Nathan Soliman on His adidas NextGen EuroLeague MVP Award: "It Proves I've Improved Every Day"

Nathan Soliman is heading to the adidas NextGen EuroLeague Final Four with a clear objective: to lead the INSEP team to the 2025-26 continental title and to erase the painful memory of their defeat in the 2024 NextGen championship game.

Soliman delivered an MVP-caliber performance as INSEP secured first place in the Belgrade NextGen EuroLeague qualifiers, earning their ticket to the NextGen Final Four in Athens this May.

"It was a great tournament. We came to win, and we did. Now we need to do even better for the Final Four," stated Nathan Soliman. In INSEP's convincing 95-73 victory over U18 Crvena Zvezda in the final, Soliman contributed 19 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks, culminating in an efficiency rating of 35.

Despite being a year younger than most of his competitors, the 2009-born Soliman finished the tournament averaging 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks, for a PIR (Performance Index Rating) of 23.0. He ranked ninth in scoring, sixth in rebounding, seventh in assists, third in blocks, and fourth in PIR.

"I am truly grateful. Winning the MVP title proves that I have improved every day," said Soliman, who is now in his third NextGen season.

This Vichy native's first NextGen journey saw INSEP reach the 2024 championship final in Berlin against U18 Real Madrid, with Soliman being just 15 years old at the time. It was INSEP's first final since their second title in 2017, and fans witnessed an unforgettable game, which Real Madrid won 85-84 after overtime.

While Egor Demin, Hugo Gonzalez, and Mitar Bosnjakovic combined for 67 points for Real Madrid, Jonas Boulefaa led five INSEP players in double digits with 23 points. Among them was Soliman, who scored 11 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and made 1 steal in nearly 21 minutes off the bench.

"It was undoubtedly the craziest basketball game I've ever played. Of course, I remember it. I look back on it with sadness because I think I could have done much better to help my team win," Soliman remarked, having just turned 15 a few weeks before the competition. "It still hurts a lot when I think about it. I learned a great deal from that game, and I believe I've made significant progress because of it. It's part of life." He continued, "That's in the past, and I have to move forward. I have many regrets, but I must keep progressing and improving."

Soliman was also part of the INSEP team that won the Belgrade qualifiers last year, securing their spot in the NextGen Final Four in Abu Dhabi. The French team ultimately lost to eventual champion U18 Zalgiris Kaunas and Real Madrid, finishing second in their group.

That chapter is now closed for Soliman, who has reached new heights in his development this season. Playing in France's third division with the INSEP academy against adults, he averaged 15.6 points, 7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. Then, in mid-February, his transfer to Nantes in the Elite 2 division was announced. In his three games with Nantes since his arrival, Soliman has averaged 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 blocks.

"The intensity is much higher. The game is much faster. The players are more talented. And that's probably why I was elected MVP in Belgrade: I worked on my game. I had to defend against tougher opponents, which allowed me to become stronger and better," Soliman explained regarding his time with his new team.

However, he expressed his enthusiasm about returning to INSEP to prepare for the Belgrade event.

"It was great to come back. My teammates are really nice, so I'm super happy to have been back here and to have won this tournament with them," he said. "Nothing has changed, except for my physical abilities and my experience. I try to pass that on to my teammates, and that's probably part of why we won."

But the work isn't over yet for Soliman and his team.

"I'm really happy. I want a ring. I lost once, and last year was very difficult. I'm here to change that and finally win," he declared. "We are trying to win this year because this year counts more than the last two."

When asked what he expects in Athens in May, he simply replied: "To win, nothing else."

And to exorcise the demons of 2024.