FRA – Dominant season sees Traore snare French MVP award in LNB
PARIS (2010 FIBA World Championship) - France international Ali Traore will go into this summer’s national team camp in an upbeat mood after being named French MVP of the LNB. The ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne big man, who finished ahead of Vichy’s Dounia Issa and Gravelines-Dunkerque’s Cyril Akpomedah, led his countrymen with an ...
PARIS (2010 FIBA World Championship) - France international Ali Traore will go into this summer’s national team camp in an upbeat mood after being named French MVP of the LNB.
The ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne big man, who finished ahead of Vichy’s Dounia Issa and Gravelines-Dunkerque’s Cyril Akpomedah, led his countrymen with an average of 15.6 points per contest in France’s top flight.
Traore, who is expected to be at the FIBA World Championship in Turkey this summer with France, was the second best scorer per minute among Frenchmen at (0.65).
The 25-year-old helped ASVEL triumph in the Semaine des As to qualify the team for a spot in next season’s EuroChallenge.
The 2.05m Traore will soon turn his attention to the national side.
One who can play center or power forward, Traore saw 12.6 minutes per game at last year’s EuroBasket in Poland when he helped France clinch fifth place to earn a trip to Turkey.
His presence this summer will be even more vital following the announcement that France center Ronny Turiaf will not play because of injuries when Les Bleus go up against Spain, Lithuania, Lebanon, New Zealand and Canada in their Preliminary Round Group D games.
Journalists, team captains and coaches from Pro A and Pro B selected Traore as the French MVP for the 2009-10 season.
FIBA