Ismaël Bako


Ismaël Bako is a Belgian professional basketball player, who currently plays for ASVEL of the LNB Pro A. Standing at, he plays as center. He started his career in 2012 with Leuven Bears and transferred to Antwerp Giants in April 2017.

Professional career

Leuven

Bako started his career with Leuven Bears in the Pro Basketball League, making his debut in 2012. He was named the BLB Young Player of the Year of the 2016–17 season, after averaging 8.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

Antwerp

In April 2017, he signed with Antwerp Giants. In the 2018–19 season, Bako won the Belgian Basketball Cup with the Giants. He was named the Belgian Cup Most Valuable Player. In the same season, the team reached the Final Four of the Basketball Champions League. Antwerp finished in third place after defeating Brose Bamberg in the third place game. Bako was named to the Basketball Champions League Star Lineup.

ASVEL

On 3 July 2019, Bako signed a two-year contract with LDLC ASVEL of the French LNB Pro A and the EuroLeague. He averaged 3.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. On June 12, 2020, he re-signed with the team for an additional season.

National team career

Bako has been a member of the Belgian national basketball team since 2016. At 21, Bako was the youngest member of the squad that played at EuroBasket 2017.