The progress card of 10+1 former EuroLeague stars!

25/Dec/17 11:55 December 26, 2017

Aris Barkas

25/Dec/17 11:55

Eurohoops.net

Last summer several players chose to leave Europe with the purpose of trying their luck in the NBA and the Chinese league. How have they fared since then and who have been justified in their decision?

Βy Giorgos Orfanakis / info@eurohoops.net

Right now, the Chinese league and the NBA are the two largest competitors of the EuroLeague, with several of its biggest stars choosing to play outside of Europe.

There are many reasons for this and, among other things, they have to do with the heavy game schedule, annual earnings and of course the “glamor” that goes with playing in the best league in the world. Every kid dreams of playing in the NBA one day and for several European and American athletes, that time has come.

Eurohoops singled out the cases of 10 players who packed their backs and headed to foreign lands just a few months ago. Where are they today and how well are they doing?

PS. We miss you Aaron Jackson…

Keith Langford

Team: Shenzhen Leopards

Stats: 16.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists

Keith Langford’s decision to leave Unics Kazan and the EuroLeague to join the Chinese league caused a great surprise. The American guard was coming off the most productive season of his career with a total of 609 points (21.8 on average) in 28 games and he certainly could have found a high-paying contract with one of the top clubs in the competition.

Besides, Langford had made history when he became the only player who has scored more than 600 points in a single season. This record got him the Alphonso Ford award for the second time (2014, 2017) and he confirmed that he’s one of the most charismatic scorers of all time.

And yet! The Shenzhen Leopards convinced Langford to sign a one-year contract and play in the Chinese league for the first time. There, the 34-year-old has played in 16 games so far, tallying an average of 16 points, 2 assists and 3 rebounds, with his team being in 5th place in the standings with 12 wins and 5 losses. Let’s hope we’ll see him come back one day…

Ekpe Udoh

Team: Utah Jazz

Stats: 2.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists

Ekpe Udoh graced the courts of the EuroLeague with his presence for two seasons in the colors of Fenerbahce, before returning where he belongs, the NBA! Under the instructions of Zeljko Obradovic, the 30-year-old center evolved into one of the complete American players who have competed on European soil, his performance in defense, as well as offense, being amazing.

It’s telling that in his second and last season, Udoh averaged 12.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1 steal and 2.2 blocks, making him the ultimate MVP of the historic Final Four that saw Fenerbahce emerge as the winners.

Armed with a great skillset, everything he learned in Europe and the maturity of his game, he returned to the NBA and the Jazz. There, he has played in 27 games so far with an average of 2.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.5 blocks, contributing to Utah’s effort to make the Western Conference finals.

We would be lying if we said he’s not missed from the courts of the EuroLeague…

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