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2013 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame: profile of Jean-Jacques Conceicao (ANG)

MIES (FIBA Hall of Fame) - On Monday 27 May, FIBA announced the 2013 Class of Inductees of the FIBA Hall of Fame. Over the next three weeks (weekdays from 28 May to 12 June), we will profile all 12 of the inductees. We begin with a look at Angola's Jean-Jacques Conceicao.

Angola has a rich history in international basketball and much of that is owed to Jean-Jacques Conceicao, the 2.00m power forward who dominated for Africa's most successful national team.

He is a member of the 2013 FIBA Hall of Fame class.

For anyone who watched him play at FIBA World Championships in 1986, 1990 and 1994, or at the 1992 Olympics, when Angola were the first opponents of the United States 'Dream Team', there is universal agreement that Jean-Jacques had a giant presence on the court.

Born in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, in 1964, he shot to fame in the sport as a member of Angolan powerhouse Primeiro de Agosto in Luanda where he played from 1982 to 1988.

For the remainder of his career, which lasted until 2003, Conceicao played in Europe and enjoyed most of his success in Portugal.

From 1988 to 1996, he shone for Benfica in Lisbon, winning seven national league titles, six league cups, five Portuguese Cups and four Portuguese SuperCups.

After spells with Limoges in France and Unicaja Malaga in Spain, he returned to Lisbon to play for Portugal Telecom from 2000 to 2003 and captured three league crowns, two cups and a SuperCup.

He was best known for his performances with Angola, whom he led to seven Afrobasket titles from 1992 to 2003.

After being the top scorer at the 1986 and 1990 FIBA World Championships for Angola, Conceicao showed up at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and led his national side with an average 17.7 points per contest.

Two of his memorable performances at that Olympics were against hosts Spain, when he had 22 points and eight rebounds in an 83-63 Angola victory, and in a defeat in the next game against a star-laden Croatia when he had 24 points and seven boards.

He is revered not only in Angola, but on the African continent.

As part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the foundation of FIBA Africa in 2011, he was named Africa's Most Valuable Basketball Player.

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