By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Running it back similar to three of his teammates from the 2021-22 squad, Yakuba Ouattara inked a one-year contract extension to stay at AS Monaco, the team announced Thursday.
“I chose to stay at Monaco mainly because this is my home,” he commented on renewing his contract through the 2022-23 season, per the press release, roughly translated with the help of Google, “I feel at home in this club, where I grew up and know everyone. I always had a special relationship with all the people here and of course the fans as well.”
Ouattara, 30, returned to La Roca Team for a third stint last July. Besides spending the 2020-21 season at Coosur Real Betis and 2017-18 at the Long Island Nets, he has been a Monaco player in every other season since 2015. Combined with his side’s first appearance in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague in 2021-22, his debut produced 4.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 0.3 steals per game over 30 appearances, including 21 starts.
Head coach Sasha Obradovic plus players Mike James, Donta Hall, and Alpha Diallo previously re-signed after the solid 2021-22 campaign berthing a run to the Playoffs of the EuroLeague. In France’s Betclic Elite LNB Pro A, Monaco settled as the runner-up. The European and domestic campaigns saw Olympiacos and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne respectively besting the team guided by Obradovic in a win-or-go-home Game 5.
New arrivals so far are Elie Okobo, Jordan Loyd, John Brown III, and Jaron Blossomgame.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net