French Teen Sensation Matches Doncic's EuroLeague Debut Feat
Maccabi Tel Aviv began their 2026/2027 EuroLeague season with a 74-84 loss to ASVEL Villeurbanne in Lyon, France. The Israeli team's defeat was overshadowed by the historic debut of 19-year-old ASVEL guard Mac-Adrien N'Goma Podzo Dede. Podzo Dede recorded 14 points and 5 assists in his first EuroLeague game, becoming the first teenager since Luka Doncic in 2018 to achieve such statistics in a debut. He is also the third player in history to do so, following Ricky Rubio in 2010, and the first French player ever to accomplish this feat.
Podzo Dede, the youngest player on ASVEL's roster, was described as having "stolen the show" in the debut of coach Tony Parker. This marks Podzo Dede's first season with ASVEL after developing in the Nancy U21 system, where he also played his first senior games in the 2024/2025 season. He was a key player for France's U19 team at the World Championship last summer, leading them with an average of 12.4 points per game, though the team finished tenth.
Podzo Dede will aim to continue his strong start to the season with the Lyon-based club.
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