Boris Diaw 1

Name : Boris Diaw

Date Of Birth: Apr 16, 1982

Birthplace: Cormeilles-en-Parisis, Ile-de (France)

Height: 6-8 (203cm)

Weight: 250 (113kg)  

Current NBA Status: Under Contract (San Antonio Spurs)

Draft Entry: 2003 NBA Draft

Draft Selection(s): 2003 Round 1, Pick 21, Atlanta Hawks

Current Agent: Doug Neustadt

Free Agent: UFA-2018

Website: http://www.borisdiaw.com/

Born on April 16th 1982, Boris comes from a sporting family.  Boris spends his childhood in Mont-de-Marsan, where his mother plays in second division, then Pessac, when Elizabeth becomes a PE and sports sociology professor at the Bordeaux 3 University. The Talence and Pessac playgrounds become Boris and Martin’s world. After several clubs in Gironde, Boris joins the JSA Bordeaux to play at a good 

level.

After passing through the CERHN of Mont-de-Marsan, he joins the Toulouse CREPS. Boris gets noticed more and more on the court and plays with the France-under 16’s. Very fast he is scouted by Lucien Legrand to join INSEP. At this French basketball pole, in 1999, Boris plays alongside his future friends Tony Parker and Ronny Turiaf. After successfully graduating from high school, and winning the European championship with the French junior team led by Pierre Vincent, Boris starts his professional career at Pau.

Boris Diaw's father Issa Diaw  was a Senegalese high jump champion and now is a lawyer there. Half of Diaw's family lives in Senegal. His middle name, Babacar

Elizabeth Riffiod

Elizabeth Riffiod Boris Diaw's mother

was an international basketball player and captain of the French team (247 caps) and is considered to be one of the best pivots in the history of female basketball

After her playing career, she was a biology professor at the University of Bordeaux

Her son Boris Diaw also is a professional basketball player, having competed for several European and NBA teams

Riffiod,  retired from teaching at the University of Bordeaux, where she was a biology professor and basketball coach. She will still be the president of Diaw’s charitable foundation.

For 13 seasons, Riffiod played professional club basketball and participated in international competitions.

From article back to 2007

Diaw & his brother

Boris Diaw remembers playing pickup games with his mother, Elizabeth Riffiod, several years after she stopped playing center for the French national team.

“She was beating me really easy when I was so young,” Diaw said Thursday in a telephone interview after practice in Phoenix, where he is a reserve for the Suns. “Once I got a little size and quickness and could have beaten her,” he added with a laugh, “she stopped playing with me.”

A mother knows when it is time to step away. Still, even when Diaw grew to match her 6-foot-2 height as a teenager, Riffiod could not envision that he would reach the N.B.A.

“It wasn’t something I had as a goal for him,” Riffiod said 

Now Riffiod follows Diaw’s progress in the Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs over the Internet, agonizing play by play. “I cannot put up with that level of torture at that hour,” Riffiod said.

Or, if the games are broadcast live, she will awaken at 3 a.m. to watch Diaw with the sound muted so she will not hear commentators drone on and possibly criticize her son.

After a breakout season last year, the 6-8 Diaw won the league’s most improved player award, then signed a $45 million contract extension. But he has been inconsistent this season, and his playing time decreased when center Amare Stoudemire returned from injury

Diaw,  never saw her play, but he remembers her uniforms from the 1970s hanging in her closet. 

“I want to be like my mom, but more like her career and the way she did it than how she plays,” Diaw said, reciting how Riffiod won six French club championships. Although competitive in the European championships, France never qualified for the Olympics while she played

He and his mother say that Riffiod gained recognition as the first woman in France to shoot a

jump shot. She learned the skill at 20 from watching a videotape of Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics with her teammates in Paris at the French National Institute for Sports and Physical Education, known in France by its acronym, Insep.

Riffiod was a quick study. As a child, she was prohibited to play sports because of a type of anemia. In her first year at the University of Besançon, a teacher noticed her size and agility and directed her to Insep. By then, Riffiod said her blood condition had gone away.

