In Kilamba, Angola, the arena was awash with red as home fans roared for their team. However, tucked into the stands, a small group of Cameroonian supporters rose to their feet with every basket Yves Missi scored. One even stripped off his shirt in celebration, a raw display of pride for the New Orleans Pelicans’ center, who has become one of the faces of his country’s next basketball generation.
Cameroon’s run at the 2025 AfroBasket ended in fourth place after a hard-fought semifinal loss to Angola and a defeat against Senegal in the third-place game. Even so, 21-year-old Missi emerged as one of the tournament’s most compelling stories, stepping onto the AfroBasket stage not just as one of the youngest players on the Cameroonian roster, but as a symbol of a team playing with unity and heart.
Family Business
Yves Missi During A Pre-Game Warm Up
Supplied/FIBA Africa
For Missi, this moment is part of a much larger family story. “Both my parents played, my mom and dad played for a national team, my brother as well,” he reflected to Forbes.com following the quarter-finals. Despite the deep ties his family has to the national team, he did not always know he would wear the Idomitable Lions’ jersey. “There’s that one picture of me taking a picture of my brother on the screen, watching him play for AfroBasket. I didn’t think I was going to play because I wasn’t even thinking of playing basketball then; it just came naturally.”
Now the roles have reversed. The family that once inspired him took pride in watching him carry the torch. “They’re super happy, I was just on the phone with them, even my dad was watching the game while at work,” he shared following the quarter-finals win. “Everyone is excited, a lot of people are watching and having hope. That was the main goal for me: to bring joy and inspire people. I’m happy I can do that.”
Cameroonian Supporter Cheering On During The Games At Kilamba Arena
Supplied/FIBA Africa
That small pocket of Cameroonian supporters stood out throughout the tournament. Against the backdrop of Angolan dominance in the stands, the eruption of joy whenever Missi touched the ball was impossible to ignore. It was a reminder that beyond the scores and statistics, sport is a vessel for identity, belonging, and connection.
Returning from the NBA
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 26: Yves Missi (R) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver (L) after being drafted 21st overall by the New Orleans Pelicans during the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 26, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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Missi is also one of just two current NBA players who made the trip to Angola for this year’s AfroBasket: a presence that influenced his decision to represent Cameroon. “What played a role is, I would say, just putting Cameroon on the map. Just show the world how good of players, I mean, how many players we got in Cameroon and how good they are,” he explained. “I know that we never won this competition before and I know I can impact the game in different ways so I just came in to play a role, help the other guys and try to get some wins and obviously make sure people know that in Cameroon we have players in the NBA that think about Cameroon, that are ready to come back and play for a national team.”
This year marks Missi’s first AfroBasket, and it has already been memorable. “I would say the entire experience, just being in another country, never been to Angola before, just being in another country, experiencing with guys that also love the game of basketball and you can tell the passion each and every day in practice, during lunch, it’s just a great group of guys, I would not ask for any other teammates.”
Cameroon's National Men's Basketball Team During The Singing Of The National Anthem At The 2025 FIBA Men's AfroBasket
Supplied/FIBA Africa
Being surrounded by peers who push one another on and off the court has deepened Missi’s appreciation for the opportunity. The unity within the team, paired with the cultural exposure of playing in Angola, made this debut AfroBasket not only a basketball milestone but also a personal journey of growth.
Earlier on one of his off days, Missi attended a Jr. NBA event in Angola, a full-circle moment that reminded him of his own beginnings. “I played with the junior NBA when I was in Cameroon and as a kid I was just having fun, it was just like a funny tournament in general and just going back to Angola and then see these kids competing and just playing the right way, it was just super, super dope seeing that, it brought me a lot of joy,” he said. “Just being back and knowing that someone who was in your shoes was able to go to the NBA and have a career, but still comes back, that was my goal basically.”
Lessons from the NBA
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MARCH 19: Yves Missi #21 of the New Orleans Pelicans calls out a play against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half at Target Center on March 19, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ben Brewer/Getty Images)
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From his rookie season with the New Orleans Pelicans, where he earned a spot on the 2024-25 Kia NBA All-Rookie Second Team and was selected for the 2025 NBA All-Star Rising Stars competition, Missi brought lessons which shaped his play with Cameroon. Adjusting to the NBA’s pace, physicality, and nightly battles against elite competition has sharpened his approach to the game. “I also love IQ and intensity, I also bring that energy each and every night and you know whenever you play in the NBA, you play a lot of different games, a lot of different players, different talents, you kind of have a feel for the game that can be translated to the FIBA basketball, so I feel like that’s what I bring to the team and to the table,” Missi explained.
That experience allows him to read the game quicker, anticipate opponents’ tendencies, and provide the physical edge his national team needs in international play. For Cameroon, his blend of NBA polish and youthful energy became a crucial asset, bridging the gap between league intensity and the unique rhythm of FIBA basketball.
Inspiring the Next Generation
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 31: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Indiana Pacers celebrates the 125-108 win against the New York Knicks in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 31, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
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Missi’s rise also comes at a time when Cameroon is carving out its own place in global basketball. With names like Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, Christian Koloko, and now Yves Missi, the country is producing NBA-level talent at an unprecedented rate. Each of them carries not just personal ambition but also the weight of inspiring the next generation back home.
“It definitely inspired me, knowing that we get Pascal, I got the MVP recently for the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, and it just inspired me a lot,” he said. “I know it not only inspired me, but it also inspired a lot of kids in Cameroon, even them seeing me play for the national team and showing them that’s where I’m from.”
Beyond the competition, Missi sees his role as giving visibility to African basketball. “The biggest takeaway is we have talents, we just don’t have the infrastructure. We have talents, we’re having a platform, the platform is getting better, and we’re just here to showcase it, to show the world… I’m just trying to bring it up, embrace it, show the world that in Africa you have a lot of different talents and it doesn’t matter from Cameroon, from South Africa, from anywhere around Africa, so that’s what I’m trying to prove.”
Yves Missi During The 2025 FIBA AfroBasket Semi-Finals
Supplied/FIBA Africa
For Cameroonian fans, having a player like Yves Missi up close is more than a thrill; it is a source of pride and possibility. To the young players watching from home, he is proof that the dream is real, that one day they too can represent “le continent.”
While Cameroon will reflect on the near misses of a fourth-place finish, Yves Missi’s journey is just beginning. At 21, he has already left an imprint on his national team and inspired countless young players back home. Whether he returns for the next AfroBasket or continues to grow in the NBA, his story is a reminder of the talent, heart, and potential within Cameroonian basketball.