One random summer evening, 12-year-old Sekou Doumbouya — a soccer striker by day and devoted friend by night — left the pitch where his local club team in north-central France was practicing for a new activity. A teammate had invited Doumbouya to attend his ensuing basketball practice, to “show me what he could do,” as Doumbouya recalls ⁠— except the offer was delivered in French and with a touch of swagger.



At the time, basketball was foreign to Doumbouya, a sport that was more than a few bullet points down the list of preferred pastimes. Soccer reigns supreme for most in France, and that was no different for Doumbouya. Still, he tagged along for an extended hangout session.



Doumbouya watched as the team ran through routine basketball motions. Based on his stature alone, though, Doumbouya looked like he should have been on the court, not sitting off to the side and picking the grass off of his cleats.



Eventually, the coach...