For 90 days get to know more about the international faces of the NBA. Day 60 brings…
Hamady Ndiaye (C, Sacramento Kings/Free Agent), Senegal
Height: 2.13 m, 7-feet | Weight: 106.6kg, 235 pounds | Born: 12 January 1987
Home's meant a lot of things to Hamady Ndiaye lately.
The Senegal-born, Rutgers University-educated swat machine has played for no fewer than 10 teams – across two continents – since he went 56th overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2010 NBA Draft. And while Ndiaye's game still remains a work in progress, the following clubs have made room for his 7-foot frame and uncapped potential over the past four years:
(You might want to take a breath)
The NBA's Washington Wizards (2010-12) and Sacramento Kings (2013-14); the NBA D-League's Dakota Wizards and Iowa Energy (2010-12), Maine Red Claws (2012), Reno Bighorns (2013-14) and Delaware 87ers (2014); and the Chinese Basketball Association's Guangzhou Liu Siu Whampoa (2012) and Tianjin RongGang (2012-13)…
…not to mention the surprising Senegal National Team, which clinched its first-ever berth in the FIBA World Cup Round of 16 on 4 September. On the world stage, like teammate Gorgui Dieng, Ndiaye's showing what he can do with extended minutes. He's shooting 65 percent from the floor and swatting 2.2 shots in just 16.2 minutes a night.
It's been enough to bring Senegal into uncharted territory. But after appearing in just 14 games for the Kings in 2013-14, will it be enough to add another team to the list in 2014-15?
Season Highlight
He swatted two shots, with two points and two boards against Utah on 11 December.
Five Things to Know (per nba.com)
1. Ndiaye's fluent in four languages: English, French, Wollof (native to Senegal) and Arabic.
2. He didn't start playing basketball until 16, after spending most of his younger years playing soccer, as a goalie.
3. Ndiaye was named Big EAST Defensive Player of the year as a senior at Rutgers, after finishing his collegiate career with a Rutgers-record 358 blocked shots.
4. He graduated with a degree in communications.
5. After growing up in Senegal, Ndiaye went to America for high school to attend Stoneridge Preparatory School in Simi Valley, California.
Check out Ndiaye's photos and video in the LEAGUE section of NBA Game Time.
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