Real Madrid increased their hegemony in the Minicopa a little more. The white team added its ninth title, the second in a row (9-1 balance in the last ten editions), after beating Barcelona in the grand final played at the Badalona Olympic. And he conquered it, among other things, for the enormous work of Mahamadou Landoure, who scored a historic MVP in the finalin which his team had to come back after a great first half for Barça. Landoure finished with 56 points, 33 rebounds and an 82 PIR.
Born in Djenne, Mali, in 2009, the pivot is the great tower of this tournament for players between 13 and 14 years old with his 211 centimeters, two more than his partner in the area Baptiste Moussa and his 2.09 meters. Only three other players in Badalona exceeded two meters in height.
Landoure was vital as Real reached its tenth consecutive final with 10.8 points and 13.5 rebounds for a PIR of 20. His tops until his explosion in the final, 14 goals in the hectic semifinal against Joventut (65-68), and 17 sacks and 25 credits in the white debut in the championship against Murcia (80-30).
The African interior is a physical marvel that began in Spain in the Spanish Basketball Academy from Madrid after taking his first steps in basketball in Djenne, his hometown, and who does not set limits. His illusion, the best league in the world: “I dream of playing at the highest peak of basketball and why not in the NBA”, he stated in an interview with Afrik.com in February 2022 when it premiered in the Granada Mini Cup… with Barcelona, Madrid’s eternal rival and its rival this Sunday.
Unlike the merengue team, the Malian participated in the Andalusia tournament as a guest of the Catalans, something that is not strange in the Minicopa and that serves in some cases as an access door to settle in the subsidiaries of the ACB teams. And even to start an absolutely magical career, as was the case with Luka Doncic. The Slovenian point guard, current NBA star with the Dallas Mavericks, knocked down the first obstacles in his meteoric career as Madrid’s guest in the 2012 Mini Cup of which he was MVP.
With Shaquille O’Neal as an idolLandoure wants his time in basketball to be similar to that of the great legend of the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA: “He is one of the best players in history and I like his style of play. I watch videos of him very often, when he was still playing and they inspire me a lot for my progress and my learning. I play in his position and I would like to have a great career in his image. It has been a dream since I was a child and I would like to sit down one day and say that I have finally achieved it.
