NANTERRE (FIBA Europe Cup) – One of the most promising European prospects of his age group, the 21-year-old French center Mathias Lessort will be one of the central figures in the decisive battles for the FIBA Europe Cup trophy.

Having won bronze in the competition after a successful campaign with Elan Chalon last season, the Martinique-born big man swapped out the red-and-white of the Chalon-sur-Saone club for a chance to play under coach Pascal Donnadieu in Nanterre 92.

However, an interesting turn of fate has pit Lessort, now a starter with a lot more responsibilities, against his former club in the all-French contest in the FIBA Europe Cup Finals.

The move to the Parisian suburbs, at least from the outside looking in, can be labelled a success with across-the-board growth in most statistical categories.

In his second FIBA Europe Cup campaign, the up-and-coming big man is averaging 9.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.4 blocks in just under 21 minutes per game.

FIBA.com spoke with the talented player about Nanterre's sensational comeback in Bonn, the upcoming encounter with his former club in the FIBA Europe Cup Finals and a big summer ahead for him in terms of the NBA Draft.

You qualified to the Finals after a remarkable fourth-quarter turnaround in Germany. Telekom Baskets had things going for them. After three quarters of play in Bonn, did you think your international season was coming to an end?
Yeah, definitely. I have all the trust in my teammates and I was thinking that maybe we can do something, but we were down by 15 points in the third quarter and it seemed like they were just going to kill the game by keeping the tempo down. It was going to be tough to come back from the 15-point deficit and I didn't think we were going to make it. I was really happy when we cut it to 10 points, then to 8 points. We got our hope back, it was great.

What do you think happened in the final frame?
It was all step by step, really. We made one stop, then we made a basket. Then another stop, another basket. Third stop, then we made one more basket. And that 15-point game started to get closer very quickly.

The way they were playing and the way we were playing, they really had the control of the game until that fourth quarter. It's not just that we were down by 15 points, but they were playing much better than us. They controlled the game the whole time.

But we stepped up our game, everyone came together and played really well in the fourth quarter. Everyone who was on the court brought something to the table. The coach also made some adjustments by playing Mykal Riley at the four, the first time we've done that this year. It worked really well.

Do you think that fourth quarter was one of the best 10-minute stretches of basketball for Nanterre this season, at least in Europe?
Yes, for sure. We had a big comeback against JDA Dijon in France, but this was definitely the best turnaround. We outscored them 26-10 in the quarter. Keeping a team like Bonn to just 10 points and scoring 26 points against them ourselves is really good. Not only did we get the job done on offense, we also played really solid defense.

Now, you'll face your former club Elan Chalon in the Finals. Last year you won bronze in the FIBA Europe Cup. What are the feelings for you to face a team you spent six years of your career at?
That is something crazy, you know. It was already pretty crazy to make the Final Four with Elan Chalon last year, especially at home. Even though we were trying to get gold, a bronze medal was something special, something amazing. I would have never believed that one day in my career I would play against Elan Chalon in the final of a European Cup.

I am really happy. I would have never imagined this scenario, but now it's right there. It's going to be great for French basketball to have two French sides play in the Finals. I am really excited to go back to that arena, especially when we're on the road to winning a European championship. I know what the atmosphere will look like, because last year I had a chance to be a part of it. It's going to be something special.

I want to do well against my former team, you always want to play well against them. It's going to be a good challenge for me. They have good players in every position, so it's going to be a good challenge for everyone else too on our team.

You already played Elan Chalon twice this season. How did the club and the fans welcome you in your first game back at Le Colisee in Pro A?
Pretty well. I had a standing ovation, the fans were chanting my name, they presented me with a big picture of me. I had the team record in evaluation, so they gave me a special trophy to commemorate that. Both the fans and the people that I know from the club – the coach, the staff and other people from the organization – they welcomed me and were happy to see me. I met with all the people before the game, it was a really good atmosphere and I was really happy to come back there. I would have been happier to leave with the win, though.

