Free from his previous contract following the liquidation of ESSM Le Portel, veteran guard Lahaou Konaté is returning to the Palais des Sports Marcel-Cerdan to join the Levallois Metropolitans Basketball Club, BeBasket reported.
The 34-year-old former French international practiced with the club through the end of the summer. He is set to join Sacha Giffa’s squad as its fourteenth professional player, filling a roster spot following Charles Minlend Jr.’s Achilles tendon rupture in February.
Konaté previously captained the Metropolitans during their run to the Betclic ÉLITE finals in 2023. His departure from the Paris region that summer was complicated by administrative shifts under Boulogne-Billancourt mayor Pierre-Christophe Baguet.
After moving to Le Portel in 2024 to find stability, Konaté endured a difficult 2025–26 campaign. The team secured only one victory during that stretch, and back injuries forced him to shut down his season in mid-February.
The Toughest Season
Physical pain and a depleted roster marked Konaté’s second year with Le Portel. He chose intensive rehabilitation over surgery to address his back issues, aiming to extend his career past age 38.
“Je ne vais pas vous mentir : c’est la saison la plus compliquée de ma carrière,” Konaté told La Voix du Nord in March. “C’est dur mentalement, en plus, physiquement cette saison, j’ai tiré sur la corde avec mon dos à un moment où j’aurais sans doute dû lever un peu le pied.”
The guard appeared in only two matches during the 2026 calendar year, suffering losses against Saint-Quentin and Boulazac before stepping away to heal. His departure from Le Portel was finalized automatically when the club faced judicial liquidation.
A Return to ÉLITE 2
Konaté’s arrival in Levallois marks his return to the French second division for the first time in eleven years. He last played at that level during the 2011–15 seasons with ALM Évreux, the club that initially launched his professional career.
“Le projet d’Évreux est le meilleur choix que j’ai fait,” Konaté recalled in 2024. “C’est à Évreux que j’ai vu que je pouvais aspirer à mieux, avec du travail et de la détermination.”
That stint in Évreux propelled him to 20 selections with the French national team, a Betclic ÉLITE Best Defender award, and a subsequent stint in Spain’s Liga Endesa with Bilbao before signing a four-year deal with the Metropolitans in 2020.
Reflecting on the Wembanyama Era
During his first tenure in Levallois, Konaté captained the youthful 2022–23 squad featuring Victor Wembanyama and Bilal Coulibaly. The team reached the domestic finals before falling to AS Monaco in a three-game sweep.
“On se demandait si Wemby n’allait pas péter un plomb du jour au lendemain,” Konaté noted regarding the media frenzy surrounding Wembanyama. “Mais non… L’explosion de Bilal, c’était la cerise sur le gâteau.”
The high of the finals quickly dissipated when the club’s financial structure collapsed over the subsequent summer. Konaté described the transition period under local municipal leadership as a severe mental hurdle that affected the entire organization.
“J’ai eu l’impression d’être piégé et je ne pensais d’ailleurs pas qu’il allait faire ça, que c’était impossible,” Konaté said of the administrative fallout. “Au-delà de nous, les pros qui allons retrouver du boulot, il y avait des salariés, qui étaient là pour nous au quotidien, et des jeunes.”
Next Steps at Marcel-Cerdan
Konaté now joins a Levallois roster working to establish itself in the current competitive environment. The club has not yet announced an official date for his on-court debut as he finishes his recovery from back rehabilitation.
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