The New York Knicks selected French forward Pacöme Dadiet with the 25th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft last month. But Dadiet has seemingly yet to get accustomed to his new teammates in New York, particularly when it comes to pronouncing his rather difficult last name.
Knicks guard Josh Hart discussed the team’s incoming draft class on his podcast, the Roommates Show podcast that he hosts alongside teammate Jalen Brunson and Matt Hillman.
When it came to pronouncing his new teammate’s name, Hart had his fair share of struggles…
“With the 25th pick, we got Pacomy Da Diet,” said Hart in a video posted by 50 Nuances Média on X. Pacomy Da Diet…
Matt Hillman then joked about Hart’s mistake, saying that Hart’s pronunciation attempt is “like when you eat healthy”. Hart then further leaned into his incorrect pronunciation.
“Yeah, Da Diet… It’s like, I’m on Da Diet.”
For reference, the correct pronunciation of Pacöme Dadiet is “Pah-Comb” “Dah-Dee-Ay”. The last name, in particular, is pretty on-brand with how you pronounce many French names ending with “t”, using an “Ay” instead of saying the silent “t”.
Jalen Brunson didn’t have similar issues pronouncing Dadiet’s name, saying it perfectly before telling Hart to move on from the topic.
“Okay, Pacöme Dadiet… Got it, next,” said Brunson.
Hart then hilariously objected to Brunson’s correct pronunciation, saying that how Brunson said it “isn’t how it’s spelled”.
“That’s not how it’s spelled,” proclaimed Hart. “Pa-Comb-y Da-Diet.”
To be fair to Hart, he did pronounce Dadiet’s name exactly how it would likely be pronounced if Dadiet was from the United States. It’s just not correct whatsoever… No matter how much he seems to believe that it is.
