When, at the start of the 2025-2026 season, Noah Penda chose number 93 to play in the NBA, for the Orlando Magic, the American media wanted to know why. “It’s so I don’t forget where I come from. And also to pay tribute to this fighting spirit that there is in Seine-Saint-Denis”explained the 21-year-old young man.
Originally from Bondy, this “Kylian Mbappé of basketball” is the very first player from Seine-Saint-Denis to play in the NBA. And he does it rather well: the French international hopeful has already signed 2 double-doubles – double-digit stats in terms of points and rebounds – and seen his playing time increase from match to match on the courts of Florida.
It must be said that the “rookie” has a good pedigree: both his parents already played at a very good level in France. Frédérique, her mother, a former N2 player in Bondy, was able to appreciate her beginnings as a connoisseur: “I saw his first 3 matches there, after helping him settle in. I was quite moved. Right afterward, we told him: “That’s it, you’re an NBA player!” » He hadn’t really had time to realize it. »
“Kylian Mbappé of basketball”
But if the “rookie” has something to learn from, his 4 years of training at Villemomble Sports Basket also gave him good background. In this club with around 200 members, he left a strong memory. “With his tall size, we were bound to notice Noah. At 10 years old, he looked 13. And at the same time, his large size did not prevent him from having excellent coordination. He had a natural ease. »remembers Rodrigue Monder, the president of the club.
First licensed in Fontenay, where he started playing basketball at the age of 7, Noah and his parents turned to Villemomble because of its reputation as a very good training club. From the age of 9 to 13, he made the Blues and Whites happy before leaving for bigger clubs: the Ile-de-France pole, the INSEP in Vincennes, then Vichy in Pro B then Le Mans in Pro A, where by the way his little brother, Swann, 17, is following in the footsteps of the big one.
“Noah was a determined person, already at 14remembers Loïc Calvez, his trainer at the Espoirs center in Châtenay-Malabry. He was very powerful, but understood that he still had to work more to reach the highest level. And I’m sure that in Orlando, he will establish himself even more. »
Exceptional basketball IQ and big eater
This is also the point of view of Rodrigue Monder, president of Villemomble Sports Basket, whose son then played in U11 with Noah: “Noah is a very intelligent person, both on and off the field. On the court, he has a very high basketball IQ. Outside it is open and very pleasant. And, little scoop, he’s a big eater! Every time he went, he would say to me: “President, will you buy us a pizza? I ended up saying “only if you exceed 100 points!” »It didn’t scare them: regularly, I had to buy them a pizza…”
The appetite actually came while eating at this 2m01 giant: best Pro A prospect with Le Mans, U20 European champion in 2024 with the Blues, drafted in 32e position by the Boston Celtics in 2025 and immediately sent to the Orlando Magic. And now an important joker from his rookie year.
For his parents, still living in Bondy, this is almost unreal: “It’s funny to see him on screen. For us, it’s a bit as if he had entered a video game or our TV…”breathe Frédéric and Frédérique. And to continue: “We raised our children with the idea that whatever we did, we had to do our best. Afterwards, we didn’t plan him to become a pro basketball player. It turns out that he has this requirement in him. »
At home and at Villemomble Sports Basket, the “big one” certainly fills everyone with pride. His former club has even planned a set of jerseys for next season that would recall the very similar colors of the Orlando Magic. Villemomble is America!
Christophe Lehousse
