Noa Kouakou was named the NextGen EuroLeague Belgrade MVP
Hustler Kouakou turned gut-wrenching losses into motivation
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8 Mins read
Noa Kouakou values the joy of celebrating - like he did with U18 Pole France INSEP Paris at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Belgrade - but deeper inside the French forward is the motivation of two gut-wrenching losses on the biggest of stages in 2024.
Kouakou was a force at both ends of the court for INSEP in Belgrade as the two-time continental champion proved too much for U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in the first-place game. The athletic and versatile forward collected 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in the 74-60 victory and earned the Most Valuable Player award.
“It’s a team title - not just mine. If I am MVP, it’s because of my teammates. If they don’t pass me the ball I can’t score. It’s all the work of the team, not just mine,” said Kouakou, who averaged 15.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.8 blocks for the tournament.
“I am really happy for my team. And proud of myself for doing everything I could to help my team win. And that is what happened. We will just enjoy the moment and then focus on Abu Dhabi.”
And it is in the United Arab Emirates that Kouakou hopes to avenge one of the most bitter losses in his still young career. He is one of six INSEP players back from the team that lost 85-84 to U18 Real Madrid in an overtime thriller in the NextGen Championship Game last season in Berlin.
“I learned a lot of things. Real was a really, really good team. They played good basketball with a really high IQ. They had really good players. The game was really hard physically,” said Kouakou, who contributed 1 rebound in 6:09 minutes of action playing a year younger. “Last year I didn’t have the same role as this year. It taught me that you have to be really consistent the whole game.”
Kouakou then played with his own 2007-born generation last summer at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 in Istanbul, where France was considered a title challenger to the United States, which had never lost a game in the history of the cadet global competition with six undefeated championships.
France held tight with the USA in the first game of the tournament and lost 104-81 but then were surprised by China in the second game. A win over Guinea meant a Round of 16 matchup with Puerto Rico, who ended up shocking the French 91-84 to end the hopes of a rematch against the Americans in the Final. And Kouakou had visions of Real and Berlin all over again.
"The finals will be the real, real games. The real basketball, the real best players."
“It was really the same thing as Real Madrid. The fact that you have to be really consistent the whole game. The game is 40 minutes. It’s not 39 or 38. You have to play 40 minutes and give your whole body on the court,” said Kouakou, who contributed 1 point, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 block in 16 minutes against Puerto Rico.
“The energy that the bench can give us on the court is really important. We could have been better in this aspect than we were in Turkiye - bring more energy.”
Kouakou averaged 6.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in 16 minutes at the U17 World Cup last summer. But those two losses fueled him.
“It’s really extra motivation for me. I have never won a gold medal with the national team or a final tournament with the club. We won this tournament but it’s just a qualifier. The finals will be the real, real games. The real basketball, the real best players. It hurts me a lot to always lose, but I learned so much from those losses. It’s all a benefit for me for later.”
Kouakou has put that motivation into his work off the court. His Instagram profile includes the phrase “Hustler 69” and on one of his posts it says: “Hustlers don’t stop, they keep going”.
The number represents France’s 69th department Lyon - Kouakou’s home city - and hustler, he says, is a mentality.
“Hustle hard every day. Reach your potential one percent more every day by giving your full potential every day. Don’t waste your time. Every day you have, improve yourself. Improve your weaknesses and try to be your best self,” Kouakou said.
The 2.08-meter forward also prides himself on his defense.
“Defense is a mentality. It’s the thing that makes you win the game. Without defense, you cannot win and you cannot be a complete player. You cannot be a very versatile player without defense. I really enjoy being able to defend every position from point guard to center. I try my best at that. It means a lot for me to get a stop and see my teammates enjoy the moment. It makes me happy,” he said.
INSEP head coach Francois Peronnet can see the work Kouakou has put in.
“He has energy at both sides of the court and on and off the court. He has improved a lot the last two seasons. Now he is more facing the basket. He can really move on the floor - both offensively and defensively. He can be an outside player. He still can improve but it’s great to have him on the team,” said Peronnet, who is spending his first season as INSEP head coach.
Koukoua has one more chance to win a NextGen EuroLeague crown, which would make hoisting the trophy in Abu Dhabi that much more special.
“It would mean a lot because it’s my last year at INSEP. I did my three years at INSEP and improved a lot. I respect all my coaches, shout out to them. It would mean a lot of things for me, lots of emotion to play with those guys. I have known some of them for eight years. So it would really make me happy.”
And the hustler could finally call himself a champion.