By Stefan Djordjevic/ sdjordjevic@eurohoops.net
The Basketball Champions League has concluded its fifth campaign successfully and it once again showcased many elite players who proved their worth throughout the season.
The competition was no stranger to players with experience from the top leagues across Europe but also from the NBA, and it has also been helping top Draft prospects gain it as well.
With that in mind, Eurohoops picked out four players who’ve already experienced NBA – and are ready to try again – as well as one prospect that is likely to get a chance to do so soon.
Bonzie Colson (SIG Strasbourg)
Who else to start with than the MVP of the 2020-21 Basketball Champions League. Bonzie Colson put on an exemplary run with the French team, leading his squad to the Final Four with 18.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on average.
His best performance came in the regular season, against VEF Riga, when he banked in 31 points while adding eight rebounds, four steals, and one block.
The forward used everything he learned in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks to the fullest and he will without a doubt be looking for another chance to prove himself in the States.
Kyle Wiltjer and Sam Dekker (Turk Telekom)
Turk Telekom couldn’t replicate its success from last year when they managed to get to the Final Eight Tournament, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.
The newly assembled squad, the coronavirus and the injuries all did their part in making the season challenging for one of the early favorites to go all the way.
A bigger challenge meant that some players would have to step up for the Turkish team and two former NBAers did so on a regular basis.
Kyle Wiltjer averaged 15.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while Sam Dekker logged 13.5 points, 5.8 boards, and 2.1 assists per game.
Both had a number of 20+ point performances while Wiltjer went off for 33 early in the season against Hapoel Jerusalem.
There’s no doubt that the former Rockets wish to find their way back to the NBA and Wiltjer’s words to Eurohoops at the start of the season may describe that the best.
“That’s my home. For American players, that’s definitely always a dream. Because there is nothing better than playing in front of friends and family. I would love to play in the NBA someday, but I love Europe as well. I’m just very at peace with basketball and having a great time.”