Born in Paris, Moussa Diabaté moved to the U.S. at 14 still learning English, worked his way through IMG Academy and Michigan, and was a second-round pick the Clippers never fully used before Charlotte unlocked him. Hornets coach Charles Lee has compared his motor to Dennis Rodman and Ben Wallace, and on January 28, 2026 at FedExForum the 6-10 Frenchman made that case emphatically. With the Hornets cruising against Memphis, Diabaté grabbed a defensive board, pushed the pace, received a perfectly timed outlet pass near the free throw line, took one hard dribble and exploded through traffic for a thunderous running dunk. He finished with 18 points and a career-high 19 rebounds on 9-of-10 shooting in Charlotte's 112-97 road victory. · Jan 29, 2026