Isaac Bonga is not letting NBA talk distract him after helping Germany win EuroBasket 2025.
The 24-year-old forward was named Player of the Game in the final against Türkiye, scoring 20 points with 5 rebounds to secure Germany’s 88-83 victory in Riga. It was the country’s first EuroBasket title since 1993, adding to their 2023 FIBA World Cup gold.
Bonga’s performance reignited chatter about an NBA return. Franz Wagner reportedly joked, “You should go to the NBA,” while his Germany teammate Maodo Lo told Meridian Sport that Bonga “deserves to be in the NBA.”
The Partizan Belgrade player laughed off the buzz, saying: “That’s something so you have something to talk about. Now I just want to enjoy myself with my brothers here, to talk to my family, and then we’ll see.”
Bonga last played in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors in 2022. His four-year stint also included stops with the Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards, where he started 49 games in the 2019-20 season. He holds career NBA averages of 3.1 points and 2.2 rebounds across 143 appearances.
Since returning to Europe, Bonga has developed into a reliable two-way presence. He averaged 9.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game during Germany’s EuroBasket title run, shooting 53.3 percent from the field and 45.2 percent from three.
In Belgrade, he has been a key piece for Partizan under coach Zeljko Obradovic. His versatility on the wing and improved perimeter shooting have drawn the attention of scouts across both EuroLeague and NBA circles.
Lo emphasized the shrinking gap between the two leagues: “At this level we’re playing, the difference between the EuroLeague and the NBA is minimal. If you can shoot threes, have athleticism and a good body—you can play in the NBA, for sure, and Bonga has all that.”
