While one might wonder how the young Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly, 20, is handling his NBA career in the U.S. so far from home, his parents, Makan and Emma, have come up with a thoughtful plan of taking turns visiting him.
Born on July 26, 2004, Bilal Coulibaly is a teenage boy from Courbevoie, France. He started his professional basketball career at the age of 18 in his home country.
With a towering height of 6 feet 8 inches, the teenage rookie came to the U.S. after his talent caught the eye of the Washington Wizards, who selected him seventh overall in the 2023 NBA Draft last June.
Life isn’t exactly a bed of roses for the 19-year-old Frenchman living alone in America, as his family couldn’t move with him.
His parents did not move to the U.S. right away because of his younger sister, who is still in high school.
So, to assist and support Bilal Coulibaly, his parents decided to take turns visiting the U.S. for weeks at a time.
Bilal Coulibaly stepped into professional basketball at the suggestion of his father!
The young NBA rookie Bilas Coulibaly is the son of French natives Makan, a banker born to Malian immigrants, and Emma, a childcare provider.
Growing up, his father Makan was a big fan of the 1992 U.S. Olympic basketball squad, Dream Team. So, he steered Bilal toward a basketball career, and following the guidance, Bilal started playing and gradually became good at it, which simply escalated his career.
Later, he caught the attention of Paris metropolitan area youth team scouts and eventually made it onto the Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 basketball club roster.
During the 2022-23 season, Bilal Coulibaly played alongside San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama for the Metropolitans 92.
After seeing his outstanding performance, the NBA’s Washington Wizards drafted him in 2023, and he moved to the U.S. at the age of 19.
As per reports, Bilal’s parents had two non-negotiables before his major life shift.
They wanted him to secure the equivalent of his high school diploma before entering the NBA draft, and the second condition was that they would accompany him, even if only part-time.
Talking to the Washington Post, his father said,
Since Bilal Coulibaly’s move, his parents have been moving back and forth from France, spending one or two weeks each month.
Meanwhile, after signing a $6.6 million per year contract with the Washington Wizards, Bilal bought his mother a Mercedes and Louis Vuitton duffle bag.
So, it seems the Coulibaly household has a close-knit bond, supporting one another to grow and succeed.
In case you did not know
- Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly has two sibling sisters who are 16 years old and 28 years old.
- Bilal has an astounding height of 6 feet 8 inches with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. According to some reports, his pregame meal consists of pancakes, eggs, fruit, and hot chocolate.
- The young NBA player is currently single and does not have a girlfriend as of 2024.
