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Thabo Sefolosha
Thabo Patrick Sefolosha (/ˈtɑːboʊ ˌsɛfəˈloʊʃə/; born 2 May 1984) is a Swiss former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Turkish Basketball League, LNB Pro A, and Lega Basket Serie A. In 2006, Sefolosha became the first player from Switzerland to play in the NBA, and in 2013, he was labelled the best Swiss basketball player of all time by Swiss newspaper Freiburger Nachrichten.
Sefolosha was born on 2 May 1984 in Vevey, Switzerland to Patrick Sefolosha, a Black South African musician, and Christine Sefolosha (née Beck), a Swiss artist. Sefolosha speaks French, Italian, and English.
Sefolosha was invited to join the junior Swiss national basketball team, and at age 17, he began a professional career with Vevey Riviera Basket, in Switzerland's top domestic league. On a team trip to France, Sefolosha was approached by a French talent scout to play with Élan Chalon in the premier pro league in France.
Sefolosha spent his first year in Chalon-sur-Saône playing with the junior under-21 squad, which traveled alongside the senior club. The following year (2002–03), Sefolosha earned a rotation spot on the senior club, where he played 30 games and averaged 4.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.
The following season, Sefolosha earned a starting spot on the senior team, which he helped lead to a third-place finish in the French league and his team advanced to the playoffs semifinals. During the season, Sefolosha averaged 9.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 30.7 minutes per game.
Before the start of his fourth season with Élan Chalon, a contract dispute between Sefolosha and the team arose. Sefolosha's agent and the team president could not reach an agreement on a new contract, so Sefolosha signed with Italian team Angelico Biella. "Last summer, I had the chance to re-negotiate my contract with the club. We were supposed to reach an agreement, but when my agent and the president started talking, they couldn't agree on a contract. They wanted to keep me, but at the same time I had this offer from Italy. That's when I decided that the best thing for my career was to play in Biella. Yes, there was a little bit of trouble, but in the end it was OK."
Sefolosha was taken with the 13th pick of the 2006 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and promptly traded to the Chicago Bulls for the 16th pick (Rodney Carney), and cash considerations. In an article on Bulls.com, Sefolosha was quoted saying "I was certainly surprised (at the draft) when someone came up and said that I was the next to be picked. I thought maybe he had made a mistake or something. But a few minutes later he came back and told me that not only was I going to be picked, but that I was going to be traded to Chicago, which really got me excited."
Bulls head coach Scott Skiles cited that Sefolosha's wingspan and past pro basketball experience as reasons why the Bulls were interested in him. "Thabo's got great physical gifts that, frankly, a lot of guys in the league just don't have. He's got tremendous length and has really quick hands, he grabs your attention whenever you watch him play. It's easy to see that he knows what he's doing out there. You can tell he likes to play defense, too. He's eager to get after it."
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Thabo Sefolosha
Thabo Patrick Sefolosha (/ˈtɑːboʊ ˌsɛfəˈloʊʃə/; born 2 May 1984) is a Swiss former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Turkish Basketball League, LNB Pro A, and Lega Basket Serie A. In 2006, Sefolosha became the first player from Switzerland to play in the NBA, and in 2013, he was labelled the best Swiss basketball player of all time by Swiss newspaper Freiburger Nachrichten.
Sefolosha was born on 2 May 1984 in Vevey, Switzerland to Patrick Sefolosha, a Black South African musician, and Christine Sefolosha (née Beck), a Swiss artist. Sefolosha speaks French, Italian, and English.
Sefolosha was invited to join the junior Swiss national basketball team, and at age 17, he began a professional career with Vevey Riviera Basket, in Switzerland's top domestic league. On a team trip to France, Sefolosha was approached by a French talent scout to play with Élan Chalon in the premier pro league in France.
Sefolosha spent his first year in Chalon-sur-Saône playing with the junior under-21 squad, which traveled alongside the senior club. The following year (2002–03), Sefolosha earned a rotation spot on the senior club, where he played 30 games and averaged 4.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.
The following season, Sefolosha earned a starting spot on the senior team, which he helped lead to a third-place finish in the French league and his team advanced to the playoffs semifinals. During the season, Sefolosha averaged 9.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 30.7 minutes per game.
Before the start of his fourth season with Élan Chalon, a contract dispute between Sefolosha and the team arose. Sefolosha's agent and the team president could not reach an agreement on a new contract, so Sefolosha signed with Italian team Angelico Biella. "Last summer, I had the chance to re-negotiate my contract with the club. We were supposed to reach an agreement, but when my agent and the president started talking, they couldn't agree on a contract. They wanted to keep me, but at the same time I had this offer from Italy. That's when I decided that the best thing for my career was to play in Biella. Yes, there was a little bit of trouble, but in the end it was OK."
Sefolosha was taken with the 13th pick of the 2006 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and promptly traded to the Chicago Bulls for the 16th pick (Rodney Carney), and cash considerations. In an article on Bulls.com, Sefolosha was quoted saying "I was certainly surprised (at the draft) when someone came up and said that I was the next to be picked. I thought maybe he had made a mistake or something. But a few minutes later he came back and told me that not only was I going to be picked, but that I was going to be traded to Chicago, which really got me excited."
Bulls head coach Scott Skiles cited that Sefolosha's wingspan and past pro basketball experience as reasons why the Bulls were interested in him. "Thabo's got great physical gifts that, frankly, a lot of guys in the league just don't have. He's got tremendous length and has really quick hands, he grabs your attention whenever you watch him play. It's easy to see that he knows what he's doing out there. You can tell he likes to play defense, too. He's eager to get after it."
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