Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Mamadi Diakite was born on January 21, 1997 in Conakry, Guinea. He is a forward in the NBA.

Diakite was born in Conakry, Guinea to Aboubacar Sidiki Diakite and Aminata Kaba and was raised as a Muslim. His father was the health inspector general of Guinea and his mother was an obstetrician. Diakite grew up playing soccer in streets and parks but later started playing basketball because of his height and athleticism. Due to the lack of basketball opportunities in Guinea, he tried to draw attention from the United States through Facebook. As a result, Diakite was contacted by Hassan Fofana, a Guinea native and former college basketball player, and with his help joined Blue Ridge School, a boarding school in Saint George, Virginia.

Diakite committed to play for Virginia, turning down offers from several other NCAA Division I programs, including Baylor, USC, and Washington. he Virginia Cavaliers won the game in overtime 85–77, giving Virginia its first ever national championship. At the conclusion of his last season, Diakite was selected to the Second Team All-ACC. After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft, Diakite signed a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.