By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Semi Ojeleye officially parted ways with Valencia and joined Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet.
The team based in Belgrade welcomed the 30-year-old combo forward on Monday.
After 322 NBA games between 2017 and 2022, Ojeleye used overseas options to expand his career. In the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with Virtus Segafredo Bologna and Valencia for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, he switched to the BKT EuroCup last season and was named ot the All-EuroCup Second Team.
The Taronges also confirmed his departure.
Per the press release: “Valencia Basket and Semi Ojeleye (2.01m, Ottawa [Kansas], 12/05/94, 30 years old) have agreed that the player will not continue with the “taronja” club next season, bringing the American forward with a Nigerian passport’s time at the Club to an end.
The player joined our men’s team from Virtus Bologna in the summer of 2023 and played a total of 124 games wearing the Valencia Basket jersey. In his first season, he was the team’s highest-rated player in the EuroLeague and the second-best in the Liga Endesa, finishing the season with averages of 13 points, 45.2% shooting from three, and 4.1 rebounds for a performance index rating of 13.6.
In May 2024, he extended his contract with Valencia Basket for two more seasons. In the season that has just ended, splitting time between the Liga Endesa and the BKT EuroCup, he has averaged 10.8 points, shooting 38.5% from beyond the arc, along with 3.1 rebounds for a PIR of 9.2.
The Club would like to thank Ojeleye for his professionalism and dedication during his time defending the Valencia Basket colors and wishes him all the best in his future, both professionally and personally.”
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net