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PAUL EBOUA

Born February 15, 2000, Cameroon, Stellazzurra Rome, Italy

Paul Eboua has come a long way from his arrival in Italy from Cameroon, and he has turned into an NBA prospect. He developed his game at the esteemed Italian academy Stellazzurra Rome, playing at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament two seasons. In 2019-20, Eboua played for Pesaro in the Italian first division. There are two articles about Eboua. The first was published on the website for the 2018 ANGT Kaunas and the second appeared on heinnews.com in February 2019.

From Cameroon to Belgrade, Stellazzurra's Eboua emerges as top talent

Ask Paul Eboua about the challenges he faces nowadays and they are drastically different from the ones the U18 Stellazzurra Rome prospect tackled when he first joined the Italian basketball academy.

Eboua is a tantalizing talent as a 2.03-meter small forward with a wingspan of 2.22 meters. He played a major role in Stellazzurra beating U18 Zalgiris Kaunas at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Kaunas and reaching the final, where the team lost to U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius. A native of Cameroon, Eboua, who turned 18 years of age in February, averaged 14.8 points and 11.0 rebounds - including 23 points and 15 rebounds in the big win over Zalgiris, the Kaunas team's first-ever loss in the ANGT Kaunas tournament. That performance helped Stellazzurra gain a wildcard entry to the ANGT Finals in Belgrade, where the Roman side will appear for the second time.

"We are coming for wins. We want to win it. This is not arrogance, but it is what we want," said Eboua, who along with Stellazzurra has been drawn into Group B of the ANGT Finals along with U18 FC Bayern Munich, 2014 continental champion U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and 2013 winner U18 Divina Seguros Joventut Badalona.

Eboua said the Kaunas tournament was a major learning experience for him and the team.

"The most important thing we learned is that to play this kind of game, first of all we must be tough and very athletic. Exceeding our body limit is the only way," he said. "The second thing is that no game is finished until the end. That may seem trivial, but it is the truth. When two of the best teams in Europe are playing, the game can change at any minute, second or action on the court. It's easy to remember that when you are up by 20 points, but it's more important to remember when you are down 20."

Eboua has been a major attraction for pro scouts as he continues to develop as a high-level prospect. But he also knows there is a lot of work to be done.

"On the court, my biggest challenge is to stay concentrated. I'm working a lot every day with the staff on doing this. I know this is a very important step for me," he said. "Off the court, my challenge is to be a professional player, but also a professional person. I don't want anything special, but to just be a very good person."

Eboua's challenges have changed quite a bit since he first arrived in the Italian capital in the summer of 2015. Back then, he left his family, including an older brother and two younger sisters, to come to Europe - without speaking Italian or English. Eboua said he had not even seen an airport before his journey to Italy.

One of his saviors in the early days of his European odyssey was fellow Cameroonian Jordan Philippe Bayehe, who used to play with Stellazzurra.

"Jordan for me is like a real brother. We went to Italy together and he helped me every time when I had difficulties," Eboua said. "I can't imagine myself here without him."

Eboua talked to Bayehe in Cameroon about what to expect in Italy after his new friend had already been to Stellazzurra on a tryout.

"I was happy and excited, but also a little scared because I understood that I was close to changing my life," Eboua said.

The move to Italy also meant a major change in his commitment to basketball. He had only learned about basketball about a year before coming to Italy and said he was practicing only about five or six times a month. That quickly became two practices a day in Rome.

"I started to finally see real basketball with other teammates, opponents and teamwork," Eboua said.

But the beginning was tough with school a challenge because of his initial struggles in expressing himself in Italian combined with intense practices.

"At first I thought I was not going to get there," he admitted.

However, Eboua said he found motivation from his loved ones back in Cameroon: "Whenever I almost gave up, I thought about my family: my parents, my brother and sisters."

Eboua has become an elite prospect with invitations to all the major talent showcases in Europe and the United States. All the while, he continues to change his mindset, developing as not just a talented athlete, but also as a hard-worker and a leader on and off the court. With the strides he has taken recently, the future appears very promising for Eboua.

https://www.adidasngt.com/u18/news/latest/i/8oqebmk6mi3xaqy4/from-cameroon-to-belgrade-stellazzurra-s-eboua-emerges-as-top-talent

Basketball a series of firsts for Stellazzurra star talent Eboua

ROME (heinnews) - Paul Eboua wows you first with his physical tools. The Stellazzurra Basketball Academy Rome forward is 2.00m (6-foot-7) and stretches out his impressive 2.22m (7-foot-3) wingspan. Then you look at his game and see a lot of potential as a long term wing.

