By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
It’s funny how life works and how a competition like the Basketball Champions League is giving to players like Babacar Toure the chance to shine. Who is Babacar Toure?
According to the official portal of the BCL, this week “Fribourg Olympic’s Babacar Toure has registered his sixth double-double of the season, more than any player in the BCL 2018-19“.
Not bad for an accountant! While most professional players around Europe are not thinking about their future before reaching the third decade of their life, the story of Babacar Toure is quite different.
Born in 1985 at Kaolack, Senegal, Toure played for Sibac Dakar in his country and completed an apprenticeship as an accountant, which he continued after his move to second division Colas Bernex Basket in November 2007 in Switzerland. His main motivation for moving to the Central European country was his future in finances and not basketball. The sport was just an added perk that helped him achieve his main goal.
However, Toure is really good at basketball. After three seasons in the second division, he moved to the Geneva Lions remained there until 2013, winning the Swiss Championship while averaging 9.7 points and 6.4 rebounds.
In August 2013, he signed with Union Neuchatel during his last season with the team (2015-16), he averaged 18.3 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per game.
And then, the 31 years old Toure made a surprising move. In the summer of 2016, Toure signed with the second division club Vevey Riviera Basket.
“I’m going to be 31 years old. I see life and my career differently now. I decided to stop playing in the first division in order to start my transition (ed.note: to the post-playing life) in the best possible conditions“, Toure said at the time in an interview to “24 Heures“. He had decided to take a job as an intern for a trustee based in the city of Riviera and that’s why he made that odd choice.
Still, Toure was too good for the Swiss second division. He led his team to the league championship in 2017 and when Fribourg Olympic come knocking, he answered the call and signed with them, winning the double in the 2017-18 win.
The 33 years old big man led his team to the Basketball Champions League regular season and despite a mediocre 2-8 record so far, on a personal note, he proved that he belongs to this level of competition.
It’s been a wild ride for him and Olympic Fribourg and even if he ends up being a Swiss banker, Babacar Toure would have an amazing story to share from his basketball days.
Photo credit: BCL