Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabaté dunks against Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Charles Lee praises Moussa Diabaté's growth after career night in Brooklyn

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Ali Jawad | Last updated Feb 11, 2025 2:59 PM ET

Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabaté posted a career-best performance Monday night despite his team's 97-89 road loss to the Brooklyn Nets, notching 21 points before exiting with an injury in the second half.

Diabaté's double-double included 10 rebounds and two blocks, marking a breakthrough moment for the emerging French native and former 2022 second-round pick.

"He's a product of the environment that we're creating ," Hornets head coach Charles Lee said. "It's the coaching staff, his teammates talking to him. He has come in and continues to add a spark, a boost, a competitive spirit which has been great."

career high for the moose @MoussaDiabate_ | @drpepper | @FDSN_Hornets pic.twitter.com/bM0TvcA85A
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) February 11, 2025

Lee emphasized the team's collective role in Diabate's development. "I'm glad to see that he's getting rewarded for it," he said. "The whole team feeds off of that, and I think they are also helping build him up and put him in the positions to be successful."

Diabaté's promising performance was unfortunately cut short last night when he left the game early after suffering a right eye abrasion.

Despite the loss and injury, Diabaté's performance was a bright spot for the Hornets, who fell to the Nets at Barclays Center.

On Sunday, the Hornets converted the former Michigan Wolverine's two-way contract to a standard three-year deal.

In his first season, the 23-year-old forward, across 44 games played, is averaging 5.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game with a 61.6% field goal percentage. He has scored in double figures six times since the new year, including five double-doubles.