Axel Toupane (born July 23, 1992) is French professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player for

Paris Basketball Paris Basketball is a French professional basketball club based in Paris. The club currently plays in the LNB Pro A, the first division of basketball in France, and the EuroCup. The club was founded in 2018 by David Kahn and Eric Schwartz. Th ...

of the

LNB Pro A The LNB Pro A, currently known for sponsorship reasons as Betclic Élite, is the top-tier men's professional basketball league in France. The competition has existed since 1921. Since 1987, the Ligue Nationale de Basket has governed the league ...

. Toupane also represents the senior French national team in international events. At 2.01 m (6'7") tall and 101 kg (223 lbs.), he plays at the shooting guard and

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular c ...

positions.

Professional career

SIG Strasbourg (2011–2015)

From 2008 to 2011, Toupane spent time with the

Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez Elan Corporation plc was a major drugs firm based in Dublin, Ireland, which had major interests in the United States. It was listed on the New York Stock Exchange as ELN, the Irish Stock Exchange as ELN.I, and the London Stock Exchange as ELN. ...

and

SIG Strasbourg Strasbourg Illkirch-Graffenstaden Basket, most commonly known as SIG Basket or SIG Strasbourg, is a French professional basketball club that is based in Strasbourg. The club, founded in 1929, competes domestically in the French Pro A League, and ...

under-21 teams before joining the SIG Strasbourg senior squad for the 2011–12 LNB Pro A season. As a rookie, he averaged 2.5 points and 1.4 rebounds in 22 French Pro A League games. In the

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

season, Toupane averaged 3.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in 35 games as he helped Strasbourg reach the French Leaders Cup Final. He was considerably more effective the following season, as he averaged 6.1 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, playing in 41 games. Following the 2013–14 season, Toupane entered the

2014 NBA Draft The 2014 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2014, at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

, but he was not selected. He then competed in the

2014 NBA Summer League The 2014 NBA Summer League consists of two pro basketball leagues organized by the NBA and the Orlando Magic just after the 2014 NBA Draft. Ten teams took part in the week-long summer league at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, from July 5 ...

for the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division. The ...

' affiliated team, for which he averaged 3.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game over four games. He returned to Strasbourg following his play in the Summer League, and in the 2014–15 season, Toupane averaged 7.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in 42 Pro A games. Strasbourg finished as the regular-season leaders for a second straight year in 2015 and also won the

French Cup The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and professional ...

and the French Leaders Cup.

Raptors 905 (2015–2016)

On July 23, 2015, Toupane signed with the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Atlantic Division (NBA) ...

after having averaged 4.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in three Summer League games for the team. On October 24, 2015, he was waived by the Raptors after appearing in two NBA preseason games. On October 31, 2015, Toupane was acquired by the Raptors' affiliate team in the

NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...

, the

Raptors 905 The Raptors 905 are a Canadian professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Mississauga, Ontario, and are affiliated with the Toronto Raptors. Raptors 905 began play in the 2015–16 season and play their home games at Paramount Fi ...

. On November 19, he made his debut for the Raptors 905 in a 109–104 loss to the

Maine Red Claws The Maine Celtics (formerly the Maine Red Claws) are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Portland, Maine, and are affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The Maine Celtics play their home games at the Portland Expo B ...

, recording 17 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and one steal in 30 minutes of playing time.

Denver Nuggets (2016)

On March 3, 2016, Toupane signed a 10-day contract with the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

after having averaged 14.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 steals over 32 games in the D-League. The next day, he made his

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United ...

debut in a 121–120 loss to the

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

, recording one rebound in five minutes off the bench. He later signed a second 10-day contract with the Nuggets on March 14, and a multi-year contract on March 25. At the conclusion of the 2015–16 season, Toupane was named the NBA D-League Most Improved Player. On October 15, 2016, Toupane was waived by the Nuggets.

Return to Raptors 905 / Milwaukee Bucks (2016–2017)

On October 30, 2016, Toupane was reacquired by the Raptors 905. On February 25, 2017, he signed a 10-day contract with the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

. On March 4, 2017, he was waived by the Bucks and then reacquired by the Raptors 905 later that day.

New Orleans Pelicans (2017)

On April 10, 2017, Toupane signed with the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their home ...

for the remainder of the 2016–17 season. On July 25, 2017, he was waived by the Pelicans.

Žalgiris (2017–2018)

On July 27, 2017, Toupane signed with the Lithuanian club Žalgiris of the LKL League. His solid defence helped the team in both the Euroleague, where Žalgiris reached the first Final Four in 19 years and finished in third place, and the LKL, where Žalgiris won its eighth consecutive LKL championship. Toupane was among the best players in the league cup series, which Žalgiris also won.

