2023-12-09 07:30:57
In the interview at the beginning of the season that he granted to Regió7, from the same editorial group as Diari de Girona, Brancou Badio was questioned about whether evolutions like his game during the last season in Manresa demonstrated the versatility of African players beyond of stereotypes. Until recently, basketball players from this continent seemed to be appreciated only for their physical strength. The Senegalese escort replied that this was true, but that cases like hers “show that every day we can do more and be more creative”. As examples, he named two players, Obi Emegano, who has missed many games due to injury this year in Zaragoza and is already known for his time at Fuenlabrada, and Ike Iroegbu, from Basketball Girona.
He did this at a time when Iroegbu had not yet made quite the impact that he has since. He is the reference player of the Salva Camps team, who can also play in twos and who stands out for his scoring ability and because in the decisive moments all his teammates look for him. A bit like what happened with Badio in some matches in Manresa. This African connection will be one of the attractions of tonight’s derby at Nou Congost.
In fact, if we are to be purists, Iroegbu is not African. As he explained in an interview in this newspaper at the beginning of the year, “my parents are from Nigeria. My father was the eldest of seven siblings and was young when my grandfather died. He had to grow up fast to make the family prosper and was able to go to study in the United States. He is now a lawyer. My mother was also Nigerian, but she lived in Chicago and is a doctor. From an early age I was told that you have to fight to achieve your dreams.”
That’s right, Ike [diminutiu d’Ikenna Ugochukwu] Iroegbu was born almost 29 years ago (March 14th) in the capital of California, Sacramento, but he has kept his roots in mind. He has represented Nigeria at the Afrobasket and also at the 2019 World Cup in China, where the team qualified for the Tokyo Games but did not play. His career is very extensive and he has followed the advice of his parents and has fought in many places.
He tried to enter the NBA after going undrafted, but only managed to play on the Clippers’ development team. He then played in Germany (Jena and Vechta), Lithuania (Lietkabelis), France (Chalon), Israel (Hapoel Galil Elion) and Italy (Treviso) before Marc Gasol called him last summer to play for the ACB.
Its impact has been great. In the pre-season, he perhaps highlighted more the athletic ability of his partner, the pivot Yves Pons, but little by little he has been imposing his quality. Right now, he is the league’s leading total point scorer with 199. Only Markus Howard of Baskonia (16.8 to 16.6), who missed one game, tops him in average. In only two duels has he dropped below 10 points and has just scored 30, with extra time, in the victory against Andorra. Girona’s seventh position is largely explained by their performance.
Brancou Badio, younger, 24 years old, may be in front for many minutes. The Baxi player was indeed born in Africa, specifically in Rufisque, a coastal town on the outskirts of Dakar, the capital of Senegal, and his training never took place in the United States, as is the case with Iroegbu.
Badio trained in Gran Canaria and has enjoyed European basketball ever since, and even more so after becoming part of the Barça squad. He had to leave to become a professional in Frankfurt, in a very different context to the protection offered by a great club like Barcelona, and when he arrived in Manresa, at the end of the 2021-22 season, to play just three games in, it looked like he was going to be there.
But he renewed and his evolution last season was spectacular. He went from being a defensive fixture, a Jerrick Harding rotation, to a generator. In the same interview, he explained that “having gone with the Senegal team to the FIBA windows helped me. I had a leading role there and it strengthened my confidence».
He finished the course like a thunderbolt and now, along with Robinson, he is the star of the team, the man everyone looks for to generate play. Today, the Gorge will experience a duel of African creativity, by birth or by blood. A duel against stereotypes.
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