The young French playmaker has left his mark at NextGen Belgrade
Aaron Towo-Nansi is the latest showstopper in Europe's small guard Renaissance
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6 Mins read
The current European basketball landscape could remind some of the Renaissance covering the 15th and 16th centuries when the continent went through a rebirth culturally and artistically. Many Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs have rediscovered the value of small guards and their dynamic impact on the game. And the world is being treated in Belgrade to one of Europe’s newest artistic and cultural phenomenons - Aaron Towo-Nansi.
The French point guard has captured the hearts and minds of fans watching the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Belgrade with his passion for defense, his fortitude as a leader, his maturity well beyond his years and a game that makes you smile and shake your head.
Towo-Nansi has been an unstoppable whirlwind force in Belgrade averaging 17.0 in the group stage for U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade. All that despite two eye-raising reminders. He celebrated his 16th birthday just three days before the tournament started, and he stands just 1.74 meters tall.
TJ Shorts of Paris Basketball and Yago Dos Santos of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade are both just 1.75 meters while Markus Howard of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz is 1.78 meters tall. And Anadolu Efes Istanbul star Shane Larkin and Carsen Edwards of FC Bayern Munich are both only 1.80 meters.
"Basketball is for everyone - tall or short. You can really make it and that is what Europe is proving right now"
“In Europe, there are more and more shorter point guards. It’s inspiring for me as I am currently considered short for a point guard,” said Towo-Nansi. “I would say I am inspired by guys like TJ Shorts, [Paris Basketball’s] Nadir Hifi and Matthew Strazel [of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne]. But since I have been younger, I have also been inspired by Shane Larkin. The one I watch most is Sylvain Francisco [of Zalgiris Kaunas] for his grit and what he brings. It’s truly inspiring and it shows that basketball is for everyone - tall or short. You can really make it and that is what Europe is proving right now."
Two-time EuroLeague champion Dogus Balbay has seen his share of basketball and is coaching the Next Gen selection teams this season. He called Towo-Nansi an “incredible young talent”.
“He’s the captain of our team and he’s handling it super well - not just what he does on the court but off the court as well. When you watch him on the bench he is always cheering for his teammates. He’s always positive. He always has that next-play mentality,” Balbay said. “Great character, great player. We rely on his abilities a lot. So far he’s been doing a great job at carrying us.”
Towo-Nansi is carrying a team that only has been together a few days as the Next Gen Team is a selection of top-level players from across the continent playing for clubs that are not in the competition - just like Towo-Nansi, who plays his club basketball with Cholet Basket.
“I learned to play with international players from other countries. And we were with a foreign coach and we had very little time to prepare. Yet the results we delivered were still in line with what wanted. It’s an enriching experience for me and I hope to have more like it,” said Towo-Nansi.
The native of Rennes joined Cholet in the summer of 2023 - a club that has developed some major talent including former and current NBA players Mickael Gelabale, Rodrigue Beaubois, Nando De Colo, Kevin Seraphin, Rudy Gobert, Killian Hayes and Tidjane Salaun.
Last season Towo-Nansi broke onto the NextGen landscape with Cholet at the tournament in Podgorica. Still just 14 years old, he tallied 8.5 points, 1.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals. Towo-Nansi followed that last summer by helping France win its fourth FIBA U16 EuroBasket title by beating Spain in the final. He averaged 8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.7 steals.
“Spain versus France is always a historic battle - every year, every age group, even at the senior team. They beat us in the preparations but we got our revenge in the final. Lifting the cup with my team was definitely my greatest memory,” he remembered.
Towo-Nansi this season has been a force in the French U21 level, averaging 13.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.0 steals despite being up to 5 years younger than his opponents.
In Belgrade, he has valued playing for and learning from Next Gen coach Balbay, who won the EuroLeague with Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2021 and 2022.
“It was really rewarding to have a coach like that since he’s a point guard like me. He gave me tips for pick-and-rolls and end-of-possession situations. Having a coach who performed in the EuroLeague was truly valuable,” Towo Nansi said.
Some of the things that stand out with Towo-Nansi are his leadership and his drive to play tough defense.
“My leadership comes naturally. I think it’s crucial to have that skill because as a point guard communication is key. That’s why it’s ingrained in me. But otherwise, I would say it’s quite innate,” he explained.
"I am someone who loves playing defense. For me, you can change a game on offense, but also on defense."
“To embrace leadership, I am someone who loves playing defense. For me, you can change a game on offense, but also on defense. As a point guard who defends against ball-handlers, it’s crucial to apply pressure and steal the ball so my teammates can step up defensively and our defensive energy rises. I’m emotional, which helps keep or increase the game’s energy.”
Towo-Nansi’s ever-present energy leads to outbursts of emotion after drawing a charge, converting a tough and-one, or hitting a big three-pointer. But as intriguing as his game and aura are, even his family heritage background leaves one fascinated.
One of his paternal grandparents hails from Cameroon while his mother’s parents are from Cambodia. Basketball is a huge part of his family. His father Alban Towo-Nansi played last season in the NM3 fifth division, his older brother plays in N3, his sister played up to N1 and now is at NF2. And his younger brother Darel is also a player.
With all that basketball around, it’s no surprise that Aaron Towo-Nansi was bouncing a basketball already at age 3. And that he has become the latest European artistic and cultural phenomenon.