If you are watching the Nile Conference of the Basketball Africa League (BAL)which is underway in Kigali, the name ‘Jean Jacques Boissy’ may not sound new to your ears. He is, right now, the first player to score 30 points in a single game at the BAL season. The Senegalese point guard features for Libyan club, Al Ahly Tripoli, which is among the four clubs competing at the Nile Conference games taking place at BK Arena. Currently, he is the leading scorer not only for his team but also in the Conference. Anyone might wonder how great he is after only six years after launching his professional basketball career. His journey Born January 18, 2000, Boissy was introduced to basketball by his father, Elysee Boissy, who formerly played for the Senegal national team where he was part of the roster that played the 2003 FIBA Africa Championship. Like any other young kid, Boissy tried football up until he was 15 and switched to basketball. Making sure to live under his father’s shadow, Boissy later joined the NBA Academy Africa where he combined his high school education with basketball. Before finishing high school, he was first called to the national team at the junior ranks, featuring at the 2018 FIBA U18 AfroBasket (then African Championships) in Bamako, Mali, settling for silver behind the hosts to qualify for the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup in Crete, Greece. A familiar terrain After graduating, he aimed to play collegiate in the United States but did not receive an offer. He chose not to give up but continued his studies at African Leadership University at their campus in Rwanda in 2019, and played pre-season games for Patriots BBC in the Rwanda Basketball League. Later, Boissy signed for United Basketball Generation (UGB) in the same league. ALSO READ: Al Ahly coach Abou Chacra hails Boissy's impact in unbeaten run After pursuing his bachelor's degree in marketing in international business and trade, he returned to Senegal and made his first minutes in the Senegalese Division 1 for SIBAC in the 2020–21 season. The next season, he was elevated to the EuroLeague, featuring CB Cornella of the third-level LEB Plata in Spain. Coming off the bench as a backup point guard, Boissy averaged 5.1 points in 10.5 minutes. Later in 2023, he was titled as a Most Valuable Player featuring a new team, AS Douanes, and also qualified for the 2023 BAL season. Boissy played a crucial role driving his team to the final, contributing 20 points. His team lost the title to eventual champions Al Ahly after beating them in final but his individual exploits earned him a place in the All-BAL First Team after the game. He was with the same team for the 2024 BAL season as AS Douanes were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Petro de Luanda. The Angolan giants also went on to win the championship in Kigali. In July 2024, Boissy joined Burundian club Urunani of the Viva Basketball League (VBL). He made his debut with 13 points in a 52–46 win over Remesha. Later, he won the VBL championship after Urunani defeated Dynamo in the finals. ALSO READ: Boissy drops 27 points as APR suffer first Conference loss On international basketball level, he looks set to propel Senegal to AfroBasket glory after becoming one of the go-to players as The Lions of Teranga head to the 2025 AfroBasket qualifiers. They finished unbeaten against Gabon, Cameroon, and Rwanda, where Boissy averaged 7.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Aside from featuring for the Libyan club, Al Ahly Tripoli, in the fifth edition of BAL, Boissy is currently signed with Rwanda Energy Group (REG) in the Rwanda Basketball League.
