PARIS (France) - Winning is addictive and Cameron Houindo will be heading to Belgrade for the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2025 looking to celebrate again.
Houindo was named Most Valuable Player of the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2024 as France won the title - the country's fourth continental crown and first since 2017.
"This feeling of winning is really addictive. I just cried, cried and cried. It was an incredible feeling for me. And I was so proud to win in a France jersey and look back at my nation and them being proud of us. It was incredible," said Houindo, who averaged 13.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.3 blocks.
The 17-year-old had his biggest three games starting in the Quarter-Finals. He had 22 points and 10 rebounds in the final eight against Latvia followed by 15 points and 9 rebounds versus Serbia in the Semi-Finals. He then posted 20 points and 11 rebounds in the 82-70 win over Spain in the Final.
Houindo came into the U16 tournament wanting to forget two major disappointments in the past couple of months.
First, he was on the INSEP Paris team that lost to Real Madrid in overtime in the NextGen EuroLeague Final in Berlin in May. Later in July, Houindo was a year younger than the competition at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024.
France were considered ernest challengers to the United States and even played well against the eventual champions USA in the group stage matchup. But France ended up losing dramatically to Puerto Rico 91-84 in the Round of 16 to end those podium dreams.
"It was pretty much a traumatic experience. I tried to forget it, but it helped motivate me," Houindo said about the eventual ninth placed finish.
That made it things that much sweeter to win the U16 continental tournament in Heraklion in August.
"I was tired of losing. I'm only losing big games. I'm never going to win. So when I won that, I was like, it's finished. I can just take some rest and relax," Houindo said.
He and the team now shift their focus to the U18 EuroBasket, which France haven't won since 2016 and only managed one third-place finish since then in 2018.
"The past means nothing. We can always win. It doesn't matter we haven't won since 2016. We can do it," he said. "I'm really excited because obviously I want to do it. I want to go back-to-back and win this one too."
The U18 team includes four of Houindo's teammates from the FIBA U17 World Cup - Jonas Boulefaa, Maxence Lemoine, Jahel Trefle and Hugo Yimga. And that group wants to keep the past the past.
"I want to go back to back and win this one too."
"We want to show everyone that we learned from the past and that we are able to take the things from the past and make ourselves better. We want to be leaders for this team and show to our teammates and our nation that we're not the same and that we can do it," he said.
Put that experience together with five players being motivated by playing for the French national team for the first time, and Houindo is excited about this French team.
"What I see right now with this team is special, I think our determination is through the roof. And that's what's going to bring us together," he said.
Bring France together and Houindo hopes to get another taste of the addiction of winning.
FIBA