Bagayoko becomes youngest-ever top-flight basketball player aged 14

Author: Agencies

MADRID: While most 14 year-olds are concentrating on many of the challenges that life throws at them in their early adolescence, Bassala Bagayoko was making history as the youngest-ever player to make his debut in Spain’s top-flight basketball league. The Mali-born teenager, who measures an incredible 207cm tall, came on as a substitute in the first quarter for Fuenlabrada in their 90-76 defeat by Real Madrid aged 14 years, 227 days. Bagayoko scored two points in the game for his team, who were missing six regulars through injury and COVID-19 cases. He now heads up an impressive list of teenage debutants in the Spanish league. His debut comfortably beats the record previously held by Ricky Rubio, who now plays in the NBA with Minnesota Timberwolves. Rubio made his top-flight bow with boyhood club Joventut Badalona aged 14 years, 359 days in 2005. Bagayoko also made his debut almost 18 months before two-time NBA all star Luka Doncic did for Real Madrid in 2015.

Youngest-ever Spanish top-flight basketball debutants:

14 years, 227 days – Bassala Bagayoko (Fuenlabrada, 2021)
14 years, 359 days – Ricky Rubio (Joventut, 2005)
15 years, 99 days – Angel Rebolo (Breogan, 1990)
15 years, 305 days – Carlos Alocen (Zaragoza, 2016)
16 years, 9 days – Pablo Sanchez (Malaga, 2018)
16 years, 61 days – Luka Doncic (Real Madrid, 2015).