By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv added another piece to the 2023/24 puzzle by signing Cuban forward-center Jasiel Rivero. The 2.06 M (6-9), 29-years-old big men showcased himself in an impressive maiden EuroLeague season last year playing for Valencia.
“Jasiel Rivero is a proven and experienced EuroLeague player”, confirmed Head Coach Oded Kattash, “He is versatile and can play both the 4 and 5 positions. He is a player that can bring us more toughness”.
“I am super happy and excited to have this new opportunity”, said Jasiel Rivero to Maccabi.co.il, “We want to have lots of success and good things with this big project. I can’t wait to arrive and join this family. To our fans – enjoy this season and we will give everything we have on the court”.
Rivero began his pro basketball journey with the local Capitalinos de La Habana, but after just one season embarked on an exile. He played in Uruguay for a season and then spent two years with Estudiantes de Concordia in Argentina.
In 2018, San Pablo Burgos from Spain noticed his potential and signed him to a contract, but first loaned him out to Boca Juniors for one season. With the prestigious Argentine club, “Papi” delivered 19 points and 5 rebounds per game.
His arrival to Europe came the following summer, as he landed in Burgos. There, Rivero established himself with 12.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in his second season. He helped the team to back-to-back BCL titles while being chosen to the second-team all-BCL and second-team all-ACB.
He joined Valencia in 2021 and proved his worth with 12.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in the EuroCup en route to a semi finals appearance. This past season, his first in the EuroLeague, the Cuban big played nearly 19 minutes per contest and had 9.4 ppg and 3.5 rpg. In the local league, he scored 11.7 points while shooting 44% from deep, along with 4.2 per game.
In Maccabi, Rivero will bolster a front line already consisting of Roman Sorkin, Josh Nebo, Jake Cohen and his teammate from Valencia, James Webb III.