In a recent challenging match where BBD, fueled by an outstanding performance from Hugo Robineau (33 points and 7 assists), pushed MSB to its limits (with the final score not fully reflecting the game’s intensity), 49-year-old Alexandre Ménard of Cholet returned to Le Mans for the first time since 2017. He had spent 19 seasons there. During the post-game press conference, he shared his reflections:
“I owe everything to Le Mans,” Ménard stated, visibly moved. “It was my first home, the first professional team that placed its trust in me. I owe so much to JD Jackson (the coach under whom I served as assistant), to Christophe Le Bouille (MSB’s president), to Vincent Loriot (the sporting director), to all the administrative staff, and to Antoine Mathieu (the current assistant coach and former youth team coach) with whom I’m very close. I owe them an immense debt of gratitude, and I always will, for launching my career and believing in me.”
He continued, “I only have good memories here. My son was born here, and we lived here for ten years, participating in the EuroCup every year. Sometimes I even feel like it was in another life entirely, because those seasons felt like they counted double. I still have many friends who remained here. There was inevitably a lot of emotion before and after the game. During the match, of course, there are no gifts given; we were opponents. Le Mans will always remain in my heart as a significant chapter that helped me grow tremendously.”
