Ibou Dianko Badji was born on October 13, 2002, in Dakar, Senegal. He is a Senegalese professional basketball player who mainly plays as a center. He is 2.13 meters (7 feet 0 inches) tall and weighs 109 kg (240 pounds). Badji is right-handed. Badji’s early life and career began when he signed with Spanish basketball club FC Barcelona on December 27, 2018, and began playing in their youth categories. In December 2019, he participated in the U18 FC Barcelona at the ANGT Valencia, where he averaged eight points, 8.8 rebounds, and five blocks per game. He also trained with Barcelona’s main team to prepare for the 2019-20 season. His career history includes stints with FC Barcelona B (2019-2021) and Força Lleida CE (2021-2022). Regarding his draft status, Ibou Badji was not selected in the 2022 NBA draft. Despite not being drafted, he pursued a professional career in the NBA G League and also had stints with NBA teams. His professional career includes stints with the Wisconsin Herd (2022-2023), signing a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers in November 2022, which was renewed in July 2023. He was waived by the Trail Blazers on October 24, 2023, and returned to the Herd six days later. In March 2024, the Trail Blazers transferred Badji from the Rip City Remix (their G League affiliate). He returned to the Wisconsin Herd for the 2024-2025 season. Most recently, on September 30, 2025, Badji signed a training camp contract with the Charlotte Hornets. He appeared in one preseason game for the Hornets, recording two points and three rebounds in 11 minutes, before being waived on October 14, 2025, before the start of the regular season. He is currently a free agent, and his last team was the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League. He is projected to likely join the Greensboro Swarm for the 2025-26 campaign. Ibou Badji has faced some injuries throughout his career. On March 7, 2023, he underwent surgery on his left knee, which sidelined him for at least eight weeks and caused him to miss the rest of the season. In 2024, he dealt with various issues, including a hip contusion in January, lower back pain in April, and left big toe pain in October. He has also represented Senegal internationally. Badji played for Senegal in the 2019 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, where he averaged 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game, ranking second in the tournament. In 2025, he was called up to the senior national team of Senegal to compete in the 2025 Afrobasket in Angola. His NBA G League statistics for the 2024-25 season show averages of 6.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 3.4 blocks per game. His career NBA statistics include 1.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 22 games during the 2023-24 season. He has been recognized for his defensive skills, earning a spot on the NBA G League All-Defensive Team and leading the NBA G League in blocks in 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":636817,"template":"","categories":[1],"class_list":["post-636816","nba-player","type-nba-player","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n