Nguyen’s Japanese inspiration to become unstoppable
Hugo Nguyen was not on France's preliminary list for the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024. The playmaker talent is just using it as motivation to go along with his Japanes inspiration to become unstoppable.
Hugo Nguyen broke out at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament Paris as the Paris Basketball point guard led the competition in scoring. The strong performance all season was not enough to convince the French federation to include him in their preliminary roster for the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024. Just chalk it up as another thing that will serve as motivation to Nguyen, who also has a Japanese inspiration to become unstoppable.
France will be heading this summer to Tampere, Finland in search of their fifth U18 European crown or their first podium finish since third place in 2018. The absolute minimum goal for the team will be a top-five result, which will lock up a spot in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025. The French have excelled at the U19 World Cup with bronze and two silvers in the last three editions.
But Nguyen will not have a chance to get France to their fifth U19 World Cup.
Below is the preliminary roster for France for the U18 EuroBasket.
“It’s just that’s not my time right now,” Nguyen said about not being included in coach Régis Boissie’s list.
“It's always happened like that for me. I've always been in the shadows. I have to work behind the stage and my work will speak for itself. I am obviously disappointed but it does not take away the path I have travelled since last year.
“I am much better than last year and my philosophy is to continue to progress every day. And then I believe in God and that he planned something for me - maybe even something better, only God knows. Everything is possible for anyone who believes in it.”
Nguyen’s role model growing up is not really a surprise, but from where the French talent gets his inspiration is more unexpected.
Having never played for France at the youth level, many basketball observers got their first glimpse of the 1.85 meter playmaker at the ANGT Paris. And he did not disappoint.
He averaged 20.0 points while shooting 34.3 percent on three-pointers while also picking up 2.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists. Unfortunately that production helped Paris win only one game in their ANGT debut - beating fellow ANGT debutants AS Monaco 93-87 for seventh place.
“I am very proud of the team. We had never faced such a level. We played some of the best European teams. We could have done much better on some aspects, starting with our beginnings of games - where we did not get back in the best way,” Nguyen said. “But overall for a first ANGT I think we gave everything - even if we are not satisfied with the results. This remains a good first for us because we are part of the first team in Paris to do the ANGT and won a game at the ANGT.”
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Nguyen naturally wishes Paris had won more games, but he does feel he performed well individually.
“Individually, I think I did a big tournament. I played my basketball, I had a leadership role and I think I assumed it. I was able to score but also knew how to make my teammates play. I made some big shots and played up my qualities. So yes, I think I performed individually even if I would have preferred my performance to better help the team to win,” he said.
December 19, 2023 will be a day Nguyen will long remember - when Euroleague announced that Paris would be hosting the ANGT and Paris Basketball would be the host club.
“When I learned that we would participate in the ANGT I was really excited because it is the largest European tournament for young people, and I have wanted to participate in it for years. So yes it was a real pleasure to learn that we were going to play in the ANGT and in addition in Paris,” he said.
The ANGT was Nguyen’s first chance to really show his game on a bigger stage.
“It was a first and a pleasure to face off against the best young people in Europe of my age in addition to that in front of the scouts,” he said. “It's an enriching experience and now I know that I am able to play at this level. I hope they will remember my performances, that they will have liked my basketball because I work hard every day for it. In any case, it was a real pleasure. I took full advantage of the experience.”
Nguyen said his favorite member of the ANGT Paris came in the 102-94 loss to the Next Generation Team.
“The moment when we got back into the game against the Next Generation Team. We caught fire to get close. I think we should have won the game,” Nguyen said of the game in which Paris fell behind 21 points but got within four points. “Chectare Baradji caught fire completely on three-pointers, and the team gave its all on defence to make stops. For me, it's the best time I had at the ANGT.”
Nguyen had a strong season with Paris in the French U21 league, averaging 13.2 points on 34.1 percent three-point shooting, 2.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Nguyen impressed many observers with lightning quick game as well as his handle plus his big shot making.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Nguyen grew up watching Steph Curry.
“My role model was Stephen Curry. I grew up watching the playoffs between Golden State and Cleveland, and he impressed me enormously. It quickly became a model - the ease he shot the three-pointer was disconcerting. I really like his game,” he said.
And the trait that makes Nguyen memorable is his long mane of curly hair - a major difference from a couple years ago when he had almost no hair.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
“To be honest, I just prefer long hair. It doesn't have much meaning. I really like curly hair and I wanted to have it as long as possible,” he said.
Nguyen also stands out with an Asian sounding name. Both of his parents were born in France but his father’s roosts go back to Vietnam and his mothers family hails from Martinique - an island near Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Nguyen said he has been to Martinique to visit his family but is yet to see Vietnam.
Another part of Asia also means a lot to Nguyen - Japan.
“I really like Japanese anime, manga and video games. I grew up with video games. It has always been one of my favorite pastimes and then I really like Japan. It’s one of my dream destinations. So I really like anime and manga. I read and watch it a lot,” he explained.
Nguyen is also a believer in the Kaizen philosophy, which stresses continuously improving.
“I discovered it by chance. I don't remember where but I immediately liked the idea because it spoke to me. The notion of becoming better every day - even if it is only one percent. You must always improve and do your best to become the best version of yourself. ‘Being Unstoppable’ motivates me a lot too because I want to be the best.”
Nguyen also provided more inspiration in an IG post on April 8 reading: “I am what they said I would not be”.
“It has a big meaning for me because there are many people who would think that I could not do it because 1.85m is not that big in basketball. There are many people who criticized me, who did not believe I was capable of it and who would not have thought that I could have been where I am today,” he said. “It motivates me and it shows the way I have travelled even if the road is still very long. Like what with hard work everything is possible you have to believe in yourself and give yourself the means to achieve it.”
Nguyen has yet to practice with the pro team with Paris, but he has over the years been able to watch some top level point guards, including Kyle Allman and TJ Shorts.
"I didn't meet the pros often but I really liked Kyle Allman's game. It seemed indefensible. It was a pleasure to watch him play. What I learned from him is his ability to change rhythm ball in hand. It also finishes very strong with contact at the basket.”
And about Shorts, he said: “He is extremely fast and he imposes his game - that size doesn't do everything in basketball and he still demonstrates it. He has an incredible acceleration ability, he knows how to put his teammates at ease and he knows how to score. What I learned from him is really his mid-range ability. He has this ability to start at full speed and stop at once to take his shots and it's very strong.”
Nguyen has big goals for the future.
“My goals for the next two-three years are to become a professional basketball player, and if I explode completely in the next two years I would like to apply for the NBA draft,” he said boldly.
Nguyen has experienced a breakout and gotten people’s attention. Now he needs to put in the work for the next step.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider subscribing to Taking The Charge and not miss some of the best content on youth basketball around the world.