“I’ve always dreamed of stepping on the EuroLeague courts”

Arriving last month at Paris Basketball, Mathis Dossou-Yovo is set to experience his EuroLeague debut this Thursday against Bayern Munich. This marks a new step in his career, one that truly motivates him.

Mathis, you’re about to make your first appearance in the EuroLeague. It seems crazy, doesn’t it ?

“It was a goal I set for myself. I’ve always dreamed of stepping on the EuroLeague courts. And now that I’m here, I want to show that I belong at this level, and I’ll do everything I can to stay here for as long as possible. Paris is an ambitious club, and I really want to contribute to building something strong so we can have the best season possible. I need to give everything I have for the team and the fans to succeed“

It’s been a month now since you joined Paris Basketball. What has surprised you the most since you arrived?

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the strong family-like atmosphere within the team. As soon as I arrived, the guys reminded me of the dunk I had on Tyson last year (laughs). From the outside, you can tell there’s a great vibe, but when you live it from the inside, it’s even more special. You feel the team has created a unique chemistry, a cohesion that’s hard to find elsewhere. It really struck me.”

A word about the adidas arena. How do you explain the difficulty for visitors to win there?

“Despite the youth of the club, the arena is always packed. But if there’s one thing for sure, it’s that it’s a unique venue that can really light up at any moment. And we’ve seen it—when the crowd is fired up, like during the game against ASVEL, it’s very hard for opponents to win. Our supporters give us so much and push us to our limits, so it’s also up to us to give them back all the love they send us on the court.”