It was awards day.
Distribution of diplomas.
The day after the end of the regular season, which was marked in particular by the maintenance in extremis of Paris Basketball thanks to its victory over Boulogne-Levallois, the National Basketball League celebrated, this Wednesday, the best players in the Betclic Elite.
And many Ile-de-France residents have been honored.
Leader for most of the season - before finally finishing in 3rd place behind Asvel and Monaco - the Boulogne-Levallois club won three trophies, the most prestigious.
Conductor of the Mets collective, as comfortable in the finish as in the organization, the American Will Cummings, 29, won the trophy for best leader and, above all, that of best player, MVP .
A habit for the Mets' top scorer and passer since he was elected MVP of the German championship in 2019 when he wore the colors of Oldenburg.
He is not the only “Mets” rewarded for the evening since Vincent Collet was crowned best coach.
A nice revenge for the one who had been dismissed by Strasbourg in January 2020 and had not coached in a club since.
The trophy was presented to him by Alain Weisz, director of basketball operations at the Mets and his mentor, the one who made him start on a bench at the end of the last century at Le Mans.
👑 The kings of this season of #BetclicELITE!
#LNBextra #TrophéesLNB pic.twitter.com/ycwEauwPr0
– LNB (@LNBofficiel) May 18, 2022
“This award really touches me, confides Collet, at the microphone of BeIN Sports which broadcast the ceremony.
It is always a recognition, especially that the coaches vote for this trophy.
It is always a great pleasure, an honor and a source of pride to be recognized by one's peers.
The other two coaches (Editor's note: Massimo Cancellieri in Limoges and Lassi Tuovi who succeeded him in Strasbourg) also had the winning profile.
But the vote must have been done when we were first in the championship.
As a coach, I question myself all the time.
»
Collet, who won this award for the 5th time after 2001, 2004, 2015 and 2016, also wanted to thank his players.
"There is no good coach without the players," he says.
We managed to get the best out of our squad, I hope we'll show it in these playoffs despite the injuries to David Michineau and Jordan McRae.
The hardest, and I hope the best, is yet to come.
“Start of response next Wednesday with the reception of Pau during the quarter-final first leg of the final stages.
Two other Ile-de-France residents left the evening with a reward under their arm.
The Nanterrien Chris Horton was voted best pivot of the season and the young Ismaël Kamagate received the statuette of best defender.
He succeeds the French international pivot Moustapha Fall and his 2.18 meters.
“I would like to thank my teammates, the staff, my coaches and Jean-Christophe Prat (
the coach
) who bothered me every training so that I learned to lift my arms, laughs Kamagate.
Defense wasn't really my thing but I've always been told that's where I'll do the most damage.
“It is therefore with this status that the young pivot (21 years old, 2.11 m) will fly away in the coming hours for the United States in order to prepare for the NBA Draft.
Nominated for the title of best young player, the Parisian leader Juhann Bégarin was beaten by Victor Wembanyama, the former nugget of Nanterre now at Asvel.
“I am very happy with this 2nd trophy and I hope for a 3rd next year, jokes the one who is only 18 years old.
But before there is the title of champion of France to seek with Asvel.
These are my first playoffs, it's exciting.
»
