Nathan Soliman: The best 2009 prospect Europe still has
Nathan Soliman, the 17-year-old forward recently signed by JL Bourg, continues to turn heads after a busy summer of tournaments and a promising start to preseason. He has shown poise scoring against senior sides, picked up a tournament MVP in Belgrade earlier in the year, and is now preparing for his first full campaign at the top level in France while also getting minutes in European competition.
Preseason and the Bourg project
Soliman was Bourg’s top contributor in several friendly outings this summer. He finished among the scorers against Partizan, led the club in points in games versus Lions de Genève and Hapoel Jerusalem, and returned quickly from a minor hand injury after scans showed only a bruise. Bourg signed him to a three-year contract in June, making him part of a significant roster overhaul — the team added many new faces and looks the part of a fresh, competitive group.
Bourg arrive at this season on a high after winning the EuroCup, and the club opted to remain in that competition rather than move up immediately to the EuroLeague. That decision gives Soliman a mix of domestic league matches and European nights to develop, and he’ll be one of several young players expected to find minutes in a squad without a fixed pecking order.
Youth development and international résumé
Soliman’s rise has been rapid. He joined the national training center at a younger-than-usual age and was already training with older age groups as a young teenager. He made his National 1 debut just after turning 14 and impressed with 15 points, and later signed his first pro deal with Hermine Nantes in France’s second division, where he scored 21 on his debut at 16.
On the international stage he’s stood out consistently. He was named MVP of the EuroLeague NextGen qualifier in Belgrade after averaging strong numbers across the event. In youth European championships and World Cups he has repeatedly played up an age group, earning medals and All-Star recognition. At the U16 EuroBasket he averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds in one edition and made an All-Star Five; at U17 World Cups he has been a major contributor, including a huge 37-point, 12-rebound performance in a fifth-place game that underlined his scoring upside and all-around ability.
Physically he’s already a versatile 6-foot-9 forward with ball skills, rebounding instincts and a developing shot. Scouts have noted how he handles the ball, finds teammates and competes on the glass — traits that have allowed him to produce efficiency numbers well beyond his years.
What to expect next
This season will be the biggest test so far: roughly thirty domestic league games plus a European campaign will push Soliman’s stamina and consistency. Bourg’s commitment to a three-year plan suggests they’re willing to give him game time and structure to grow. If he continues to progress at the same rate he has through youth tournaments and preseason, he could become one of the leading young European prospects in his generation.
Whatever the immediate results, the combination of a proven youth track record, early pro experience and a club environment that offers both domestic and continental minutes makes Soliman one of the most interesting young players to follow in Europe.
