By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After piling up points for the last two years in China’s CBA, Antonio Blakeney will compete in the BKT EuroCup with Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv.
Blakeney, 28, inked a contract for the remainder of the 2024-25 season, the team announced on Monday.
Among the main contenders in the BKT EuroCup hoping to clinch a berth to the 2025-26 edition of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, the team coached by Stefanos Dedas carries a stacked roster headlined by 36-year-old guard Patrick Beverley. More players include Ben Bentil, Oz Blayzer, Bruno Caboclo, Marcus Foster, Tomer Ginat, Johnathan Motley, Guy Palatin, Joe Ragland, Bar Timor, and Ish Wainright.
A former standout of Louisiana State, his professional career starting in 2017 went from the NBA and G League to China, Bahrain, and Israel. In 2022-23, Blakeney led the Chinese Basketball Association with 32.7 points per game for the Jiangsu Dragons and followed up with 30.5 points per game with the Nanjing Monkey Kings last season. Between the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns, he logged 76 NBA appearances with the Chicago Bulls, tallying 7.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per contest.
Returning to Israel after a brief stint with Hapoel Be’er Sheva at the bottom end of the 2021-22 season, he meets the team based in Tel Aviv at 3-1 in Group A of the EuroCup Regular Season and 2-0 in Israel’s Winner League.
Up next in Round 5 of the EuroCup Regular Season, his new side visits Dolomiti Energia Trento on Wednesday.