Isaïa Cordinier (born 28 November 1996) is a French professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for

Virtus Bologna Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna, known for sponsorship reasons as Virtus Segafredo Bologna, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1929, which makes it the oldest club in Italy and one ...

of the Italian

Lega Basket Serie A The Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) is a professional men's club (sport), club basketball list of basketball leagues, league that has been organised in Italy since 1920. Serie A is organised by Lega Basket, which is regulated by the Italian Basketball ...

(LBA) and the

EuroLeague The EuroLeague is a European men's professional basketball club competition. The league is widely recognised as the top-tier and the most prestigious men's basketball league in Europe. The league consists of 20 teams, of which 16 are given lon ...

. He was selected by the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

with the 44th overall pick in the

2016 NBA draft The 2016 NBA draft was held on June 23, 2016, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It was televised nationally in the U.S. by ESPN, and was live streamed for the first time in NBA draft history by The Vertical. National Basketball Association (NBA) ...

. Standing at , he plays at the

shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game ...

and

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three, is one of the five Basketball position, positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than Power forward (basketball), power forwards and Cent ...

positions.

Early life and career

Cordinier started playing basketball at age seven, in

Vence Vence (; ) is a commune set in the hills of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France, north of Nice and Antibes on the Mediterranean coast. Ecclesiastical history The first known Bishop ...

. His father is from the French overseas department of

Martinique Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...

and Cordinier lived in Martinique from 2006 to 2009. He later joined the youth academy of Sharks d’Antibes.

Professional career

Antibes Sharks (2012–2014)

Cordinier made his debut on Antibes’ senior men's team, in the French second division, in November 2012, when he was 15 years and 11 months old. During the 2013-14 campaign, he made his debut in the French top-tier level Pro A.

ALM Évreux (2014–2015)

For the 2014–2015 season, Cordinier transferred to second-division side

ALM Évreux Basket ALM Évreux Basket is a French professional basketball club based in Evreux, France. The team plays in the LNB Pro B, the French second division. Season by season Honours LNB Pro B Leaders Cup Champions 2021-2022 Notable players * Isaia Cordin ...

. In 23 games, he averaged 4.9 points and 2.1 rebounds for Évreux.

Denain-Voltaire (2015–2016)

Prior to the 2015–16 season, Cordinier penned a deal with another second-division team, Denain ASC Voltaire. In April 2016, Cordinier was selected to play in the

Nike Hoop Summit The Nike Hoop Summit is an international basketball all-star game sponsored by Nike, Inc., Nike, held once a year, which features the USA Basketball Men's Junior Select Team against a World Select Team of international players. The players demons ...

, where he tallied eight points, five rebounds and one assist, in 21 minutes off the bench. Later that month, he declared for the

NBA draft The NBA draft is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) annual event, dating back to 1947 BAA draft, 1947, in which the teams in the league can Draft (sports), draft players who declare for the draft and that are Eligibility for the NBA dr ...

. On June 13, 2016, Cordinier was one of 13 different international underclassmen (including one of four different Frenchmen) to enter the

Return to Antibes Sharks (2016–2019)

Cordinier joined

Olympique Antibes Olympique Antibes, in full ''Olympique d'Antibes Juan-les-Pins'' and branded as Antibes Sharks, is a basketball club from the city of Antibes, France. Established in 1933, the club's men's senior team currently plays in LNB Pro B, the French seco ...

of the French top-flight

LNB Pro A LNB may refer to: Sport * Liga Nacional de Baloncesto, a professional basketball league in the Dominican Republic * Liga Nacional de Básquetbol, an Argentine basketball league * Liga Nacional de Básquetbol (Paraguay), Liga Nacional de Básquetb ...

, for the 2016–17 season. He made 30 Pro A appearances for Antibes in 2016–17, averaging 6.5 points and 2.8 rebounds a contest.

