
Avtodor Saratov (2021)
On February 2, 2021, Diallo committed to Avtodor Saratov, competing in the VTB United League.
Fuenlabrada (2021)
Diallo became a member of Fuenlabrada in Spain's top division, the Liga ACB, on April 14, 2021.
Motor City Cruise / Detroit Pistons (2021–2022)
Starting November 8, 2021, Diallo joined the Motor City Cruise in the NBA G League, where he averaged 14.4 points with an impressive 71.4% shooting accuracy and grabbed 8.5 rebounds across 13 contests. On December 23, he secured a 10-day contract with the Detroit Pistons under a hardship exemption before returning to Motor City following the contract's conclusion.
Cangrejeros de Santurce (2022)
Diallo signed with the Cangrejeros de Santurce of the BSN on May 1, 2022.
Kyoto Hannaryz (2022–2023)
On July 26, 2022, Diallo joined Kyoto Hannaryz, a team competing in Japan’s B.League.
Return to Cangrejeros de Santurce (2023)
Diallo rejoined the Cangrejeros de Santurce on May 26, 2023. In the preceding season with them, he posted averages of 16.2 points and 13.5 rebounds per game.
Sioux Falls Skyforce (2023)
After signing with the Miami Heat on September 27, 2023, Diallo was waived prior to the start of the 2023–24 season on October 21. Subsequently, he signed with the Sioux Falls Skyforce on October 30 but departed from the squad by November 16.
Return to Kyoto (2023–2024)
Diallo made his return to Kyoto Hannaryz on November 30, 2023.
Osos de Manatí (2024)
On May 25, 2024, Diallo agreed to terms with the Osos de Manatí of the BSN. He delivered strong individual performances throughout the season, often leading scoring efforts as Osos reached their inaugural BSN finals appearance, ultimately falling in a close seven-game series (3–4) against the Criollos de Caguas.
Converge FiberXers (2024–2025)
Diallo was signed by the Converge FiberXers of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) on October 30, 2024, as their import player for the upcoming 2024–25 PBA Commissioner's Cup.
Taoyuan Taiwan Beer Leopards (2025–present)
On August 12, 2025, Diallo joined the Taoyuan Taiwan Beer Leopards competing in Taiwan’s Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL).
Regular season
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| New Orleans | 17 || 0 || 11.7 || .474 || – || .714 || 4.3 || .2 || .2 || .4 || 5.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| New Orleans | 52 || 0 || 11.2 || .580 || – || .758 || 4.1 || .4 || .2 || .4 || 4.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| New Orleans | 64 || 1 || 14.0 || .620 || .250 || .746 || 5.2 || .5 || .5 || .5 || 6.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 47 || 2 || 10.2 || .648 || .333 || .872 || 2.8 || .5 || .2 || .3 || 4.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Detroit | 3 || 0 || 10.2 || .375 || – || .833 || 4.0 || .0 || .3 || .0 || 3.7 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 183 || 3 || 11.9 || .596 || .286 || .774 || 4.1 || .4 || .3 || .4 || 5.2
Playoffs
|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2018 | style="text-align:left;"| New Orleans | 7 || 0 || 6.9 || .417 || – || – || 1.3 || .0 || .1 || .1 || 1.4 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Overall | 7 || 0 || 6.9 || .417 || – || – || 1.3 || .0 || .1 || .1 || 1.4
College
|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2015–16 | style="text-align:left;"| Kansas | 27 || 1 || 7.5 || .569 || – || .556 || 2.5 || .0 || .3 || .9 || 3.0