At the sports university, she met Issa Diaw, a high jumper from Senegal. The couple were a contrast but Riffiod said she never experienced bigotry because of her mixed-race relationship. “As athletes, we were given a free pass,” she said.

Playing basketball was her full-time job, she explained, and she was paid by her country to train and compete, leaving no time to think about starting a family. Finally, Riffiod decided to quit, and she and Issa had two sons, Boris and Martin, who is four years older.

She and Issa never married, and when he returned to Senegal (where he is a lawyer), she taught and raised her children as a single parent.

“I think all her life was a sacrifice,” Diaw said

His brother, Martin Diaw, played basketball for Division II's California University of Pennsylvania . now he is  player for the JSA Bordeaux

Martin Diaw

Cormeilles-en-Parisis

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Diaw and fellow French NBA star and Spurs teammate Tony Parker are long-time friends and former

roommates. Diaw was the best man at Parker's wedding to actress Eva Longoria.

Boris Diaw photographer

Article back to 2012

It started with a family trip to Senegal, years ago. 

It ended with a PR campaign throughout France and parts of the United Kingdom and Germany. 

In between there were numerous African safaris and an internship with National Geographic. 

This is the tale of a basketball player, Boris Diaw, and his first love: photography. 

Diaw  discovered his talents for snapping shots on a 2003 trip to Senegal, when he was visiting his father. He bought a beginner camera and took pictures of family, friends and the country. His face still lights up when he tells of a trip a year later on his first African safari where his interest in photography blossomed. 

"I love animals and being able to take back the memories of being in the wild and seeing all this wildlife happening, not being in a zoo," he said

While snorkeling off Zanzibar

snapping this during a storm near his home in Bordeaux, France

Boris Diaw captures his mother in Botswana

Boris Diaw, captain of the French national basketball team, merged his interests in fashion, photography and sports, as he directed a photoshoot to celebrate the launch of Nike’s new French Football Federation away kit. Boris tapped athletes and friends from the fashion world to take part in the shoot, which showcased his interpretation of Nike’s “La Silhouette-Blanche” and the new uniforms.

According to the brand the new kits are Nike’s “most elegant and

enviromentally friendly kits ever.” The uniform takes design inspiration from French fashion, while maintaining the brand’s commitment to performance benefits and lower environmental impact. The away shirt features a white base, with blue stripes on the cuff of each sleeve to represent the iconic French design of the Marinière. The shirt’s constructed collar also echoes French style with a long placket and a bonded tape around the edge of the collars. Each kit is made using an average of 13 recycled plastic bottles.

Among the featured athletes who modeled the gear were Steve Nash, Diaw’s former Phoenix Suns teammate, former American track and field Olympian, Carl Lewis, French skateboarding star, Alex Olson, French rugby player, Fulgence Oeudraogo and Lauren Boulleau, who plays for the French Women’s national football team. In the black and white photo shoot, the new threads were styled with a fashionable flair. The uniforms were paired with high-fashion

pieces including heels, skirts and suits to highlight French elegance and the design innovation of the new kit.

About his life not much but take this for an example

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On July 17, 2006 "article "

Boris Diaw is posing for pictures. He's already showed his trademark smooth style to the cameras capturing his every dunk and fade-away for the game, but now he's being asked to do something he's not used to…yell. "Give us your angry look," the photographer says, wanting the ultra-cool and laid back star of the Suns to scream for the lens. Diaw tries, but halfway through his yell, the big man starts to laugh. This makes his brother Martin, playing the role of Johnny Drama to Boris' Vincent Chase, almost fall out of his seat as he heckles his little brother from afar.

Diaw breaks his smile and goes Bobby Knight for the camera, letting out an uncharacteristic roar, then bursting out in a laugh after nailing the look his photographer was after for what looks like the cover shot of NBA Live 07. That's right, while T-Mac will be seen on the game's cover in the U.S., rumor has it, it will be the league's Most Improved Player (along with Tony Parker) on the cover in France.