Nanterre 92 (2019–2021)

On June 5, 2019, Cordinier signed a two-year deal with

Nanterre 92 Nanterre 92 is a professional basketball club from the city of Nanterre (a western suburb of Paris), France. The club has played in French basketball league system, the top-tier level basketball league in France, the LNB Pro A, Pro A, since 2011. ...

of the

. During the 2020–21 season, he averaged 12 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals in LNB Pro A, along with 15.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.7 steals in the EuroCup, and was named to the

All-EuroCup First Team The EuroCup Basketball All-EuroCup Team is an annual award of the secondary level European-wide professional club basketball league, the EuroCup. The EuroCup is the European-wide professional basketball league that is one tier level below the ...

for the 2020–21 season.

Virtus Bologna (2021–present)

On October 5, 2021, Cordinier signed a two-year contract with

of the

. After having ousted

Lietkabelis BC Lietkabelis (), commonly known as Lietkabelis Panevėžys, also known as 7bet-Lietkabelis for sponsorship reasons, is a Lithuanian professional basketball club based in Panevėžys, Lithuania, participating in the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga, Lit ...

Ulm Ulm () is the sixth-largest city of the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with around 129,000 inhabitants, it is Germany's 60th-largest city. Ulm is located on the eastern edges of the Swabian Jura mountain range, on the up ...

and

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

in the first three rounds of the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

, on 11 May 2022, Virtus defeated Frutti Extra Bursaspor by 80–67 at the Segafredo Arena, winning its first EuroCup and qualifying for the

after 14 years. However, despite having ended the regular season at the first place and having ousted 3–0 both

Pesaro Pesaro (; ) is a (municipality) in the Italy, Italian region of Marche, capital of the province of Pesaro and Urbino, on the Adriatic Sea. According to the 2011 census, its population was 95,011, making it the second most populous city in the ...

and

Tortona Tortona (; , ; ) is a ''comune'' of Piemonte, in the Province of Alessandria, Italy. Tortona is sited on the right bank of the Scrivia between the plain of Spinetta Marengo, Marengo and the foothills of the Ligurian Apennines. Its ''frazione'' of ...

in the first two rounds of playoffs, Virtus was defeated 4–2 in the national finals by

Olimpia Milano Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano, commonly known as Olimpia Milano or as EA7 Emporio Armani Milan after its title sponsor, is an LBA Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy. Its colors are white and red, and the team is sometimes ...

. On 29 September 2022, after having ousted Milano in the semifinals, Virtus won its third Supercup, defeating 72–69

Banco di Sardegna Sassari Polisportiva Dinamo, commonly known as Dinamo Sassari and currently known as Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari for sponsorship reasons, is an Italian professional basketball club that is based in Sassari, Sardinia. They are the 2018–19 FIBA Euro ...

and achieving a back-to-back, following the 2021 trophy. However, despite good premises Virtus ended the EuroLeague season at the 14th place, thus it did not qualify for the playoffs. Moreover, the team was defeated in the

Italian Basketball Cup The Italian Basketball Cup (Italian: Coppa Italiana di Pallacanestro), or Coppa Italia, is an annual professional basketball competition between pro clubs from the Italian Basketball League (LBA). It is Italy's first-tier cup competition, and is ...

final by

Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...

. In June, after having ousted 3–0 both Brindisi and Tortona, Virtus was defeated 4–3 by Olimpia Milan in the national finals, following a series which was widely regarded among the best in the latest years of Italian basketball. On 24 September 2023, after having ousted Olimpia Milano in the semifinals, Virtus won its fourth Supercup, and the third in a row, defeating 97–60 Germani Brescia. Despite an impressive first half of the season, Virtus ended the EuroLeague regular season at the 10th place, qualifying only for the play-in, where after having defeated 67–64

Anadolu Efes Anadolu Efes Spor Kulübü, commonly referred to as Anadolu Efes or simply Efes, is a Turkish professional basketball team based in Istanbul. Founded in 1976, the club was formerly known as Efes Pilsen until 2011. Efes is the 2021–22 EuroLeagu ...

