Moroccan-Born Basketball Star Thrives in Home Country After French Training

Born on August 22, 1995 in Tetouan, Morocco, Adam El Ghazi (2.05 m) started basketball at the age of 15 on the playgrounds with friends. After successful trials with the Espoirs club of STB, he signed up for the 2012-13 season. "I learned everything there, Franck (the former coach of the club) trained me," he confides to Paris Normandie. After the latter’s departure, Adam’s chances of performing diminish. "Franck Maignan was replaced by Mathieu Lemercier, he quickly put me on the sidelines. He felt I didn’t have the level." Shortly after, he found himself without a club.

Adam is taking a new start with the Seine-Maritime neighbor. "SPO Rouen didn’t have much to offer me, except for minutes. No apartment, no money, nothing at all. I lived with my scholarship in a small studio." The pivot has still known success. He dominated the Espoirs championship with statistics of 12.9 pts, 6.4 rbds in 23 min. "I trained with the pros. We finish in the Top 8 of the Espoirs championship and I have big games against STB." His stint with the Rouennais opens the doors of Nationale 1, in Souffelweyersheim. After two seasons, he finds himself in Alsace.

Adam is tempted by other adventures. He multiplies back and forth between France and Morocco: As Salé, Marseille, Rabat, CS Gravenchon (N2) then Kaysersberg (N1), As Salé and Kaysersberg again, Oujda and finally Tangier. In a short time, the former Rouennais has built a solid reputation in his country of origin. In 2021, he won the first edition of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), the equivalent of a Champions League, organized in Kigali (Rwanda) with As Salé. This year, his Ittihad de Tanger club was crowned champion of the Throne Cup (Moroccan national cup).

The successes are piling up for Adam El Ghazi. Currently in the quarter-finals of the Moroccan championship with his club, he is waiting for the end of the playoffs to decide whether or not to return to France.