And then you learn that Eboua only started playing basketball seriously in the summer of 2015 and it all gets more interesting.

Eboua, who only turned 17 on February 15, was born in the Cameroon capital Yaounde and grew up in Douala - the country's largest city. He arrived in Rome in the summer of 2015 when Stellazzurra brought him over to Italy into their academy.

"I moved to Rome because Stellazzurra wanted me to play basketball. So, my life was changed," Eboua said.

Eboua left the northern Central African country with an older brother and two younger sisters back home. And it was a series of firsts to come.

One of the keys to Eboua getting through the move was fellow Cameroonian Jordan Philippe Bayehe, who is also with Stellazzurra.

"Jordan for me is like a real brother. We went to Italy together and he helps me every time when I have difficulties," Eboua said. "I can't imagine myself here without him."

Eboua said he spoke with Bayehe in Cameroon before coming to Italy after Bayehe had already been to Stellazzurra on a tryout.

"He explained to me what I would find in Rome in Stellazzurra. I was happy and excited but also a little scared because I understood that I was close to changing my life."

He said things have been so much easier with Bayehe around.

"Like the first time when we went in Europe. We took a flight from Africa with a stop in Istanbul and it wasn't easy for me to find the new connection. It was the first time that I saw an airport."

He has enjoyed his time in Rome thus far.

"I think in Europe I have more chances to develop myself. I like the life here but more than anything else, I think it's the perfect place for me to become a better player every day."

Eboua said he only learned about basketball about a year before coming to Italy. He said he was practicing only about five or six times a month - a drastic change to Rome where he started practicing twice a day.

"I started to finally see real basketball with other teammates, opponents and teamwork etc," said Eboua.

"I love to play basketball. In particular because it's one way to stay together with my friends. For me to be part of a team is like living with brothers."

Giacomo Rossi, the sports director of Stellazzurra, said Eboua is coming along excellently off the court.

"He is great. He speaks Italian perfectly now. He also speaks French and a little English. In school he is okay," Rossi said. "He is like a big brother to the young kids in the academy."

Of course there are areas for Eboua to improve on the court.

"I think the next step is to be more concentrated during the game," Rossi said.

"He received a good basketball body from god but here he has worked very well on his coordination and nutrition in the last two years.

"He has improved his shot a lot and now he needs to work on his dribbling because he will need that to really play shooting guard or small forward. And on defense, he can already play against the point guard or the big man."

Stellazzurra play a lot of international tournaments, which give Eboua a chance to face off against many of the best teams and players in Europe.

"When I play in this kind of tournament, I am trying to understand at what level I am. For sure, I see that I need to run and jump more than my expectations," said Eboua, who is expected to be one of Stellazzurra's leaders at the up-coming Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade.

Another big event for Eboua was the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic international game in Brooklyn.

"Amazing experience. I saw a lot of good players who were a lot better than me," said Eboua, who collected 2 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in the game.

"One of my memories was missing a big dunk in the game."

When asked who some of the players he looks up to, Eboua said: "Kawhi Leonard. I like how he keeps developing his game. I think he is a monster player."

Eboua also said he loves watching his fellow Cameroonian Joel Emiid.

"Embiid is a very amazing player. I'm sure that he will be one of the best players in all of the NBA," Eboua said.

The talented youngster also said he would love to play for his native Cameroon one day.

"I'm a fan and I hope that we can win something very soon. We could have a good team if all the NBA players would go there," he said. "I hope one day to play for Cameroon."

Eboua was also asked about his goals to which he said: "My goal is to a basketball player at the highest level possible. I know that now I'm not a very good player but I hope very soon to be a good player."

And his dreams?

"My dreams … I prefer not say to anybody … but I have my goals."

http://www.heinnews.com/basketball/nba/basketball-a-series-of-firsts-for-stellazzurra-star-talent-eboua/