Hard work is often viewed as a key ingredient in the recipe for success. In the NBA, Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks continues to embody this philosophy. The Nets signed guard Yakuba Ouattara to a two-way contract on Friday.

Brooklyn Nets Sign Yakuba Ouattara

The Official Announcement

The Nets signed Ouattara to a two-way contract. Teams are permitted to sign a maximum of two two-way contracts in addition to their 15-man roster. Two-way players primarily represent the NBA team’s G-League affiliate but can spend up to 45 days with the NBA team during a season. Most notably, this time does not include any days prior to the start of the G-League team’s training camp and after the conclusion of their season.

According to European Basketball insider David Pick, Ouattara worked out for the Nets previously:

OKC, BRK and DAL brought in French star Billy Ouattara for workouts. He chose to skip Summer League to honor his national-team commitment. — David Pick (@IAmDPick) June 20, 2017

Ouattara expressed his excitement via social media:

So Happy and so excited to be a New Member of the @brooklynnets family.

Can't wait to start this… https://t.co/qor1QPY6k8 — yak (@yakubaouattara) July 21, 2017

Who is Yakuba Ouattara?

Billy Yakuba Ouattara is a French international basketball player. Born in Tepa, Ghana, Ouattara is 25 years old. A 6’4″ shooting guard, Ouattara has played professionally since 2012. Especially relevant, Ouattara played in the top French league throughout his professional career, showing consistent improvement along the way.

In the French premier division, LNB-Pro A, Ouattara represented Elan Chalon and AS Monaco. Last season with AS Monaco, Ouattara averaged 12.7 points and 5.0 rebounds while playing 29 minutes per game. Ouattara also played 18 games in the Basketball Champions League, where he averaged 10.6 PPG and 2.8 RPG. He contributed to his team making it to the Basketball Champions League Final Four.

Ouattara’s Resumé

Ouattara’s performances have not gone unnoticed. In 2016, he was selected to the French national provisional team. This is the pool for which the national teams are chosen to represent Team France Basket in FIBA EuroBasket 2017 and continuing on for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 and Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Players selected for Team France Basket signed a “charter of engagement.” Following the 2016 season, Ouattara was a Eurobasket.com All-French ProA Honorable Mention for 2016.

Ouattara was also a member of the French international program for multiple years. He has played for the French senior team since 2016 and played for the U20 National Team back in 2011. Ouattara represented France at the World University Games in Gwangju (South Korea) two years ago. In eight games there, he averaged 7.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game on 45.5 percent shooting from the field and 70.6 percent from the free throw line.

Athletically, Ouattara is a high-flying freak. Ouattara’s athleticism and accuracy from three-point range make him an intriguing prospect. Welcome to Brooklyn, Yakuba Ouattara.

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