Small(er) ball: Hornets’ draft picks try hand at pitching with Charlotte Knights
There’s a first time for everything. For Charlotte Hornets first-round draft pick Tidjane Salaun, Thursday night was his first time throwing a baseball — and it just so happened to come in front of a Queen City crowd.
Salaun and second-round selection KJ Simpson tossed opening pitches to begin the Charlotte Knights game, which featured throwback Hornets uniforms, against the Toledo Mud Hens (Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers).
After signing autographs for fans, Simpson and Saluan took the field with first-time jitters, but the No. 6 overall pick was confident he’d toss a strike. Salaun, who had never watched baseball, let alone thrown one, did what he hopes to do this season in purple and teal — deliver in style.
“Never,” Salaun said of throwing a baseball. “But let’s just say, I knew what to do.”
Simpson, who played baseball in his youth, pitched second, and he knows LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and his fellow Hornets teammates will jab at him at Friday’s practice for the result.
“Mine was not that good,” Simpson said, bouncing his pitch to the catcher. “I think I used up my good pitches beforehand, but I know I’m going to hear it from everybody at workouts. But it was a good experience. It felt great to be out there with (Salaun). There were a couple of cheers when we were pitching. Everyone has been nice and supportive of us this upcoming season.”
France to Charlotte
Salaun, one of three French-born players to be selected in the top six picks of the 2024 NBA Draft, just returned to Charlotte from an Olympic experience in Paris. Despite not being featured on France’s national team, which earned a silver medal, there was a Salaun on the floor in Lille.
Janelle Salaun, Tidjane’s sister, has represented the French national team since 2018 and took home silver in a narrow loss to the United States. Tidjane joined his family in Paris for the Games and hopes to have frequent visitors in the United States this upcoming NBA season.
“It was cool. I got to see my sister during the Olympic Games,” Saluan told The Observer. “I saw everybody, my grandmother, aunts, my friends, and everyone.”
With the NBA schedule’s release Thursday, the Charlotte Hornets’ first season under Charles Lee and Salaun’s debut is just over two months away. Donning No. 31, inspired by his sister, Salaun is eager to return to the court after a Summer League experience in Vegas.
“I can’t wait,” Salaun said of his upcoming rookie season. “It’s going to be fun. I can’t wait for my first game.”