Frank Ntilikina Bio, Salary, Girlfriend, Height, Weight and Body Stats

Quick Facts

Frank Ntilikina is a French basketball star who plays for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He had the first 3 years of his professional career in his home country of France before entering for the 2017 NBA Draft where he was selected in the first round by the New York Knicks.

Frank Ntilikina’s Bio

Frank Bryan Ntilikina was born on July 28, 1998, in Ixelles, Belgium. At age 3, his family relocated to Strasbourg, France where he was raised. He has two older siblings. An early bloomer, Ntilikina began playing basketball as early as age five at the St-Joseph Strasbourg association. At age 15, he joined the youth academy of SIG Basket, a professional basketball club based in Strasbourg and within one year, he helped the team win the French Youth League Championship title in the 2014–15 season. The youngster gained critical acclaim and international exposure when he featured in the 2014 edition of the Jordan Brand Classic.

Professional Career

Frank Ntilikina began playing for SIG Basket on a professional level in early 2015, however, he officially signed a professional contract with the club in December 2015. The 2015–16 Pro A season was his first full season with the club and he helped the team to a second place finish in the league. His outstanding performance during the season equally earned him the LNB Pro A Best Young Player Award. The talented youngster also took part in the “Basketball Without Borders Global Camp” in Toronto, Canada in February 2016.

Ntilikina became an integral part of the SIG basket team in the 2016-17 Pro A season leading the club to another second place finish and also clinching a second consecutive LNB Pro A Best Young Player Award for himself. He declared for the 2017 NBA Draft in April 2017 which marked the beginning of his transition to the United States top-flight basketball league.

He was a first-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft as he was selected 8th overall by the New York Knicks. He penned a contract with the Knicks on July 5, 2017, becoming the second youngest NBA player in the 2017–18 season behind Indiana Pacers’ Ike Anigbogu.

The talented player marked his NBA debut on October 19, 2017, in the Knicks 84-105 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, however, he did not score his first points until October 28 when the Knicks defeated the Brooklyn Nets 107–86. Apparently, Ntilikina has a thing for the Brooklyn Nets as he equally scored his first double-double (10 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal) on January 15, 2018, in the Knicks’ 119-104 victory over the Nets.

Among other highlights of his rookie season, he featured in the Rising Stars Challenge at the 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend. For the 2017-18 NBA season, he made 9 starts in 72 total appearances recording averages of 5.9 points, 3.2 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Salary

Following his drafting, Frank Ntilikina signed a 4-year deal with the New York Knicks including $7,656,840 of guaranteed money and the last 2 years of the contract expected to be team options. He earned a base salary of $3,501,120 in his rookie season (2017-18) which is billed to rise to $4,155,720 for the 2018-19 season.

Family – Mother, Brothers

Ntilikina’s mother, Jacqueline Mukarugema is originally from the West African country of Rwanda. However, she fled the country in the early 90s on the heels of a brutal civil war. She eventually settled in Brussels, Belgium where Frank was born. His father is a Belgian native, however, little is known about him as he deserted the family soon after his birth. At age 3, his mother moved the family to Strasbourg, France where he was raised.

Frank Ntilikina has 2 older brothers, Brice and Yves, from whom he caught the passion for basketball. He has held on to that passion since childhood while his brothers now earn their living in a totally different field, Brice as a surgeon and Yves as a physical therapist.

Who is Frank Ntilikina’s Girlfriend?

Frank Ntilikina has attracted a great deal of attention since joining the NBA in 2017, however, certain aspects of his private life have continued to evade the media. It is currently unknown if the NBA star is dating anyone at the moment and if he is, the identity of his significant other has been kept well under wraps.

Height and Other Body Stats

Frank Ntilikina is 6 feet 5 inches in height and he has a body weight of 86 kg (190 lbs). The NBA star plays both the point guard and shooting guard positions effectively, and also shows some promise in the defense. Among several other physical attributes, he has a long wingspan and has the capacity to defend several positions.

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