Nando De Colo reacts to his milestone, names best modern EuroLeague scorer / News - Basketnews.com

Despite impressive individual and team achievements, Nando De Colo thinks Vassilis Spanoulis deserves to be considered the best modern EuroLeague scorer.

Credit: EuroLeague Basketball via Getty Images Europe Credit EuroLeague Basketball via Getty Images Europe

Nando De Colo quickly got rid of Arnas Butkevicius' defense and slid through the baseline for an easy layup.

Nando De Colo

Team:LDLC ASVEL VilleurbannePosition:PG, SGAge:35Height:196 cmWeight:91 kgBirth place:Sainte-Catherine, FranceProfileNewsStatistics

De Colo has been in the EuroLeague for ten years, and he's had way more jaw-dropping shots than his 9th point in Kaunas. Whether it's a buzzer-beater in the NBA, EuroLeague, or French national team, he's got quite the resume.

But this recent layup was special for De Colo. It marked a significant milestone in his career that will forever define his legacy.

The 35-year-old ASVEL Villeurbanne guard passed Juan Carlos Navarro and is now in second place on the all-time EuroLeague scoring list.

In 269 appearances, De Colo has racked up an impressive 4154 points with a stunning career average of 15.4 points per game.

"I think the most important [thing] is the work I can do every day. I think this is what brought me there," Nando De Colo spoke about his achievement with BasketNews in Kaunas.

"Even if tonight it's a tough loss for us, to reach this second place is still a big achievement. I got a lot of respect for that. And that's it. I'm going to keep doing my job," De Colo added.

For four straight years, Nando De Colo was one of the top three scorers in the EuroLeague. During the 2015-16 season with CSKA Moscow, he posted a career-high 19.4 points per game and won the EuroLeague season and Finals MVP awards to lead his team to a championship victory.

He was a Top 10 EuroLeague scorer in seven out of his 10 EuroLeague seasons and never averaged less than 10 points per game.

He's not just a member of the seasonal 50-40-90 club, which is a significant accomplishment for any player at any level. But he takes it to the next level with a CAREER average of 54.5% on 2-pointers, 42% on 3-pointers, and 93.3% from the free throw line.

Nando De Colo

MIN:23.94PTS:13.71 (59.87%)REB:2.67As:3.38ST:0.96BL:0TO:2.83GM:24ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

De Colo is also the all-time top scorer in international European club competitions, including the EuroLeague, EuroCup, Champions League, and other historical tournaments.

Talk about leaving a legacy.

He racked up an impressive list of individual accolades, including three All-EuroLeague First Team selections, three All-EuroLeague Second Team selections, and being named the Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer in 2016.

He was the EuroLeague season MVP in 2015-16 and the Final Four MVP in the same year.

Greatness starts from the small things.

Such as showing up 30 to 60 minutes before practice or never missing treatment. Taking every game in any competition as a final.

Even when he injured his left-hand last year in Fenerbahce, he didn't let it slow him down. Instead, he showed up at the gym to work on his lower body.

It's no wonder why many basketball people call De Colo the most professional player they've ever seen.

"I'm not going to say that I'm Cristiano Ronaldo type of athlete being cautious of everything. But I try to do my best with the help of my wife at home to eat well, rest well, practice hard every day, and try to be the better player I can be for a long time," De Colo explained his discipline.

"It's an example I've got from my father for sure. But then I remember a friend of mine telling me that to be good once is okay and easy for everybody. But the goal is to be at the same level for more than one season," De Colo recalled.

There's more to this player than just his numbers and work ethic. De Colo has also been a part of some significant championship wins.

It starts with the EuroCup title (2010) and two EuroLeague championships (2016, 2019).

De Colo has been on every step of the EuroBasket podium, including winning gold in 2013, silver in 2011, and bronze in 2015.

He earned a silver medal in the Olympics (Tokyo 2020) and a bronze in the World Cup (2014).

With all these impressive accomplishments under his belt, it's clear that De Colo is a serious contender to be considered one of the greatest modern EuroLeague scorers ever.

"I think the best one is Spanoulis. We've got a lot of talent on the court. But he was also the guy who was going to put all his effort every day," De Colo selected his modern EuroLeague GOAT.

It's interesting to consider how De Colo's legacy might be different if he came from a country with a more prominent basketball culture like Greece or Serbia or if he played for one of the most supported clubs in Europe during his prime.

Would Decolovic or Decolounis have received more recognition and been mentioned in the GOAT conversations among basketball fans?

At the very least, he would have expected a congratulatory message from the Prime Minister of his country, who took to Twitter to acknowledge LeBron James' all-time NBA record, yet failed to mention Nando De Colo, the French player who now sits atop the all-time scoring list in European club competitions.

"I always gave everything to France. That's why I'm on the national team every summer. I want to bring my country to the top of everything. That's why I do what I do. But in the end, as I always say, we have great athletes in France. Still, I don't consider France a sports country," De Colo expanded on France not being as passionate a basketball country as Greece or Serbia, which could also impact his recognition worldwide.

"We have great athletes everywhere, but in the end, to support this athlete, we don't have this let's say, spirit as we can have in other countries," he added.

During the interview, one of Europe's all-time greats, Arvydas Sabonis, walked past us and stopped to shake hands.

"Hello, how are you?" the best Lithuanian basketball player ever approached the Frenchman with a wide smile.

"Good, thank you. And you?" De Colo replied, shaking Sabonis's huge hand.

"I'm retired. I have free time," Sabonis grinned with his iconic smile.

"Enjoy!" Sabonis wished De Colo before saying goodbye.

De Colo is still pretty far away from having some time off.

His contract with ASVEL extends through the 2023-24 season, and he has set goals with his new team, including winning his first-ever French championship. Additionally, he is preparing for the FIBA World Cup 2023 and the 2024 Paris Olympics campaign with his national team.

If he stays healthy and maintains an average of at least 7.6 points per game over this and the next EuroLeague season, he will surpass Spanoulis to become the all-time EuroLeague top scorer.

Therefore, De Colo still has many games to play and many baskets to score.

"Listen, right now, just enjoy the game. Do your best," De Colo shared his advice to up-and-coming basketball players with BasketNews. "It doesn't matter what you do. It can be basketball or anything else. It's what I teach my daughters. First, I ask them to know exactly what they want to do. And from this point, they need to do their best and enjoy what they're doing."

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