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Mohamed Dabone after winning the Mini Cup and its MVP (acb Photo / David Grau)
Mohamed Dabone has been, without a doubt, the great sensation of the 2024 Mini Cup. In the children’s basketball tournament that previously elevated players later proven in professionalism such as Ricky Rubio, Luka Doncic and Usman Garuba, the African center has dominated with pleasure. At 12 years old and incredible 2.08 meters, no one has been able to beat him in Malaga, leading FC Barcelona to win a title that the culés have not won since 2020. They have done it with the always special addition of finishing off their eternal adversary, Real Madrid, in the final this Sunday.
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???? With a rating of 4⃣8⃣ in the FINAL, he has put the icing on the cake of a ROUND TOURNAMENT where he has demonstrated his versatility and talent.
For all this…
Mohamed Dabone has become the MVP of the #MinicopaEndesa Málaga 2024! pic.twitter.com/WLhMIuJlyL
— #CopaACB (@ACBCOM) February 18, 2024
In that 78-89 score synonymous with the trophy, the 2011 player, a native of Burkina Faso, was eliminated, due to personal fouls, with one minute remaining. His statistics were truly stratospheric when he left Martín Carpena’s court: 22 points, 26 rebounds, five steals, six blocks and a PIR of 48 in 35 minutes. Unparalleled performances have been Dabone’s natural habitat since he started the competition, winning the MVP from start to finish.
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In fact, it has gone from less to more, sowing greater panic in the area as the event progressed. Against Zaragoza, he achieved 12 points, ten rebounds and a PIR of 22 in 14 minutes. Valencia Basket suffered 16 points, four rebounds, three blocks and a PIR of 25 in the 13 minutes he had. And when he faced Unicaja, the host, he left 23 points, nine rebounds, five blocks and a PIR of 34 in 13 minutes. All this, together with his figures in the decisive day, made Dabone the best in this Mini Cup: 18.3 points (35/41 in shots from two, for a spectacular 85.3% accuracy), 13.5 rebounds , 4.3 blocks and 34.8 efficiency in 16 minutes and 37 seconds per game.
Dabone in action against Real Madrid (acb Photo / Mariano Pozo)
Of course, the interior is part of the Best Quintet of this edition, along with Pablo Mera (Real Madrid), August Moller (Unicaja), his partner Jan Cerdán and Rhys Robinson (Real Madrid). Two individual recognitions of height and one of the most captivating in his category for a child prodigy with whom they especially rub their hands in the Barcelona domains. And beyond: the NBA scouts, just in case, are keeping an eye on the kid.
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It is not the first time that Dabone, prodigious on both sides of the court, draws attention beyond the training field. He has only been in Barcelona for a few months, since he arrived at the club in the summer of 2023. And yet, he has entered Barça through the front door. In fact, this is not the only masterful service record against Madrid that he has been able to produce since he dressed as a Barça player.
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We must mention the performance of Mahomed Dabone (2011) in the Leukemia Foundation Tournament
The center, 1/2 years younger than his rivals, has dominated brutally, going to 25 points, 14 rebounds and 6 blocks, adding a PIR of 40
???? Be careful with him…
— Draft Lab (@DraftLabNBA) November 26, 2023
In November, the giant was the sensation of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation Tournament, taking home another MVP for his collection. Against rivals one or two years older than him (he competed at the U15 level), Dabone was also more than enough and he more than demonstrated it when playing the cup against the whites: 25 points, 14 rebounds, six blocks and a PIR of 40 in a 61- 59 favorable for his people.
Dabone tries to score in the Mini Cup final (acb Photo / David Grau)
Mohamed Dabone’s projection is so significant that he has not only had minutes with the Barça cadets. Even the juniors (16-17 years old) have come to welcome him, which shows how much is expected of him. Roger Grimau, first team coach, doesn’t lose track of him either. Time will tell if he is prepared to make a difference with the elders. At the moment, he is simply the seventh culé MVP of the Minicopa. Whether or not to transcend in the future depends solely on him.
2024-02-18 17:20:00
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