I learned a lot about the NBA through playing videogames like Live diaw said . When you play as a team, you can put in combinations of players you never see on TV and you never know who is going to be your favorite player. You get to know a lot of players you might not know otherwise. 

Do you play a lot of videogames against other NBA players?

Boris Diaw: We have a PlayStation 2 and an Xbox setup in our locker room. We don't play that much in the locker room because when you get home, you can just play online. We also play a lot of the older arcade machines. Tony Parker has some cool machines at his house. I've been playing games for a long time. Lakers vs. Celtics was the first basketball game I remember playing. Growing up, the Lakers were my favorite team. I wanted to be like Magic, and then all of a sudden using the videogames, I could play as him and control him. It was great.

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 Pau-Orthez seasons 2001 -2002 -2003

From 2001 to 2003, Diaw played for Pau-Orthez of the LNB Pro A. In 2002, 

(2000-01): Named 2001 Pro A Newcomer of the Year playing first season for league champion Pau Orthez.

Year	Team
2000-01	Pau-Orthez

		FG		2pts		3pts		FT		Rbds
G	Min	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	O	D	Tot	As	PF	To	St	BS	Pts
27	14.4		56				40		74.4			2.7	1.6			3		4

Boris Diaw passe décisive. (2001)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XghGv_CKH0o

Pau-Orthez season -2002


(2001-02): Playing about 21 minutes per game, averaged 7.7 points and 4.7 rebounds. Played in the league’s All-Star Game and won the slam dunk contest. Won the silver medal at the 2002 European Under-20 Championship

Year	Team
2001-02	Pau-Orthez

		FG		2pts		3pts		FT		Rbds
G	Min	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	O	D	Tot	As	PF	To	St	BS	Pts
29	21		57				23		65			4.7	2			2		7.8

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In 2003: diaw at the European Championships in Lithuania Hopes

diaw at European Championships

		FG		2pts		3pts		FT		Rbds
G	Min	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	O	D	Tot	As	PF	To	St	BS	Pts
6	114	9/20	45	9/18	50	0/2	0	10/14	71.4	10	17	27	4	14	8	7	3	28

His best game against Russia

		2pts		3pts		FT		Rbds
Match	Min	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	O	D	Tot	As	PF	To	St	BS	Pts
vs RUS	27	6/8	75	0/0	0	2/4	50	3	3	6	1	5	4	0	1	14

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Pau-Orthez season -2003


(2002-03): Saw playing time increase to about 25 minutes per game this season through the first 23 games of the season. Averaged 7.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Tallied 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting vs. Gravelines. Posted 11 points and 13 rebounds in win over Nancy.

Winner of the Coupe de France (2002 and 2003) with Pau-Orthez

year 2003

		FG		2pts		3pts		FT		Rbds
G	Min	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	O	D	Tot	As	PF	To	St	BS	Pts
27	25.2		54				42		55			5.3	4.2			2		7.3

A three-year member of Pau Orthez, France's top league team, Diaw averaged 6.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 93 games...With an increase in playing time this past season he totaled 7.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 23 contests and connected on 59.6 percent of his shots.At the age of 16 began participating in France's lower divisions (winning a gold medal at the 2000 European Championships) until a promotion to Pau Orthez prior to the start of the 2000-01 campaign...In his first season, he was named 2001 Pro A Newcomer of the Year for Pau Orthez as they took home the league championship...With a 7.7 scoring average in year two he was selected to play the league's All-Star Game and won the slam dunk contest... Also played two seasons for Centre Federal, previously known as INSEP, the French National Institute for Sports and Physical Education. 

Boris Diaw training video 2003

http://video.lequipe.fr/video/basket-hand-volley/rushes-entrainement-boris-diaw-juin-2003/?sig=iLyROoaft33S& 

Career Highlights: Now a member of France’s Senior National Team. Has been a member of the French Junior National Team, winning the gold medal at the 2000 European Championship. Also played in the 2000 Under-20 European Championship and the 2000 Albert Schweitzer Tournament. Has steadily progressed through France’s lower divisions and was promoted to France’s top league with Pau Orthez for the 2000-01 season. Previously played two seasons for Centre Federal, previously known as INSEP, the French National Institute for Sports and Physical Education. Jerome Moiso of the Charlotte Hornets also played there.

