By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Marial Shayok is back in the EuroLeague by signing a two-year contract with Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv, the club announced. The 29-year-old player previously played in the top-tier European competition with Fenerbahce Beko.
Per Maccabi:
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv signed Marial Shayok to a two-season contract, as the 1.98-meters (6-6) G/F will be the latest reinforcement to Oded Kattash’s squad. Born in Canada, Shayok is of South-Sudanese descent and represented the African team in this summer’s Olympic games alongside Maccabi center Wenyen Gabriel.
Marial Shayok is a lanky swingman who is known for being a constant threat from beyond the three-point line, shooting at around a 40% clip for most of his career. The new Maccabi player is also a good ball-handler, capable of freeing himself for his shots as well as playing off the ball. Most recently, Shayok made headlines by scoring 25 points in an exhibition game against team USA, with South Sudan almost upsetting the eventual gold medal winners in Paris.
“We are pleased that a player like Marial joins us”, said head coach Oded Kattash. “He is a shooter that will give us more versatility and depth at the guard and forward positions, and we are looking forward to getting him up to speed quickly so he can help us achieve our goals”.
Shayok was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on July 1995 to Makur and Helena, both originally from South Sudan. His father was a hooper, playing collegiately for the Dayton Flyers. Along with Marial, two of his four siblings also got hooked on basketball, with his sister Yar playing professionaly in France and and his brother Shayok playing for Bradley University.
Marial started playing basketball at the age of 7 and was highly recruited out of high school, choosing to represent the Virginia Cavaliers. After three seasons there, he transferred to the Iowa State Cyclones, where he blossomed in his senior year, posting 18.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 2 APG.
Shayok was drafted 54th overall by Philadelphia, but only played a handful of games for the 76ers, instead showcasing his game in the G-League. His first taste of basketball outside North America came in January 2021, when he signed in Bursaspor in Turkey. Soon after, Fenerbahce came knocking, and he experienced the EuroLeague with 15 games and 4.6 points per game for the Turks. After that season, he came back to the G-League and also had a brief stint in China, before joining Maccabi.