It appears that the basketball world has discovered its next big thing. Victor Wembanyama may be dominating headlines right now but there is another big man in Europe who could take his title. 13-year-old Mahamadou Landoure is already 6’9”, possesses fantastic footwork and just had his first breakout game.
Real Madrid’s teenage center from Mali joined the Spanish Basketball Academy in 2021. Born on May 10, 2009, Landoure played hoops in his home country before making the move to Spain. He played for Barcelona before switching allegiances to Real Madrid.
Mahamadou Landoure’s breakthrough game
Landoure starred for Real Madrid in the 2023 Endesa Mini Cup, an U-14 tournament. The tournament allows Spanish teams to showcase their youth players ahead of the men’s Copa del Rey final. NBA players such as Luka Doncic and Ricky Rubio have previously competed in the youth tournament.
The teen played 34 minutes in the final against rivals Barcelona in front of 8,630 fans. By halftime he had 24 points and 15 rebounds but Real were down 36-45. Landoure took things up a notch in the second half, finishing with and incredible 56 points, 33 rebounds and 5 blocks plus the win for Real Madrid.
Landoure’s stats and impressive play earned him tournament MVP honors. He finished with averages of 19.2 points and 17.4 rebounds across five games. The youngster was dominant in the paint, showing an impressive array of post moves that included hook shots, spin moves and crafty layups. His footwork allowed him to get easy buckets on offense while his length made him an imposing figure on defense.
Shaq’s rave reactions to Mahamadou Landoure
Landoure’s performance went viral with 4-time NBA Champion Shaquille O’Neal sharing the teen’s incredible stats on Instagram.
Barstool Sports’ Bobby Reagan took one look at the stats and labelled Landoure “the most dominant player in the world”.
Professional shooting coach Chris Matthews aka Lethal Shooter reacted with three head-exploding emojis.
His highlights drew plenty of praise from basketball fans around the world.
One person commented, “Wow he has footwork for a big man.”
A viewer was taken back by the rebound count, “33 rebounds. Yo WTF?!”
Another added, “Moves well and not a twig.”
Madrid appear to be doing the right thing, “Real Madrid basketball team just producing generational basketball talent”
One even joked: “This is who the Los Angeles Lakers are saving that 2029 pick for.”
The NBA’s next hottest prospect?
Landoure still has some way to go before he becomes basketball’s next big thing. He’ll hope to follow in the footsteps of Victor Wembanyama who looks set to become the NBA’s biggest international superstar. The Frenchman is expected to be drafted first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft and has been the most hyped player since LeBron James.
If Wembanyama comes anywhere close to meeting the lofty expectations placed upon him, he could very well be the blueprint for Mahamadou Landoure.