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Atlanta Hawks seasons (2003 2004) - (2004 2005)

Season ( 2003 - 2004 )

Diaw was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 21st overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft

On Saturday, June 28, 2003

Atlanta Hawks: This could be the finest draft the Hawks have had in years. With 6-foot-9 point guard Boris Diaw-Riffiod, the Hawks can afford to play Jason Terry at shooting guard. Travis Hansen is a sleeper from the second round who could be solid

On July 10, 2003, he signed a multi-year deal with the Hawks $3,292,920 for 3 years

Strengths: Athletically there isn't much Diaw doesn't posses with superior leaping ability, length, and quickness ... An underrated post passer who might be the best at his position ... Has the defensive skills that NBA team's love such as foot speed, long arms and quick hands ... Shows the ability to be a solid offensive rebounder on put backs ... Excels in the open court where his athleticism allows him to finish with flair... Unselfish although almost to a fault he looks constantly for open teammates ... Possesses amazing body control and combined with his basket skills to make some impressive drives to the basket... Even when the defense adjusts, his creativity allows for impressive finishes in traffic ... When aggressive, he can be a explosive scorer around the rim on dunks ... Diaw's long arms and quick hands enable him to be a threat to steal the ball and disrupt passing lanes ... Plays the game with poise and maturity no matter what the situation ... Does a good job of using the baseline to gain the advantage over the defense on quick lay-ups ... Fundamentally he is very sound and able to do a multitude of tasks well... Makes solid court decisions when the ball is on his hands ... Team player who does all the little things that donl show up on the stat sheet... Has excellent court vision rarely seen at his position

Weakness: Needs to improve on his upper body strength ... Offensively Diaw must focus on becoming more aggressive ... Perimeter shooting remains a very underdeveloped part of his game ... Struggles to make the 3-point shot with consistency ... Diaw has yet to learn how to drawl fouls from opposing defenders on a consistent basis ... Added improvement of his ball handling could enable him to take defenders off the dribble more efficiently ... Lacks the consistency to shoot off the dribble ... Confidence has a tendency to wavier at times ... Doesn't always finish in the lane after contact occurs ... Has few post up skills to take advantage of height mismatches of opposing defenders ... Should work on improving at moving without the ball as he has a habit of watching ... Doesn't play with the intensity level many coaches look for as Diaw approach's the game with a laid back demeanor... Needs to display more effort on the court consistently ... Sometimes he will defer to teammates instead of looking for his shot 

Season ( 2003- 2004 ) statistics

		FG		2pts		3pts		FT		Rbds
G	Min	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	O	D	Tot	As	PF	To	St	Bs	Pts
76	1918	140/313/	44			6/26	/23	56/93/	60	111/	231/	342	182	191	126	59	37	342

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Atlanta Hawks season (2004 - 2005)

Boris Diaw's salary :  $1,021,080

 Carter Performs Complicated Dunk Around Airborne Boris Diaw (2003)

Season ( 2004 - 2005 ) statistics

		FG		2pts		3pts		FT		Rbds
G	Min	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	O	D	Tot	As	PF	To	St	Bs	Pts
66	1201	124/294/	42			9/50	/18	57/77/	74	54/	116/		149	123	87	37	18	314

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2005 EuroBasket

statistics for 2005 EuroBasket

		FG		2pts		3pts		FT		Rbds
G	Min	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	O	D	Tot	As	PF	To	St	BS	Pts
7	219	42/76	55.3	35/60	58.3	7/16	43.8	5/26	19.2	13	24	37	24	18	23	7	9	96

Eurobasket 2005 Greece vs France Semifinal

His best game against bosnia 

		2pts		3pts		FT		Rbds
Match	Min	M/A	%	M/A	%	M/A	%	O	D	Tot	As	PF	To	St	BS	Pts
vs BIH	36	8/12	66.7	1/2	50	4/10	40	5	2	7	7	1	1	2	3	23

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