Boris Babacar Diaw lists Mel Gibson as his favourite actor and that’s appropriate for the NBA rookie is becoming a lethal weapon for the Atlanta Hawks.

A 2.03m star who can play shooting guard or small forward, Diaw scored a career high 10 points as the Hawks posted a 102-96 triumph over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.

Diaw is a player who has looked destined for the big time as he comes from great sporting stock, and he attended INSEP for a couple of years.

INSEP is a Paris academy where promising sports stars of the future combine academic studies with specialist sports training.

Many consider his mother, Elizabeth Riffiod, to be the best centre in the history of the French women's game while his Senegalese father, Issa Diaw, was a high jump champion.

Atlanta haven’t had the best of seasons, but Diaw, the 21st pick in the first round of the 2003 draft, is starting games and receiving a lot of minutes on court.

The abundance of playing time suggests he could be the next player from France to establish himself in the world’s elite league after San Antonio’s dynamic point guard, Tony Parker.

And it also bodes well for France as they look to stay among the best sides in Europe.