, it lost against Baskonia 89–77, not qualifying for the playoffs. Moreover, the Black V placed first during the Italian regular season but, after having knocked out

by 3–2 and

Reyer Venezia S.S.P. Reyer Venezia Mestre, commonly known as Reyer Venezia or simply Reyer, is an Italian professional basketball club that is based in Venice, Veneto. The club currently plays in the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA), the highest tier of basketball i ...

by 3–1, it lost the third consecutive final against Milan by 3–1. In the following season Virtus ended the EuroLeague at the 17th place, after a disappointing regular season. After arriving first in the national championship season, Virtus eliminated Venezia 3–2 and their arch-rival Milan 3–1, reaching their fifth finals in a row. They then defeated Brescia 3–0, claiming the Italian championship title for the 17th time.

NBA draft rights

Cordinier was drafted by the

, in the

(2nd round, 44th overall, fourth of five Frenchmen taken), and played for the Hawks in the 2016

NBA Summer League The NBA Summer League, also known as the Las Vegas Summer League, is an off-season basketball competition organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA). NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regula ...

. On July 13, 2018, Cordinier's draft rights were traded to the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...

, along with a future 2nd-round pick, for

Jeremy Lin Jeremy Shu-How Lin (born August 23, 1988) is a Taiwanese-American professional basketball player for the New Taipei Kings of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL). He unexpectedly led a winning turnaround with the New York Knick ...

and picks. In September 2021, the Nets renounced to Cordinier's draft rights, making him an unrestricted free agent.

National team career

Cordinier was named to the French Under-18 junior national team that competed at the

2014 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship The 2014 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship was the 31st edition of the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. 16 teams participated in the competition, held in Konya, Turkey, from 24 July to 3 August 2014. The tournament served as the qualifying tour ...

, in Turkey. He saw the court in nine games during the tournament, tallying 9.7 points, 5.6 boards, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steal per contest. Cordinier then joined France at the 2023 World Cup, as well as at the 2024 Olympics.

Career statistics

EuroLeague

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2022–23 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...

, style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2",

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

, 19 , , 6 , , 18.0 , , .427 , , .239 , , .738 , , 2.5 , , 1.5 , , .8 , , .1 , , 6.6 , , 6.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2023–24 , 31 , , 27 , , 22.3 , , .483 , , .338 , , .780 , , 3.8 , , 2.6 , , .9 , , .5 , , 8.6 , , 10.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 50 , , 33 , , 20.7 , , .465 , , .299 , , .783 , , 3.3 , , 2.2 , , .9 , , .3 , , 7.8 , , 8.8

Personal life

His father

Stéphane Stéphane is a French given name an equivalent of Stephen/Steven. The word derives from the Greek word "''στεφάνι''" (stefáni) n (plural στεφάνια), meaning wreath, garland (of flowers), and the verb "στέφω" (stéfo), meaning "t ...

is a former professional

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

player, who represented France in the

1996 Olympic Games The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

in Atlanta and won bronze at the 1997 World Handball Championship. Isaia also played handball before turning to basketball.

References

External links

Isaïa Cordinier
at draftexpress.com
Isaïa Cordinier
at

eurobasket.com Eurobasket.com, also commonly referred to as "Eurobasket News", is a basketball-centered website that provides coverage of every professional and semi-professional club basketball league from around the world, as well as many amateur level lea ...

Isaïa Cordinier
at eurocupbasketball.com
Isaïa Cordinier
at nbadraft.net
Isaïa Cordinier
at RealGM.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cordinier, Isaia 1996 births Living people 21st-century French sportsmen 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup players ALM Évreux Basket players Atlanta Hawks draft picks Basketball players at the 2024 Summer Olympics Black French sportspeople Denain Voltaire Basket players French expatriate basketball people in Italy French men's basketball players French people of Martiniquais descent Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics Nanterre 92 players Olympic basketball players for France Olympic medalists in basketball Olympic silver medalists for France Olympique Antibes basketball players Sportspeople from Créteil Basketball players from Val-de-Marne Shooting guards Small forwards Virtus Bologna players