According to Basketball Sphere sources, the transfer of Paris center and Belgian international Ismael Bako to Zenit of the VTB League is a done deal.
Ismael Bako joined Paris this summer but failed to establish himself in coach Francesco Tabellini’s rotation and will now leave the club. J
Claim Now Bako appeared in just nine EuroLeague games for the French side, averaging 2.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.
This will be his third season in the VTB League, as he previously played for Unics Kazan from 2023 to 2025. Last season with the team from Kazan, he averaged 9.1 points and 6.9 rebounds over 51 games.
Bako is a member of the Belgian national team and at the most recent EuroBasket he posted averages of 8.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1 block per game. In terms of EuroLeague experience, he has also played for Asvel (two seasons) and Virtus, though he did not leave a particularly strong impression with any of those teams.
Following the departure of Aleksandar Sekulic from the head coaching position, Zenit appointed Belarusian coach Rostislav Vergun, and Ismael Bako will be the first signing of the new head coach in Saint Petersburg.
Rostislav Vergun has joined the coaching staff of Zenit BC first team as an assistant coach and will serve as interim head coach.
— Zenit Basketball Club (@zenitbasket) January 23, 2026
The contract with the Belarusian specialist runs through the end of the 2025/26 season. pic.twitter.com/ByxshK4CWK
INTERVIEWS:
- Jaka Lakovic: Zeljko Obradovic simply puts you into a mode where you constantly think about basketball
- Zlatko Jovanovic: I stand behind my decision, Honved is living its dream and continues to dream!
- Sani Becirovic: Zenit is thinking seriously, and in the next year or two we are aiming for the highest level
- Levi Randolph: I know what the EuroLeague is, and I hope to play at that level again wearing the Zenit jersey
- Zac Seljaas: I’m a unique person, family means everything to me
- Aleksa Avramovic: Defense wins championships – for sure!
- Nenad Dimitrijevic: It’s sad for the EuroLeague and Partizan that Zeljko Obradovic left
- Ilona Korstin: We are in contact with both the EuroLeague and the NBA, we are present in all meetings
- Bogdan Tanjevic: The main difference between Partizan and Crvena Zvezda – domestic players still lead the way
- Nicolo Melli: We had no-phone rules with Zeljko Obradovic; There was interest from Partizan
- Bo McCalebb: How can you not respect Zeljko Obradovic? My only regret is that I didn’t listen to him enough
