Boubacar Diakite will watch from the sidelines after reclassifying and coming to Queens a year early
The red 22 on the back of his navy blue practice jersey pops as he struts backwards onto the court. He turns around and grins from ear to ear.
Before any of Boubacar Diakite’s teammates join him on the court, he’s already knocked in nine consecutive mid-range jump shots from the corner. Only one touched part of the iron.
Looking at that wide smile, it’s hard to believe that just a few years ago Diakite didn’t speak a lick of English.