Lionel Nathan Kouadio (born 1 September 2001) is an Ivorian basketball player who plays for CB Morón and the Ivory Coast national team. Standing at 1.92 m (6 ft 3+12 in), he plays as shooting guard.

Lionel Kouadio
CB Morón
PositionShooting guard
LeagueLEB Plata
Personal information
Born (2001-09-01) 1 September 2001 (age 23)
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Listed height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Listed weight80 kg (176 lb)
Career information
CollegeDaytona State (2020–2021)
Career history
2021Abidjan Azur
2021–2022Ourense
2021–2022→ Solgáleo Bosco Salesianos
2022–presentCB Morón
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Representing  Ivory Coast
AfroBasket
Silver medal – second place Rwanda 2021
FIBA AfroCan
Silver medal – second place Angola 2023

He has been described as the "future of Ivorian basketball" by some media outlets.[1]

Early and college career

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Kouadio started playing basketball with CO Descartes. He also joined the Basketball Without Borders Africa camp in 2018.[2] Kouadio later played for the LaBase Academy in Abidjan. In August 2020, Kouadio was announced to be part of the incoming class of the Daytona State College basketball team.[3]

Professional career

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In 2021, he returned to Ivory Coast to play for Abidjan Azur in the Ivorian Basketball Championship.[4] He was named the national league's season MVP after averaging 19 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.[1]

On 3 November 2021, Kouadio signed a two-year contract with Club Ourense Baloncesto of the LEB Oro.[1]

He later joined Solgáleo Bosco Salesianos of the Liga EBA, the Spanish fourth tier league.[5] In September 2022, Kouadio was named the MVP of the Conference A Finals after scoring 37 points in the final.[6]

In the 2022–23 season, he played for CB Morón in the LEB Plata.[7]

National team career

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Kouadio has represented the Ivory Coast national basketball team as well as the U18 team. At age 19 on opening day, he was the youngest player on the roster for AfroBasket 2021.[8] [9] He won the silver medal at the 2023 FIBA AfroCan in Angola,[10] and averaged 11.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Kouadio Nathan signe en Espagne". Sport-ivoire.ci (in French). 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  2. ^ "Lionel Kouadio Player Profile, Events Stats, Game Logs, Awards - RealGM". basketball.realgm.com. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Men's Basketball Announces Incoming Class". 19 August 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Nathan Kouadio (Azur) : « Je travaille pour l'équipe nationale »". Sport-ivoire.ci (in French). 17 February 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  5. ^ Región, La (2021-10-31). "El Solgáleo Bosco, ya con Lionel Kouadio, recibe al Betanzos". La Región (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  6. ^ "Lionel Kouadio, el MVP del dulce final de temporada". FEB (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  7. ^ Proballers. "C.B. Moron Roster, Schedule, Stats (2022-2023)". Proballers. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  8. ^ "Lionel KOUADIO at the FIBA AfroBasket 2021". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  9. ^ "AfroBasket 2021 : Lionel Kouadio (Azur) en dernier renfort chez les éléphants - Abidjan.net News". news.abidjan.net (in French). Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Morocco win the 2023 FIBA AfroCan". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  11. ^ "Lionel KOUADIO at the FIBA AfroCAN 2023". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
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