Yves Missi

About

Yves Thierry Missi ( EEV MEE-see; born 14 May 2004) is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Baylor Bears and was drafted by the Pelicans with the 21st pick of the 2024 NBA draft.

Missi was born on 14 May 2004 in Belgium but grew up in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He moved to the United States in 2021 and began attending West Nottingham Academy in Maryland. He later transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, California, and averaged 9.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. A five-star recruit, he was highly recruited and was ranked by ESPN as the second-best player in California, the 13th-best player nationally and third-best center.
Missi played at the Nike Hoop Summit in 2023 and won The Grind Session World Championship with Prolific Prep, earning a place at the GEICO High School Nationals. He also played in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) and averaged 12.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game with the PSA Cardinals. He committed to playing college basketball for the Baylor Bears and reclassified to be able to…