Veteran point guard Danny Gibson will be back playing hoops in Poland after signing with Polish power WKS Slask Wroclaw. The 35-year-old has several seasons' worth of experience in Poland, playing for three different teams in the country's top division from 2013-2016 (including a season with Slask Wroclaw from 2013-2014). More recently, he spent the 2018-2019 season in Turkey with Demir Insaat Buyukcekmece, where he averaged 10.2 points and 3.8 assists per game as Buyukcekmece finished outside the playoff picture at 8-20.
Slask Wroclaw has had a middling start to the season at 2-3 after being promoted last season from 1 Liga, Poland's second division. Gibson joins fellow Americans Andrew Chrabascz, Clayton Custer, Torin Dorn and Michael Humphrey on the roster.
Isaiah Briscoe is returning to the international hoops scene after signing with Ratiopharm Ulm, a member of the German Basketball Bundesliga, October 24. Entering his third season of professional basketball, Briscoe spent his rookie season abroad in Estonia with BC Kalev/Cramo before moving stateside for his second year, where he suited up for the NBA's Orlando Magic. Briscoe played in 39 games for the Magic, averaging 3.5 points in 14.3 minutes per game played.
Despite limited appearances last season, Ratiopharm Ulm is getting a high-volume scorer in Briscoe who averaged 18.5 points per game in his rookie season for Kalev after two years at the University of Kentucky. The team will certainly need it, as they are off to dismal starts both in the BBL (1-2) and in the EuroCup (0-4).
Well, we did it. We made it through an entire off-season of hoops! (insert praise hands emoji here)
Though the NBA regular season officially kicked off last night, the international hoops season is nearly in full swing. Several countries started their domestic leagues in late September/early October, and now with the NBA starting we've got basketball going strong all around the world! And with that, it's time to get back to one of our favorite recurring features - Baller of the Week!
Sigortam.net ITU Basket continues to strengthen its roster as the team begins its first season in Turkey's top league, signing 24-year-old forward Antonio Campbell four games into the season.
Campbell arrives in Turkey after playing for three teams during the 2018-2019 season, spending the preaseason with Pinar Karisyaka in Turkey before playing the majority of the season with the Lakeland Magic in the NBA G League. There, he averaged 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game before spending some time in China after the G League season concluded. He joins a ITU Basket team that is not only off to an 0-4 start in the Turkish Basketball Super League, but is losing their games by an average of 37 points per game in their return to Turkey's first division for the first time in 13 years. Campbell should help provide depth to a team that invested in several American veteran players headed into the season, including Kevin Dillard, Archie Goodwin and Cole Huff.
Former NBA draft pick and Los Angeles Laker Andrew Goudelock is headed to Italy for the second time in his career after signing with Umana Reyer Venezia in Lega Basket Serie A. Goudelock arrives after spending last season in China with the Shandong Golden Stars, where he averaged 22.2 points per game in 19 games played.
After spending the first two years of his career in the NBA and the NBA G League, the former College of Charleston star has played for some of the best teams Europe since then while competing in top-flight competition, including the EuroLeague and the EuroCup (he was MVP of the 2013-2014 EuroCup season). Reyer Venezia hope that his scoring will help them in their own EuroCup run, which has gotten off to a bit of a rocky start at 1-2. However, they also sit at 2-2 in the Italian league, so there is plenty of room for improvement with this team as the season continues.
Veteran forward Jakim Donaldson has signed with Bnei Herzliya ahead of the start of Israel's National League season, Ballers Abroad has learned. Entering his 15th season of professional basketball, this will be Donaldson's third season playing in Israel and the second time suiting up for Bnei Herzliya after playing for the team from 2013-2014. Last season, his second ever in Israel after playing for ESSM Le Portel for the four seasons prio, he averaged 11.3 points per game for Hapoel Be'er Sheva as he helped the team to a quarterfinal berth in the Winner League playoffs.
Though it's his second go-around with Herzliya, it will be the first time playing for them in the National League, Israel's second division. Americans Kendall Anthony, Anthony Fisher and Gabe Levin join him on a team that will be looking to move back up after being a mainstay in the country's top league for more than a decade. |