Jérémy Gohier, 7 feet 3 inches at 14 years old | “I see myself making the big league”

Jérémy Gohier is only 14 years old, but already tons of Basketball programs around the world are vying for him. For his 7 feet 3 inches, yes, but also and above all for what he can accomplish on the pitch…

Jérémy Gohier has been playing basketball for eight years within the Laval Basketball Association’s Nobel program, but it was last September that he, in a way, came out of the shadows.

His coaches and mentors, Daniel Mulumba and Emmanuel Borno, agreed, after a long reflection, to have him participate in a camp bringing together the best North American prospects, the “future basketball talents”, according to Mulumba. The two men had been receiving calls for several months for Jérémy to take part. Said camp takes place once a year in the United States.

What we must understand is that Mulumba and Borno, who have been supervising Jérémy for three years, are trying to protect him as much as possible. This is also why they initially refused our interview request last October – the media attention, after the camp, was excessive.

The camp, it was said, was being held in Indianapolis in September.

“All the biggest media, in terms of sport and basketball, are in this camp. [Les organisateurs] told us how big it was. I said to myself: “Phew, OK,” relates Mulumba. It could go really well, but it could also go badly. If he doesn’t perform and things don’t go well, he can get destroyed by the media. It’s not necessarily positive.” »

“Luckily, it went well for him,” adds the coach.

How much? “Great. A little too much. »

M^me Brosseau will always remember this weekend. During the first day, Friday, Jérémy’s Instagram account went from 1,800 to 11,000 subscribers after videos of his son were posted on social media. The mother didn’t sleep all night.

The next day, when the family showed up for the second day of camp, Jérémy had barely entered the establishment when dozens of people were asking him for photos.

“We said: ‘If we had asked for $5 per photo, we would have come out with at least $100,000,’” says Mulumba.

The beginnings

A few months have passed since the camp in Indianapolis; the attention around Jérémy gradually relaxed. The young man, his coaches and his mother therefore agreed to meet The PressWednesday, within the walls of Georges-Vanier secondary school in Laval. We were able to learn a little more about the man who, already at 14 years old, is making the biggest basketball programs in the world salivate…

Jérémy signed up for basketball at age 6; At the time, his parents required him to play at least one sport or activity. He chose basketball because of the proximity of training to the family home. M^me Brosseau also remembers very well the first time she showed up for training with her son.

“When I arrived, I introduced myself to Éric Denis, the president of the Association Basketball Laval. I said, “Excuse me, I registered my son [dans le programme des 7 à 9 ans, mais] He’s not yet 7 years old.” I saw him, he was just making Jérémy look at him. He stood up and said: “Welcome to Basketball Laval, Jérémy!” », says the mother, laughing.

Jérémy was then 4’10” tall – he was already taller than his first grade teacher. If he did not immediately fall in love with basketball, “he quickly realized that it was rewarding for him,” says his mother.

In the summer of his 12th birthday, Jérémy crossed the 7-foot mark. Over the years, he played in the recreational section, then the competitive section of the Nobels. Currently in Sports-Studies, he plays in civilian life with the Nobels and in school with the school team. This season, at 7’3″, he is part of the team of 4^e secondary rather than 2^e secondary.

“No choice, he’s too big. It doesn’t challenge him,” says Emmanuel Borno.

“He’s still a child”

Jérémy Gohier stands out for much more than his size. His coaches praise his mobility, a rather rare quality among players of such size.

“Jérémy is moving well,” says Mulumba. […] The fact that he played with smaller players allowed us to make him play something other than just playing like a big guy. He played in other positions; some games I told him to bring the ball up. He didn’t want to. Today it is versatile. »

“One of the first things I noticed when I started coaching him, it wasn’t even how he throws, how big he is, it was more his passing decisions. Sometimes he just makes good passes, it’s instinctive. […] He understands how to position himself. That’s special. »

Jérémy has also gained a lot of confidence over the years. “He realizes he can dominate. That’s what’s scary! », exclaims Emmanuel Borno, while the main person displays a shy smile.

In 2023, Jérémy began taking part in tournaments in Toronto, becoming more widely discovered across Canada. Since then, Mulumba and Borno have made sure to protect the teenager while continuing to develop him adequately. And every day, they respond to emails from big names in basketball.

“Look, I just received an email from a school in Toronto,” says Geneviève Brosseau, putting down her phone.

“He’s just 14 years old, he’s still a child,” recalls Mulumba. He needs to be protected from all this attention. »

In full health

Of course, life at 7’3″ isn’t always easy. Daniel Mulumba remembers a time when, faced with the looks he received, Jérémy experienced all kinds of emotions. “We said to ourselves: ‘OK, we have to find a way to protect him,’ because it was becoming too much,” he says.

Today, Jérémy lives well with his reality. When he enters a place he doesn’t know, “he walks with his head held high and he looks straight ahead,” says Geneviève Brosseau.

The mother also specifies that her son is in good health, having been followed by endocrinology. “Everything agrees with his age of 14, except his height. Even internally: we did ultrasounds to see if his liver, his heart, his lungs are growing at the same time; That might have been a problem. But no. He has the same heart as the little boy who is 4’11” tall. When he runs, he pumps a lot more, but he has the same organs as any 14 year old boy. »

For the future, Jérémy has great ambitions, he who is a great admirer of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama.

“I see myself making the big league, doing everything in Canada, and ending up in the United States, maybe in the NCAA,” he said. I would like to go to the prep school in Orangeville because it is one of the best schools in Canada in terms of basketball. Afterwards, in the NCAA, maybe Duke. »

“I’m never going to tell him that it’s 100% sure that you’re going to do it, but if you believe in it and you put in the work… He has a great work ethic,” explains Mulumba. […] Jérémy is a young man who, in the last three years that I coached him, has never missed a practice. Even when he is sick or injured, he shows up. »

Geneviève Brosseau has only one desire for her son.

“All I want is for him to be well and happy. »

So let’s wish him that.