Nadir Hifi: the EuroLeague's top scorer who found basketball across the street from home

Nadir Hifi's parents had just moved in across the street from a court in Strasbourg, without even knowing that basketball was played there. One day, Nadir went over to play with his older brother. As he remembers it, he walked in to give it a try and walked out with a club registration form. His father had played football in Algeria and his mother had won swimming races there. Basketball was new to the whole family.

The year he went back home

At 16 he left for the academy in Lille. He stayed one year. His parents could not cover the costs of a second year, so he returned to Strasbourg and played for SIG's reserve team, in the fifth division. He also remembers a period when he had stopped going to high school to focus on basketball. His father insisted that he go back and finish his diploma.

Hifi lived in Algeria for a while as a child. In 2017 he wore the shirt of his parents' country at the U16 AfroBasket and won the bronze medal. In February 2024 he made his debut for the French senior national team against Bosnia and Herzegovina. That same summer he played for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Summer League. There were two games left when he left for family reasons and went back to France, to be close to his family.

Shane Larkin's message

When Hifi was playing in the fifth division, he watched Shane Larkin's videos over and over again. Later, when he was already playing for Le Portel, he found an Instagram message from Larkin himself. The Efes guard told him he had been following his game. They started talking regularly, about when a shot is worth taking and how to control his dribble better on changes of direction.

Years later, on Efes's home floor, Hifi led Paris to a 95-90 win with 28 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 39 PIR. The performance earned him his first MVP of the Round award. After Round 10 of the 2026–27 season he was the EuroLeague's top scorer with 22.1 points per game.

Is Hifi worth it in EuroLeague Fantasy?

Before Round 11, Hifi was averaging 28.7 PIR over his last three games. Fenerbahce were a tough opponent for guards, so his price matters in the decision. If he fits in your roster without weakening another position, he is worth considering. Scoring is the main reason, and his assists give him one more way to push his rating up. See also our captain picks for Round 11.