By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague has always been a force of attraction for NBA players who started to see their American dream sliding down, having less minutes than in their first apperances in the biggest league in the world, and needing places where to shine once again.
It happened, for example, with last year’s addition of Shabazz Napier to EA7 Emporio Armani Milano during the season, or in the past few years with players like Nikola Mirotic, Ignas Bradzeikis, or Dante Exum for example, coming back to Europe or starting a whole new adventure in the Old Continent.
In the summer of 2023, however, we’ve seen the biggest transposal of NBA players (European, American, or from other continents) to the EuroLeague, proving a whole new attraction by the biggest league here towards figures who want to move out from US soil. Let’s take a look at them.
Raul Neto – Fenerbahce
Age: 31 years old
NBA teams: Utah Jazz (2015-19), Philadelphia 76ers (2019-20), Washington Wizards (2020-22), and Cleveland Cavaliers (2022-23)
Stats in the 2022-23 season: 3.3 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game with the Cleveland Cavaliers
Before the clock in Brazil’s opening game at the 2023 FIBA World Cup against Iran could count 7:51 minutes in the third quarter, Raul Neto was proving to be his team’s leader being put in the starting lineup next to Yago dos Santos. However, that was the moment that saw his competition end.
Suffering a long-term and serious injury, rupturing his right knee’s patellar tendon, he couldn’t contribute to both Brazil’s following games in Group G and his newest team’s preparation ahead of the 2023-24 season. At the beginning of August, in fact, he signed a 1+1 contract with Fenerbahce.
Coming back to Europe after eight years, shining with UCAM Murcia in 2014-15 after being selected by the Utah Jazz with the 47th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Brazilian playmaker will be available for Dimitris Itoudis in a few months. Having played more than 300 games in the NBA between Utah, Philadelphia, Washington, and Cleveland, however, makes him enter the list.
Frank Jackson – ASVEL
Age: 25 years old
NBA teams: New Orleans Pelicans (2017-20), Detroit Pistons (2020-22), and Utah Jazz (2022-23)
Stats in the 2022-23 season: 21.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game with the Salt Lake City Stars in the G-League
Usually, we are used to seeing NBA players coming to Europe when they surpass the 30-year border, still in sufficient shape to make things work in the EuroLeague. The case of Frank Jackson, however, is different.
Struggling to find significant minutes in his last American experience with the Utah Jazz, being moved permanently to the Salt Lake City Stars, the 25-year-old guard proved to be an offensive force in the G-League, scoring 21.8 points per game and being his team’s highest-scorer.
Heading to one of the less prepared teams in the whole competition talent-wise, the former New Orleans Pelicans scorer will grow in terms of playmaking by a legend of the European game like Nando De Colo, stepping up on perimeter defense with Paris Lee as well, potentially.