Locked-in fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers will remember a magical night on the final night of November in 2022, when a no-name big man on a two-way contract went toe-to-toe with Joel Embiid and won. That player was Mamadi Diakite, and he recently hit the news as he signed with a new team to continue his career.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have received impact performances from multiple alumni of the University of Virginia -- and specifically one particular team that won the National Championship in 2019. Ty Jerome had a breakout season last year and parlayed that into a long-term contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. De'Andre Hunter also played on that team and is a key member of the Cavaliers' roster as a two-way combo forward.
Before Hunter or Jerome ever made their way to Cleveland, however, another member of that Championship team suited up for the professional Cavaliers. Mamadi Diakite, the starting center for Tony Bennett in 2019, went undrafted in 2020 and signed on with a two-way contract to the Milwaukee Bucks. When they waived him a year later, he was claimed by the Oklahoma City Thunder and spent the season bouncing on and off their roster.
Mamadi Diakite had his moment for the Cavaliers
The Cavaliers decided to give Diakite a shot in 2022, signing him to one of their two-way slots alongside Isaiah Mobley. It was a fortuitious decision, as early in the season Jarrett Allen missed time recovering from a back bruise and Kevin Love was out with a broken thumb. This was before the team took flight, with Evan Mobley a thin second-year big man not ready to take on the hulking behemoth that was perennial MVP candidate Joel Embiid.
Rather than go small, therefore, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff started Mamadi Diakite -- himself hardly a bastion in the middle at just 6'9" and around 225 pounds compared to Joel Embiid's seven-foot, 280 pound frame. Bickerstaff rolled the dice on the energetic but inexperienced young big man stepping in against a top-tier foe and holding his own.
Diakite did that and more. He harried Embiid into giving up the ball frequently, and the All-NBA center made only six shots all game, including not attempting a single 3-pointer. Embiid tried to take Diakite in the post and missed shot after shot. In the meantime, the Cavaliers' offense lit up on the other end; Diakite only scored six points, but he was +16 on the night while Embiid was -12. Cleveland was frequently up by more than 30 points and won in the end by 28.
Allen was soon back, and Diakite was back out of the rotation. He wouldn't play more than 13 minutes again until the last week of the season as Cleveland rested its stars. Yet every Cavaliers fan will remember his one magical night where he took on the best and won.
Where is Diakite now?
Mamadi Diakite didn't stick around in Cleveland the following summer, spending time with the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs the following season. Last year he was in the G League but didn't get a call up to an NBA team.
This summer, Diakite decided to take his ball and head overseas. He recently signed with Saski Baskonia, one of the top teams in La Liga ACB in Spain. Baskonia is stocked with former NBA talent, including explosive scoring guard Markus Howard, athletic wing Hamidou Diallo and Latvian forward Rodions Kurucs. Diakite steps in to provide depth on the backline for a team with aspirations of contention.
It's an excellent stop for a player who has been on the fringe of the NBA for his entire career, not quite good enough to earn a full-time spot, not far enough away to give up. Now he can play in the world's second-best league and either earn his home in Europe or find his way back to the NBA.
Perhaps he will recapture another magical moment like the night he beat Joel Embiid.