Luc Loubaki, from one medical replacement to another: heading to Aix-Maurienne

The return of national team players has brought some bad news for LNB clubs. We think of Bourg-en-Bresse, with Xavier Castañeda’s season-ending injury, but also Aix-Maurienne, who lost Gerson Gonçalves.

After suffering a muscle injury that kept him out of the last two games before the break, the Angolan international still went to play in the AfroBasket 2025 qualifiers. He played 29 minutes in the first game against Guinea, then spent the rest of the weekend in civilian clothes, before receiving the verdict upon his return to Lake Bourget: an indefinite break of at least one month.

Off-target at Poitiers, but mainly expected for defense at Aix

To maintain their strong momentum, the surprising 6th-placed Pro B team decided to hire a medical replacement. Luc Loubaki (1.93 m, 28 years) has joined AMSB with immediate effect, as he’s already eligible for Friday’s away game at Évreux.

A former prospect from INSEP, Orléans and Monaco, he has become a Pro B regular over the past seven years, notably spending six seasons at Lille (including a peak of 8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in 2022/23). Left without a team last summer after LMB’s dissolution, he briefly returned to competition early this year during a four-game medical replacement stint at Poitiers, where his shooting appeared particularly off (1/14 total, averaging 1.8 points at 6%, 1.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists).

This matters little to Aix-Maurienne, obviously, as the PB86 sample size is small and the Savoyard team didn’t really need additional offensive firepower. With 90.2 points per game, AMSB boasts the best average in the league, and Luc Loubaki will be mainly expected to contribute on the other end of the floor, as Kenny Grant explains. « He can play and defend multiple positions. His experience and physical presence will be real assets, without changing our playing style. He’s a great addition to the team in Gerson’s absence. »