How Moussa Diabate benefited from having a veteran like Taj Gibson in the locker room

To start his career, Moussa Diabate was a seldom-used player for the Los Angeles Clippers. Considering he was a second-round pick, it was natural for him to not get played. However, he did not let that discourage him because he worked hard to become a rotation player.

Now, he is enjoying the fruits of his labor because he is a crucial cog in the Charlotte Hornets' system. That is a big deal because it shows that he was ready to work hard, dating back to his Clippers days. He went from a two-way contract with both teams to becoming a starting center for Charlotte.

Moussa Diabate is thankful he learned from a veteran like Taj Gibson

Diabate has become one of the league's most reliable rebounders during the 2025-26 season. he might have only played 26 minutes a night, but he was grabbing 8.7 rebounds per game.He is also quite efficient with his scoring at 7.9 points per game with a 63.1% shooting clip.

Of course, he played with LaMelo Ball, so it was natural for him to be an efficient scorer from the passes he was receiving. That will change in the 2026-27 season without Ball, but Diabate has also improved his game by that point.

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Earlier in his career, Diabate was not getting the minutes he thought he deserved. It was not until the 2024-25 season that he got his shot. Thankfully for him, he had a veteran in Taj Gibson, who gave him the motivation he needed to become a mainstay in the Hornets' rotation.

"Life is gonna hit you in different ways, but guess what? You just gotta keep going because if you don't, who will... Kept showing up; that's how my opportunities came in whatever I did. When I signed, I just kept showing up, and that's what Taj kept on telling me. Shout out to Taj Gibson again," Diabate said on the Make It To Midnight podcast about how Gibson motivated him to become a Hornets regular.

Diabate is now a solid player for the Hornets today and in the future. He is only 24, so he has a lot of time to improve, especially with his offensive game. Diabate is already a strong rebounder, so he will find more ways to make an impact in the long-term future.

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