By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Protecting the rim in the Basketball Champions League, TaShawn Thomas is unmatched once more.
After tying idle Michale Kyser at the end of the Regular Season of Season X, powered by Ameresco SUNEL, the 32-year-old forward/center is back in first place on the all-time list for the most blocks in the league.
Based in Europe for most of his professional career, he played alongside a young and exciting prospect, Victor Wembanyama, in 2023, and, furthermore, earned several distinctions closely tied to his defensive efforts. Thomas was previously the king of BCL rejections but fell second behind Kyser last season. The latter is not part of the ongoing edition of BCL, but Thomas fueling Le Mans went from three blocks over six appearances in the Regular Season to one more in Game 1 of the best-of-three Play-In series opposite Mersin Spor in Servet Tazegul Arena on Tuesday, upping a career total to 77, one over Kyser’s sum of 76.
It was mainly behind an effective defense for the team coached by Guillaume Vizade to blow the game open in the second half, en route to a comfortable win on the road and a 1-0 lead in the series. With Game 2 in Antares on Thursday, MSB has an opportunity to clinch a berth in the Round of 16 and join Rytas, Galatasaray MCT Technic, and Hapoel Netanel Holon in Group I. “That was a good game for us, but it was only the first game of a series,” pointed out 43-year-old Vizade in the postgame press conference after the triumph in Turkiye.
Considering credentials and link to a tremendous blocking machine, 32-year-old Thomas is a natural part of team defense. In addition to overall contribution in limiting the offense of Mersin, the record-breaking rejection midway through the third quarter, specifically, allowed his side to increase the lead over 20 points. A veteran of several extended BCL runs, he is on track for more of the same with Le Mans one win away from the Round of 16.
Path to 77
Before reuniting with Le Mans for a second spell, he also played for Bertram Derthona Tortona, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem, and UNET Holon in the Champions League. In the 2019-20 installment, his second of three campaigns with Hapoel Jerusalem, he was named on the Star Lineup First Team.
Moreover, his impressive tally of blocks does not include one in the Qualification Rounds 2021, in an unsuccessful Le Mans attempt to reach the Regular Season.
In a total of 67 appearances in the league, his personal record is five blocks in a Hapoel Jerusalem loss versus AEK in Pais Arena in 2018. He registered four, later in the 2018-19 season against Iberostar Tenerife in the Quarterfinals, and in the 2019-20 Regular Season against Hereda San Pablo Burgos.
List of total blocks per season
| Season | Team | Total blocks |
| 2017-18 | UNET Holon | 16 (1.1 per game) |
| 2018-19 | Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem | 25 (1.7 per game) |
| 2019-20 | Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem | 21 (1.2 per game) |
| 2020-21 | Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem | 6 (1.0 per game) |
| 2021 | Le Mans | 1 (1.0 per game) |
| 2023-24 | Bertram Derthona Tortona | 5 (0.7 per game) |
| 2025-26 | Le Mans | 4 (0.6 per game) |
Wembanyama connection
The Las Vegas native suited up for Oklahoma and Houston in the NCAA between 2011 and 2015, before pursuing overseas options and turning pro. Besides taking his talents to France, Italy, Israel, and Germany, he also made his way to the Perth Wildcats for the 2022-23 edition of Australasia’s NBL. Returning to Europe at the bottom end of the 2022-23 season, he played alongside Victor Wembanyama at Metropolitans 92 for three months.
Thomas immediately became a huge fan behind an up close and personal early look at his unique abilities, and has been supporting the San Antonio Spurs since they, afterward, drafted his former teammate with the first overall pick, heading to the 2023-24 Regular Season.