When Brancou Badio steps onto the court, the name displayed on the back of his jersey immediately stands out. Instead of using “Badio”, the Senegalese international has chosen his first name, “Brancou”. It is not a marketing decision or simply a preference. It is a personal tribute to his family and, more specifically, to his grandfather.
Speaking to Sportal, the new Panathinaikos guard explained that he was named after his mother’s father. That family connection also gave birth to the nickname by which he is widely known today.
“I was named after her father, my grandfather, whose name was Brancou. That is my name as well. That’s why, when I was born, she started calling me ‘Papi’, and eventually I became known by that name. I love it because it reminds me that I carry my grandfather’s name,” Badio said.
The nickname followed him from childhood into professional basketball. Although supporters know him as Brancou Badio, the people closest to him have always called him “Papi”. For his family, it carries a much deeper meaning, connecting him to the man whose name he inherited.
“In sport, everyone knows me as ‘Papi’. My family, especially, knows what it means to me. In this way, I honour the name of my grandfather, who was my mother’s father,” he added.
That is also why “Brancou” appears on his jersey instead of “Badio”. Every time he competes, the name of his grandfather is present with him, turning a simple detail on a basketball uniform into a permanent family tribute.
As Badio begins a new chapter of his career with Panathinaikos, supporters will gradually become familiar with “Brancou” on the back of the green jersey. Behind that name, however, lies a story of family, memory and identity—one that accompanies “Papi” everywhere basketball takes him.