Olympiacos (2018–2019)

On July 17, 2018, Toupane signed a two-year deal with the Greek team

Olympiacos Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...

of the EuroLeague. In 45 games, he averaged 5.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. On April 13, 2019, Toupane parted ways with Olympiacos.

Unicaja (2019–2020)

On August 21, 2019, Toupane signed a 1+1 year contract with Unicaja of the Liga ACB.

SIG Strasbourg (2020)

On September 1, 2020, Toupane signed with

until October 17.

Santa Cruz Warriors (2021)

On December 3, 2020, Toupane signed a training camp deal with the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

. On December 18, 2020, the Warriors released him. On January 12, 2021, Toupane was included on the roster of the Warriors' affiliate, the

Santa Cruz Warriors The Santa Cruz Warriors are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Santa Cruz, California, and are affiliated with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors play their home games at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Prior to ...

, for the 2020–21 season that took place at the

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a multi-purpose sports complex located in the Walt Disney World Resort, in Bay Lake, Florida, United States, near Orlando. The complex includes nine venues and hosts numerous professional and amat ...

Walt Disney World Resort The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...

, located near

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures r ...

Second stint with the Milwaukee Bucks (2021)

On March 14, 2021, the

announced that they had signed Toupane to a

two-way contract A two-way contract is a professional sports contract that stipulates that an athlete's salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play. This is opposed to a one-way contract that would pay the same salary regardless of ...

. In the regular season he played in 8 games, starting one and averaged 1.8 points 0.8 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 7.6 minutes per game. He played in 3 of the 4 games in the first round of the NBA playoffs against the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...

, where the Bucks swept the Heat 4-0. In four total playoff games, Toupane averaged 1.3 points 1.0 rebounds on 50% shooting. Toupane won his first NBA championship when the Bucks defeated the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Pacific Division (NBA), P ...

in 6 games in the

2021 NBA Finals The 2021 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2020–21 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the Eastern Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks ...

Return to Santa Cruz Warriors (2021)

On October 15, 2021, Toupane signed with the

, but was waived the next day. On October 25, he was reacquired by the

Paris Basketball (2022–present)

On January 6, 2022, Toupane marked his return to France, signing with

of the

until the end of the 2023–2024 season.

National team career

As a member of the junior national teams of France, Toupane played at the

2011 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship The 2011 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship was the 14th edition of the FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship. The competition featured 16 teams, held in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain from July 14–24. Spain became a champion for the first time. Par ...

, where he won a bronze medal, and at the

2012 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship The 2012 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship was the 15th edition of the FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship. 16 teams featured in the competition, held in Slovenia from 12 to 22 July 2012. Lithuania won the title for the second time. Participating ...

, where he won a silver medal. Toupane has also been a member of the senior

French national basketball team The France men's national basketball team (french: Équipe de France de basketball) represents France in international basketball and is administered by the French Federation of Basketball. France is currently ranked fifth in the FIBA World Ra ...

. With France's senior team, he played at the

2017 EuroBasket EuroBasket 2017 was the 40th edition of the EuroBasket championship that was organized by FIBA Europe and held between 31 August and 17 September 2017. Beginning from 2017, the continental championships take place every four years with a similar ...

.Axel TOUPANE (FRA).
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Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

, 21 , , 0 , , 14.5 , , .357 , , .325 , , .765 , , 1.5 , , .7 , , .3 , , .3 , , 3.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

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New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, 8 , , 1 , , 7.6 , , .364 , , .500 , , .714 , , .8 , , .5 , , .3 , , .4 , , 1.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 33 , , 1 , , 12.5 , , .378 , , .326 , , .750 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , .3 , , .3 , , 3.1

Playoffs

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, 4 , , 0 , , 2.5 , , .500 , , .500 , , – , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.3

EuroLeague

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , style="text-align:left;", Strasbourg , 10 , , 2 , , 15.1 , , .355 , , .143 , , .500 , , 2.7 , , .9 , , .2 , , .1 , , 2.5 , , 2.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2017–18 , style="text-align:left;", Žalgiris , 34 , , 21 , , 15.3 , , .503 , , .375 , , .711 , , 2.1 , , .5 , , .4 , , .1 , , 6.9 , , 5.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2018–19 , style="text-align:left;",

, 26 , , 4 , , 13.3 , , .382 , , .361 , , .815 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , .5 , , .2 , , 4.8 , , 3.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 70 , , 27 , , 14.6 , , .444 , , .353 , , .727 , , 1.9 , , .5 , , .4 , , .1 , , 5.5 , , 4.4

Personal life

Toupane is the son of Jean-Aimé Toupane, a basketball coach and former player of

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣� ...

ese descent, and a French mother.