By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
On the sidelines since late December, Adrien Moerman moves on from AS Monaco.
Moerman, 34, parted ways with Monaco upon mutual agreement, the team announced Friday evening.
Coming in from Anadolu Efes in the offseason, the experienced power forward added 16 more games played in his lengthy EuroLeague run tallying 2.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.7 steals, and 0.4 steals per contest. In France’s Betclic Elite LNB Pro A, he had 6.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. However, he was not featured in the lineup over the last three weeks.
The 2021-22 season MVP of the Basketball Champions League, Chima Moneke recently joined La Roca Team and effectively replaced Moerman on the squad guided by Serbian tactician Sasa Obradovic.
Up to 12-8 in Europe’s top-tier club continental competition, Monaco currently ranks fifth, 1.5 games behind leading Real Madrid. A league-leading 14-3 paints the picture on the domestic portion of the 2022-23 campaign.
Moerman on Anadolu Efes’ back-to-back championships
Playing for Anadolu Efes from 2018 to 2022, Moerman emerged as a key member of the team coached by Ergin Ataman going from a disappointing last-place finish in the 2017-18 season to reaching the 2019 Final Four championship game. Looking good in the 2019-20 season as well, the season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The next two seasons sent the Istanbul outfit to the first back-to-back set of titles since Olympiacos in 2012 and 2013.
The former international player for France has made his way to 239 EuroLeague games. Besides Monaco and Efes, previous experience stems from FC Barcelona Lassa in 2017-18, Darussafaka Dogus in 2016-17, Limoges CSP in 2014-15, SLUC Nancy in 2011-12, and Entente Orleanaise in 2009-10. Also, the Monaco run marked the return to France’s top division for the first time in ten years.
In contrast to the brief spell at the senior level limited to the successful 2016 Olympic Games FIBA Qualifying Tournament in Manila, Moerman represented France at all junior levels winning gold medals in the 2004 U16 European championship and in the 2006 U18 European championship.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net