 Sanon in December 2017 | |
| No. 30 – VEF Rīga | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard /shooting guard |
| League | LEBL |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1999-10-30)30 October 1999 (age 25) Donetsk, Ukraine |
| Listed height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) |
| Listed weight | 83 kg (183 lb) |
| Career information | |
| NBA draft | 2018: 2nd round, 44th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Washington Wizards |
| Playing career | 2016–present |
| Career history | |
| 2016–2018 | Dnipro |
| 2016–2018 | →Dnipro-2 |
| 2018–2019 | Olimpija |
| 2019–2022 | Dnipro |
| 2022 | Šiauliai |
| 2022–2024 | Prometey |
| 2024–present | VEF Rīga |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats atBasketball Reference  | |
Issuf Vladlen Sanon (Ukrainian:Іссуф Санон; born 30 October 1999), also spelledYusuf Sanon, is a Ukrainian professionalbasketball player forVEF Rīga of theLatvian-Estonian Basketball League. Standing 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in),[1] thecombo guard has experience with the Ukraine under-18 national team. He began his career with the Ukrainian club Dnipro, and was one of the top players on itsreserve team.
Sanon was born and raised inDonetsk, Ukraine.[2][3] His father, a native ofOuagadougou,Burkina Faso, met Issuf's mother while the two were studying in Ukraine. Sanon began playing basketball at age 7, following his older brother into the sport.[3] In 2014, he competed with the Falcons in the Donetsk School Basketball League, under head coach Anna Kapralova.[4]
Sanon made his professional debut forDnipro on 2 October 2016, scoring two points in two minutes againstBIPA Odesa, in the top-tier level league in Ukraine, theUkrainian Basketball SuperLeague.[5] In his first season with the team, he primarily competed for the club'sreserve team, Dnipro-2 in the Ukrainian Higher League, the second-tier level professional league in the country. On 17 January 2017 he earned Player of the Week honors from the websiteEurobasket.com, after recording adouble-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds, in a 14 January game, for Dnipro-2 to defeat Kremen-2.[6] He completed the season for Dnipro-2 averaging 16.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 3.3 steals per game, in the second division Higher League.[7]
In the2017–18 season, Sanon saw more playing time for the Dnipro senior team and increased success on the reserve team.[2] His season debut came on 27 September 2017 againstDemir İnşaat Büyükçekmece inFIBA Europe Cup's2017–18 qualification rounds, playing 56 seconds and recording no statistics.[8] On 15 October 2017, with second division Dnipro-2, Sanon recorded 33 points, four rebounds, and eight assists, en route to Eurobasket.com Higher League Player of the Week accolades.[9] He scored a career-high 11 points off the bench, on 1 December 2017, to help defeatCherkaski Mavpy, in the first division SuperLeague.[10] In his 2017–18 stint with Dnipro, he averaged 2.4 points, 1.2 assists, and 0.8 steals in 9.6 minutes per game, in 13 games played in the Ukrainian top division Super League.[2] In addition, in 5 games played, he averaged a team-best 24.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 3.4 steals per game, in the Ukrainian second division Higher League.[11]
On 13 January 2018 Sanon signed a four-year contract withPetrol Olimpija of thePremier A Slovenian Basketball League (SKL).[12][13] He debuted for his new team on 21 January 2018, recording only one steal in eight minutes in anABA League loss toBudućnost Voli Podgorica.[14] On 28 January Sanon scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds againstŠenčur GGD, in a Slovenian SKL game.[15] He notched a career-high 23 points vs.Helios Suns Domžale, in a Slovenian SKL game on 13 February, shooting 4-of-7 from the three-point line.[16] On 27 July 2020 he parted ways with Olimpija.[17]
On 22 August 2019, Dnipro announced it had signed Sanon for the 2019–20 season.[18] In July 2020 he re-signed with the team.[19]
On 11 April 2022, Sanon signed withŠiauliai of theLithuanian Basketball League until the end of the season.[20]
On 24 June 2022 he signed withPrometey of theLatvian-Estonian Basketball League.[21]
On 5 July 2024, Sanon signed withVEF Rīga of theLatvian-Estonian Basketball League.[22]
On 4 April 2018 Sanon announced his intentions to enter the2018 NBA draft, whereESPN projected him to be a "strong draft-and-stash candidate."[3] By the 11 June international deadline, Sanon was one of 11 truly international prospects to remain in the 2018 NBA draft. He was eventually picked by theWashington Wizards (second round, 44th overall).[23] Sanon played for the Wizards during theNBA Summer League, but then returned to Slovenia to develop and gain more experience.[24]
On 6 February 2020 Sanon's draft rights were traded to theNew York Knicks.[25] On 27 November 2020 Sanon's draft rights were traded to theHouston Rockets.[26]
Sanon was unable to compete for theUkraine under-16 basketball team in 2015, due to anappendix injury.[27] An ankle injury, as well as a lack of official documentation, also prevented him from joining.[3] He made his junior national team debut for Ukraine, at the2017 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, inSlovakia.[28][29] In seven games played, in a span of just over a week, he averaged 19.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 3.4 steals per game, leading his team to a 12th-place finish at the tournament.[28][2] Sanon was named All-European Championships U18 Honorable Mention by the basketball websiteEurobasket.com.[13] Entering the event as a little-known prospect, even in his home country, his unexpected success in Slovenia catapulted him intoNBA draft consideration.[27][30] He was subsequently considered a top-10 prospect at the event, according toESPN.[3]
Sanon is a fan of theDenver Nuggets of theNational Basketball Association (NBA) and admiredEmmanuel Mudiay during his stint with the team.[3] WithOlimpija, he takesEnglish classes up to four times each week, watching the showPrison Break to better pick up the language.[3]
The New York Knicks announced today that as part of a three team trade that the team has acquired... the draft rights to guard Issuf Sanon...