Former Philadelphia 76ers wing Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot has been absolutely dominating overseas, putting up incredible numbers in the EuroLeague. When he was in Philadelphia, Luwawu-Cabarrot didn’t pan out—one of the many players of that era in Philly who never made it in the NBA. But now, he’s found new life overseas as a star.
Luwawu-Cabarrot is still only 30 years old, so he is in the prime of his professional basketball career. Perhaps there could be room for him to make a return to the NBA at some point in the near future, but for the time being, he’s broken out as a star in the EuroLeague.
That’s something many 76ers fans probably never saw coming.
What is Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot up to?
Luwawu-Cabarrot had a six-year career in the NBA, with the first two of those coming in Philadelphia, where he played from 2016 to 2018, at the tail end of the tanking era.
He was the No. 24 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, getting selected less than 10 picks ahead of Pascal Siakam, Dejounte Murray, and Ivica Zubac, who went on to be All-Stars (or close to it, in Zubac’s case).
After two seasons with the Sixers, Luwawu-Cabarrot moved on to short stints with the Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooklyn Nets (two years), and Atlanta Hawks. But after the 2021-22 season, he made the jump to international ball.
He played in the French League as a teenager before getting drafted by the Sixers, and since heading back, he’s played in Italy, France (again), and Spain.
This season, however, he’s made the leap from solid EuroLeague player to potential MVP candidate while hooping for Baskonia in the Spanish league.
Through his first 13 games of EuroLeague play, Luwawu-Cabarrot has played 26.8 minutes, which is the 21st-most among all players in the competition. His scoring has been the highlight.
Luwawu-Cabarrot is averaging 19.6 points (second-most in the EuroLeague), 3.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 53.1% from the floor and 47.4% from deep on 7.3 three-point attempts per contest.
Considering Luwawu-Cabarrot’s three-point shot was one of the things that held him back in his NBA career, at least during his time in Philly, his incredible efficiency from distance may come as a surprise.
He has a serious chance of winning some awards on the international scene this season with how well he has been playing.
And based on his short career witht he 76ers, that’s not something most people would have seen coming.