By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Signing Patrick McCaw in early August made some noise, but the three-time NBA champion will not play for Filou Oostende. RJ Nembhard ended up with the Belgium champions, completing the 2023-24 squad.
Nembhard, 24, penned a one-year contract. Having a cup of tea with the Cleveland Cavaliers marked 14 games played in the NBA during the 2021-22 season, his first coming out of TCU. Opting for Europe in 2022-23, he produced stints with Fos-sur-Mer in France and UnaHotels Reggio Emilia in Italy, including one appearance in the Basketball Champions League. Moving to his third professional campaign, the productive combo guard will return to the BCL with a lasting original in Oostende.
McCaw, 27, was detained for four days and deported from Belgium because of visa problems. A couple of weeks after the unexpected setback and voiding of his contract, the team coached by Dario Gjergja managed to find a suitable replacement in Nembhard. Haris Bratanovic, Servaas Buysschaert, Simon Buysse, Khalil Ahmad, Pierre-Antoine Gillet, Damien Jefferson, Joppe Mennes, Xander Pintelon, Sam Van Rossom, Matthias Tass, and Matteo Verstraete shape the rest of the roster.
Oostende has been crowned champion in Belgium every year since the 2011-12 season, upping the total to 24 titles in team history. Experience beyond the domestic league expanded to the Champions League since the inaugural 2016-17 campaign, resulting in being among the teams participating in every single Regular Season of FIBA Europe’s top-tier club continental competition alongside former champions AEK and Lenovo Tenerife.
Photo Credit: YouTube