One of the many reasons why Shaquille O’Neal was deemed as a major source of intimidation for opposing teams in the NBA was his Herculean stature. Most opponents considered themselves a man down whenever Shaq was on the roster. However, over the years there have been a lot of impressive big guys in the league. Giannis Antetokounmpo is one such player who has earned the approval of the NBA fandom, as well as Shaq himself. Nevertheless, according to recent developments, another big man is approaching the league with meteoric speed after taking Europe by storm. Along with the whole world, Shaq has also been impressed by the young giant as he grabbed headlines after a magnificent feat.
Mahamadou Landoure, a 13-year-old star, has taken the basketball world by storm after he recently dropped 56 points in an U14 Championship game, standing at a whopping 6’9″ already. It was enough for the world to take notice, as Shaq cosigned on the story on his social media.
Mahamadou Landoure grabs the attention of Shaquille O’Neal and the basketball world
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
A decade after Shaq’s retirement, there have been numerous Big men who could be compared with the Big Aristotle in terms of their size. Shaq has acknowledged some of them and according to his latest Instagram Story, there’s another youngster who might threaten many players in the future.
Mahamadou Landoure stands at 6’9″ at the age of just 13. In the U14 Minicopa Final in Spain, Landoure dropped 56 points and 33 rebounds while looking like a mountain, towering over everyone else. It wasn’t surprising that he was unstoppable in his age group. The youngster plays for the Real Madrid U14 squad and just won the Endesa Minicopa Final against FC Barcelona.
View this post on Instagram
His blockbuster performance caught the eye of many as a 6’9″ 13-year-old is hard to come by. Here are some of the reactions.
“Basketball stepping from a U.S. to a true international sport is beautiful.”
“Whatever he’s eating let me get some of that”
“bros bday is february 29.”
“MyCareer Stats”
“This kid was born in 2010”
“Real Madrid basketball team just producing generational basketball talent”
Landoure hails from Mali and has made huge strides in Spain to showcase his talent. While he’s just 13, there’s no doubt that he’s going to grow taller by the time he’s a full-grown adult. Additionally, according to his resumè, he’s strapping himself up to be amongst the big boys of the NBA in a few years.
Luka Doncic was one of the greatest talents of Real Madrid before he was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks. The quality of overseas basketball players has increased by the day and players like Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic are living proof of it.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Overseas stars taking the NBA by storm
It is no coincidence that the last four Michael Jordan MVP trophies in the NBA have gone to European players. The insane talent coming from overseas in the league is undeniable and unavoidable. Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo have shared the last four MVP awards between them. Additionally, Joel Embiid has proven to be an important player in his squad and even a runner-up in the MVP standings.
Watch This Story: “Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and other NBA stars breaking backboard with insane dunks”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The NBA awaits more talented youngsters to join their ranks, like the hyped youngster Victor Wembanyama, who would probably be the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.