2023-06-22 06:23:54
With the Draft in sight (this Thursday in New York), Malian pivot Adama Sanogo (21) is only a few hours away from realizing his dream: to play in the NBA. But to get there, the 2023 university champion with Connecticut had to go through several stages to catch the eye of the franchises a little more, and find himself in the best possible situation. A behind-the-scenes look at the process leading up to the “big night”.
Houston, Monday April 4, NRG Stadium. After carrying Connecticut to the national title, Malian pivot Adama Sanogo (21) cuts his part of the net from the hoop, a tradition for champions, and does double duty by winning the title of best player of the March Madness, the college basketball tournament. A first for history, thus becoming the first African to win this double. But the interior of Bamako already has its mind turned towards the future, a sign of its overflowing ambition.
« From the very evening, I had to think about the follow-up to give to my career. I could stay one more year in college, but I’ve been dreaming of the NBA for a long time, so I decided to sign up for the Draft. As soon as I closed my chapter at UConn, I got back into “warrior”, without waiting. It’s my personality, since I arrived in the United States : I always project myself forward, and I felt like I had figured it out in college. The NCAA [le championnat universitaire] was just a step ,” relates Adam Sanogo.
Time for the first tests
On Saturday, he led the procession of his team’s parade in Hartford, in front of more than 50,000 people, celebrated his title with the fans, and enjoyed his last moments as an athlete-student. The following week, he announced his departure from campus, returned the keys to his apartment, and revealed his signature with Alex Saratsis, the powerful agent of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry, in order to put himself in the best position for the intense process. which leads to the Draft.
He didn’t have time to take a breather, and returned to the overalls on April 12, heading to Indianapolis, and the training and performance center of the Octagon agency, whose ranks he joined.
« With other prospects who are targeting the NBA, we worked on everything: the physical, but also the game, with specialized coaches, defensive movements, outside shots, and preparation for the interviews that we go through when the we are doing tests with the different NBA franchises. You have to be ready to answer questions about us, our life, our ambitions and our mentality. This is a crucial point in the process “, he specifies.
Sanogo starts its first tests, “workouts” as they are called on this side of the Atlantic, first in Oklahoma City, then does not hesitate to double its training sessions in view of the first big deadline of the process. leading to the Draft, with the Chicago Combine. A must-attend event for prospects, this three-day event which takes place every year in early May and allows all NBA athletic directors to see all the contenders on the upper floor against each other, and to measure the work already carried out by young people since the end of their university season.
« We all pass the same tests: relaxation, reactivity, we are measured, we are weighed, we do all the physical tests possible. The date [donnée] is central to the NBA, and scouts want to have all the numbers in hand to evaluate us. Then, we make all-terrain oppositions, and we have to get out of the game “, he specifies. Sanogo seduced, and broke the house during the two matches he made, with 18 points and 10 rebounds on average.
From New York to Los Angeles, via Chicago and… the White House
At 40 days from the Draft, the pace does not drop a notch. Sanogo continues his “tour of the United States” to pass specific tests with NBA franchises who want to know more about him. The Malian does not have time to breathe. He accumulates miles, and makes 18 visits to different franchises.
Each team has its specificities, and requires physical and technical tests, but also face-to-face interviews with management, who want to know everything about prospects in which millions of dollars will be invested. ” The field side is quite varied, we are tested on our offensive game, shots from all over the floor, but also the sequence of efforts, because the NBA, physically, is three games a week “, he says, before adding that” the interview part is very interesting, and [qu’]we don’t hesitate to ask you questions about your private life, your background, the difficulties you’ve encountered, and your ability to adapt, because Americans are very demanding about the cohesion of a group. I talked about Mali, the steps that led me to the United States and the fact that I never give up. I am a team player, I repeated that my goal is to make myself available to the collective in all circumstances. I know that I scored positive points on this aspect. »
Sanogo benefits from a 12-hour break in his preparation process for the Draft on May 26, with an express trip to Washington for the reception at the White House of his university champion team, in the greatest tradition of US sports. Captain of the Huskies, he has the honor of giving President Joe Biden a jersey, and talking with him.
« It was just crazy! A young man from Mali who finds himself discussing with the American president, I hallucinated. He told me that he followed me closely and loved my performances. It’s a memory for life he smiles.
The feeling of accomplishment
The parenthesis is short-lived, and the return to the room, and on the planes, is almost immediate. The flight hours to reach the different cities are very numerous, and Sanogo goes from New York to Los Angeles, then to San Antonio in a few days. Recovery between tests and trips is paramount. ” We don’t stop, I don’t really see the weeks that have passed since I started. And I finished on June 20, with a trip to Milwaukee, he breathes. It’s tough, and you have to know how to rest for a few hours, even if the sequence is intense. But, that’s the kind of sacrifice you have to make to open the doors to the NBA. »
A few hours before the big night, Adama Sanogo is serene and has the feeling of accomplishment. While he could have come to Brooklyn to attend the ceremony and see his name called by the president of the league, he prefers to stay in Indianapolis in peace, with a few friends, to spend the evening in a restaurant and live the Draft in his own way.
« I don’t like too much attention, so I decided to stay out of New York. But, I can’t wait for this big night. I will realize a dream and also know where I will play next season. I want to go to a team that will have a solid project for me, regardless of where in the country “, he says. And to conclude: I am proud of my preparation, and I am thinking of my country, and of Malian youth. I want to continue to be a good example for them. I can’t wait to get back to the courts as soon as possible despite two and a half months of rare intensity. »
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