"It is an opportunity that we did not want to pass up."
Frédéric Donnadieu, the president of Nanterre, savors.
A few days after the announcement of the long unavailability of his Argentinian winger Patricio Garino (muscle injury in the thigh), the club wasted no time and has just achieved a nice blow on the transfer market.
He announced this Wednesday the signing of French rear explosive Adam Mokoka.
The 23-year-old, who traveled back and forth between the NBA and his antechamber, the G-League, between 2019 and 2021, is back in a championship that he has not attended for 3 years.
Mokoka and Nanterre had already been in contact this summer without reaching an agreement.
The Argentine's injury accelerated the situation.
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“We had to react quickly after Pato's injury (
Editor's note: Garino's nickname
), continues Fred Donnadieu who managed the file with his brother Pascal, currently with the France team for the first two qualifying matches for the 2023 World Cup. Since we didn't know how long he would be away, we didn't want to take any risks and we decided to hire Adam until the end of the season. We asked ourselves the question but we found that it was a beautiful symbol to replace a foreign player with a young French. It is an exciting challenge for both parties. He refused offers from abroad to come, that proves his desire. You will probably have to be a little patient with him, but he seems to be in good shape. "
Without a club since the end of his two-season adventure in the NBA - with the Chicago Bulls - Mokoka had been training for several weeks with a dedicated team at his home, in Cergy, where he discovered basketball at the age of 10 on the slats of the parquet floor of the gymnasium of the district of Oaks. A city that he had to leave at the age of 14 to join the Gravelines training center.
"He has a perfect profile for us, he will bring us his toughness in defense, his physique and his skill", announces Frédéric Donnadieu.
Big defender, the double European champion U16 in 2014 and U18 in 2018 with the Bleuets has indeed a devilish address.
In 2020, with the Bulls, he made a smashing entry in the history books of the NBA by scoring 15 points at 100% success in 5 minutes and 4 seconds.
A first since the introduction of the 24-second rule ... in 1954.
His debut under the tunic of Nanterre is scheduled for December 4 for the reception of Roanne.