Born in the French overseas department of Martinique and raised in Le Morne-Vert until the age of 15,[1] Lessort joined the youth ranks of Élan Chalon in 2010 and won the French national championship with Chalon’s cadet team in 2012 and 2013 and with their development team ("Espoirs") in 2013. He also helped Chalon win the 2013 Trophée du Futur.[2]
Professional career
Early years
Lessort was handed his first professional contract by the club in June 2014[3] and made his debut in the French top-flight Pro A during the 2014–15 season. Before turning professional, he had considered enrolling at a university in the United States and had been in touch with Gonzaga and North Carolina State.[4]
He saw action in 23 games as a rookie, chipping in with 2.0 points a game, while pulling down 2.0 rebounds per contest.[5] In 2015–16, he logged his first minutes in a European club competition, the FIBA Europe Cup.[6]
On 11 August 2017 Lessort signed a three-year deal with the Serbian club Crvena zvezda.[11][12] He played there only in the 2017–18 season, before signing with Spanish ACB side Unicaja in July 2018.[13]
Lessort spent the 2019–20 season in Germany with Bayern Munich.
On 25 September 2021, Lessort signed a 2-month contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League in order to replace the injured Ante Žižić.[15] In five games, Lessort averaged 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He parted ways with the team on 26 November.[16]
On 18 July 2022, he signed a new contract with Partizan.[18] Under coach Željko Obradović. He was one of the most useful players in the Euroleague, he was in the first team of the Euroleague, and he was also one of the main candidates for the MVP title. During the 2022–23 season, Partizan was eliminated from the Real Madrid in tight playoffs series. Over the season, Lessort averaged 12 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Partizan ended the 2022–23 season by lifting the ABA League championship trophy, after 3–2 score against Crvena zvezda in the Finals series.[19]
Panathinaikos (2023–present)
On 27 June 2023, Lessort signed a two-year contract with Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos. On February 29, 2024, in a 97–86 win against Real Madrid, Lessort set his EuroLeague career-high of 26 points, alongside 7 rebounds and 4 assists. On May 26, 2024, Lessort helped Panathinaikos win its seventh EuroLeague title by scoring 17 points and recording 6 rebounds in a 95–80 win over Real Madrid in the final.
Lessort played in the 2013 Nike Global Challenge, averaging 19.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks a game,[23] while receiving International All-Tournament Team honors.[24]
He represented France at the 2014[25] and 2015 U20 European Championships. In 2015, he averaged 4.1 points and 5.1 rebounds en route to a semifinal appearance.[26] As a member of the French men's national team, he captured a bronze medal at the 2019 World Cup[27] and a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.