From Outdoor Courts To The Pros
Justin Ndjock-Tadjoré didn’t pick up a basketball until he was 14, shooting around on an outdoor court in Gatineau. On October 24, the now 25-year-old, six-foot-seven forward was selected in the second round of the NBA G-League draft by the Austin Spurs, the development affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs.
He told Radio-Canada the moment felt like a blessing, proof that his years of work were paying off. Within two hours of hearing his name called, he was already on a flight to Texas to join the team’s training camp.
Built A Resume Right Here At Home
Ndjock-Tadjoré’s path to pro basketball ran straight through the region. He suited up for the Griffons at Cégep de l’Outaouais before joining the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, where his game kept growing.
His talent didn’t go unnoticed locally either. The Ottawa BlackJacks drafted him 14th overall in the 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League draft, then fourth overall the year after, before signing him to his first standard player contract this past season. He also spent time playing overseas for BK Ogre in the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League, rounding out a resume that clearly caught NBA scouts’ attention.
Interest From Multiple NBA Clubs
The Austin Spurs weren’t the only organization paying attention. Both the New York Knicks and the Toronto Raptors showed interest around the G-League draft, with the Raptors inviting him to tryouts back in mid-September.
It’s the kind of attention that speaks to just how far Ndjock-Tadjoré has come since those early days on a Gatineau court.
Following In Familiar Footsteps
Ndjock-Tadjoré credits Gatineau-area guard Olivier Hanlan, who also played a season with the Austin Spurs back in 2017-18, as one of his biggest inspirations. He remembers the buzz around Hanlan growing up and a piece of advice the veteran once gave him directly during a training session at Cégep de l’Outaouais: the sky’s the limit.
It’s a line that’s stuck with him ever since, and one that feels fitting as he now chases the same path.
What’s Next
Ndjock-Tadjoré’s focus now turns to cracking the Austin Spurs’ lineup when the team opens its regular season on Friday. For a kid who started shooting hoops outdoors in Gatineau just a decade ago, it’s a milestone worth celebrating, and the kind of hometown success story that reminds us how far local talent can go.
