By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
There are some huge storylines in the upcoming 7DAYS EuroCup Final.
From the return of Micheal Eric of Turk Telekom, who had suffered a season-ending ACL injury on January 2022 and returned to action one year later just in time to make a push for the final with his new team, to the presence of Turkish talent David Mutaf in the roster of Gran Canaria.
However, when all is said and done, A.J. Slaughter deserves more than just a mention for being finally in the position to win a continental title after a long and successful career on all levels of European basketball.
Since 2010, Slaughter has played for 10 different European teams, including Panathinaikos in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.
While he always delivered pretty much what was expected from him, he never stayed on a team for more than one season, until in 2020 he signed with Gran Canaria.
When he finally found a home, Slaughter was already at least half European on paper after getting Polish citizenship in 2015, and Gran Canaria proved the right match for him. Now, he and the club are aiming for the EuroCup trophy and a EuroLeague return. But at first, things were not easy for him and the islanders…
A troubled start to a dreamy relationship
While A.J. Slaughter had signed a deal with Gran Canaria, he was released from his contract by mutual agreement before he could even join the team, when it was known that he would miss the September training camp due to health issues. But some things are meant to be and Slaughter was re-signed by the team at the start of November, starting the longest tenure of his career in one club.
This is already his third season in Gran Canaria and as he said speaking to the Sports Rabbi at the start of the season about staying with the Spanish club: “The organization from the first year welcomed me in after a serious health issue and they took a chance on me. I am comfortable on the court and have been able to record some big wins this season.”
It’s not often that a journeyman near the end of his career gets a long-term deal in Europe, but Gran Canaria and Slaughter are the exceptions.
And there’s a good reason for that.
The right man for the difficult moments
Gran Canaria is a team of equals with many players stepping up at the right time, but Slaughter’s experience stands out.
He is the second leading scorer of the team with 10.4 points per game, just behind John Shurna (11.4), as well as its third-best assist-maker and second-best player in steals. He has a “been there, done that” mentality since his resume includes also a steady presence with the Polish national team.
A champion in France and Greece so far, in the 7DAYS EuroCup Final he will have the first and probably the best shot in his career to add a continental title to his trophy case.
And on such an occasion, don’t expect him to miss.