As you just mentioned, you did lose both games to Elan Chalon in league play this season. Does it add extra pressure for the upcoming game in Chalon-sur-Saone?
We know we have what it takes. We didn't play well in the first game at home, but we had a good game on the road in Chalon. In the end, it was all about details – their offensive rebound after a missed free throw and an overtime, where we lost by a couple of points. We definitely know we can challenge this team and we can compete against them, even at their place, as we showed in the overtime game.

We feel we have a chance to win this tie, but at the same time we know it's not going to be easy, because they did beat us twice. But it's difficult to beat any team three or four times in a season, so it's going to be equally tough for them.

Having been part of Jean-Denys Choulet's team and played in his system, what would you point out as Elan Chalon's strengths?
Their strength is three excellent players in point guard John Roberson, power forward Cameron Clark and Moustapha Fall at the five position. That's the core of the team and these are the guys we have to worry most about. They also have good wings: Jeremy Nzeulie, Lance Harris and Axel Bouteille, who all played really well in the last game. We have to watch out for them, but the majority of the attention will still have to be focused on Roberson, Fall and Clark.­ Especially Clark, who has played very well in the last game.

The plays coach Choulet was running last year are not the same this season. The team is really different. There are still a couple of plays from last year, but most of them changed. Anyway, we already played them twice, so we know what we'll have to do, what we'll have to stop and what we'll have to worry about. We know if we limit those three players, we can get a win.

You've had a really hectic schedule in the Pro A, the French Cup and FIBA Europe Cup. Has it been tough to adapt to it?
The schedule has been a bit tough, but I feel good about all competitions. It's better to have it like that than one game a week. We're still in the FIBA Europe Cup, we're still in the French Cup. We have to compete. After all, we have a chance to win championships, so it's all great.

Your role has grown significantly this season. After coming off the bench for Elan Chalon last year, you've started most of the games for Nanterre both in the FIBA Europe Cup and in the Pro A. Do you think the change has worked out well for you?
By the way the team is playing and the way I'm playing, I'd like to say yes. Maybe I would have played even better had I stayed in Chalon, so you'll never know. But I'm really satisfied with what our team is doing, the coach is happy with how I'm playing and so are my teammates. I think it was a good decision – we're doing well in the domestic championship, in the French Cup, in the FIBA Europe Cup. I am getting 20-25 minutes of playing time per game, so I can't complain about anything.

There's also the subject of the upcoming NBA Draft. What do you feel are the areas you have most improved at?
I try to focus on getting better and not waste too much time thinking about the upcoming NBA Draft, but for sure it's on my mind. This year, I've improved a lot on my post-up game, I've been scoring a lot more on post-ups lately. I've also been making more mid-range jump shots after working on it. I've tried to add to my strengths and expand my game offensively. Now, I am scoring more from post-ups and mid-range shooting than before.

It will be a busy summer for you with the NBA Draft process, all the upcoming workouts with teams. You are currently projected at the end of the first round or early in the second. Are you excited, nervous to find out where you land?
I am definitely excited. I can't wait for the summer to find out which teams I will work out for and how everything will go. I'm excited to be in this position. Actually, the way I finish my season with Nanterre can affect what will happen this summer. That's why I try to focus on Nanterre first and then worry about everything else.

That being said, for sure, it's on my mind and I can't wait to be in the States to do the workouts and then you've got the Draft Night and all the stuff after that. It's going to be a special experience, because it happens only once in your life. I'll try to enjoy it as much as I can and do everything in my hands to be drafted as high as possible and to be in the best situation for next year.

You signed a three-year deal with Nanterre last summer. What is your contract situation? Would you like to go to the NBA already the next season or spend another year or two preparing for the jump in Europe?
That will first of all depend on where I get drafted and what the team has in the plans for me. I signed a three-year deal with Nanterre, but I have an NBA buy-out, so that's not going to be a big deal. Personally, I would like to be in the NBA next year for sure, because it's been a dream of mine since I started playing basketball.

If I can do it next year, I'm going to jump on it. But if the team would prefer me to stay in Europe for another year or two, I will be all aboard, because it will be a good opportunity for me to improve and get to the NBA in a year or two. I think I can play and bring something to a team already next year, but it will all depend on the option that the team that drafts me proposes.

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