It's been four years since Shabazz Napier left the NBA, after a turbulent 2019/20 season, between Covid and his trade from Minnesota to Washington at the trade deadline.
Too irregular in the most prestigious league in the world, the leader then fell back on the European continent, joining Zenit Saint-Petersburg in the summer of 2021, for a first experience far from the USA stopped by the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine eight months later.
It was his time at Olimpia Milan, including his two Italian championship titles under Ettore Messina, and his few months at Red Star Belgrade at the start of the 2022/23 season that made him a reference point guard in Europe, with his 12 points and more than 3 assists on average in his 40 games played in the Euroleague. Enough to encourage two other residents of the biggest European league to try to attract him.
An announcement from his agents… withdrawn
Marco Belinelli and Isaïa Cordinier's Virtus Bologna were on the case, as were Bayern Munich. It would have been the German club that was the most persuasive.Shabazz Napier's agency announced his transfer to Bavaria yesterday in a post that has since been removed, probably due to timing issues with his new club.
The official announcement should not be long in coming. At Bayern Munich, Shabazz Napier would share the lead with another former NBA player who left to try his luck in Europe, shooting guard Carsen Edwards, who played for Boston and Detroit, who was a starter last season and who has just extended his contract. Another point guard completes the rotation in the person of Yam Madar, also drafted by the Celtics, who arrives from Fenerbahçe.
