YAOUNDE (Cameroon) - New Orleans Pelicans rookie Yves Missi announced that he will make his debut with the Cameroonian national team at the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket.
The 16-nation tournament is scheduled to take place from August 12-24 in the Angolan cities of Luanda and Moçâmedes (in Namibe Province).
In a 1:50-minute YouTube video posted on Saturday, June 28, Missi explained why he wants to represent Cameroon at the international level.
He also discussed how influential his family was in his decision to wear the Central African nation's uniform at Africa's biggest basketball tournament and left a message for future generations.
He said: "Playing for Cameroon truly matters to me. It’s another opportunity to represent the country and inspire young people, showing them that anything is possible, no matter where they come from.
"That being said, I officially announce my participation in the 2025 AfroBasket in Angola," Missi confirmed.
With this announcement, Missi becomes the first active Cameroonian NBA player since Luc Mbah a Moute in 2013 to represent Cameroon at AfroBasket.
He is also following in the footsteps of his older brother, Steve Moundou-Missi, who played in AfroBasket in 2013 and 2015.
Named Western Conference Rookie of the Month in December 2024, the 21-year-old center averaged 9.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game in the 2024–25 NBA season.
The 6-foot-11 center has also averaged 26.4 minutes per game this season.
Cameroon finished 4–2 in the qualifiers after losing to Senegal twice. They have been drawn into Group B, alongside Nigeria, Madagascar, and the reigning AfroBasket champions, Tunisia.
Cameroon's best AfroBasket result was a second-place finish in Angola in 2007, where they lost to the hosts in the final. Cameroon currently ranks 9th in Africa and 64th in the world.
FIBA