By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After winning the Basketball Champions League with Lenovo Tenerife, Kyle Wiltjer opted to move his talents to China.
Wiltjer, 29, is officially a new player for the Zhejiang Lions. He is gearing up to compete in China’s CBA. “Year seven loading,” he wrote in a post shared on Twitter, “Headed to Hangzhou with the family. Excited for the next challenge and new opportunity.”
Over the first six years of his professional career, Europe was the place to be for the last five years. In 2021-22, he played for Lenovo Tenerife providing a big outside threat and remaining qualities in the run to win the Champions League. He averaged 11.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.2 blocks per contest over 18 appearances stretching all the way to the Final Four held in Bilbao.
Becoming an NCAA champion with Kentucky in 2012 and moving on to Gonzaga, he launched his professional career in 2016 joining the Houston Rockets as an undrafted free agent. He made his way to 14 NBA games and spent time in the G League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in 2016-17. In 2017-18, he began at the Toronto Raptors and ended up at the Raptors 905, before going overseas and signing with Olympiacos. From Greece to Unicaja in 2018-19 and two seasons at Tofas was the path leading to last season’s stint at Tenerife.
Beyond the club level, Wiltjer represented Canada in the 2019 FIBA World Cup and other international competitions.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League