THE Matt Thomas he is in all seriousness his player Panathinaikou. The American shooting guard signed until the summer of 2023, with the “greens” having the right to unilaterally renew at the end of the season for another year, that is, until the summer of 2024.
With the addition of the 28-year-old ace (1.91m), the roster of Dejan Radonić’s team now has nine foreigners, with only six of them having the right to participate in domestic competitions and the only one – for the moment – who is out of the plans being Andrew Andrews.
Noted for his long-range shooting ability, Matt Thomas has European experience from his time at Obradeiro and Valencia in 2017-2019. Since 2019, he has been struggling to find a place in the NBA competing in the Raptors, Jazz and Bulls. He has a total of 139 NBA games averaging 4 points, 1.2 rebounds in 9.7 minutes. His last official appearance was on March 21, 2022 in a Bulls game against the Raptors.
The former NBA player spoke to paobc about his decision to return to Europe for Panathinaikos: “I’m just excited. I can’t wait to start working with my new team-mates and my coach and to play in a top level club in Europe like Panathinaikos, with a rich history and amazing fans. I can’t wait to grab this great opportunity by the hair, to play in the Euroleague and live in this wonderful city called Athens“, he initially emphasized.
The experienced guard showed that he knows a lot about his new team: “I enjoyed my time in Europe and specifically in Spain. I heard and learned a lot about Panathinaikos. I watched many matches, I saw in videos the great players who have worn his shirt and the atmosphere created by his fans. Panathinaikos is a top level club and I’m really looking forward to wearing the green shirt“, write down.
Regarding the fans of Panathinaikos, he said: “They are incredible. They are known all over the world for the atmosphere they create. I can’t wait to play in front of them and have that experience».
As for his goals? “After my stint in Spain I also fulfilled my dream of playing in the NBA. Now I am ready to play with Panathinaikos in the Euroleague, an excellent competition. My goal is to help my team make the playoffs this year. Also, I would like to meet Panathinaikos in the Final 4 at some point and claim this trophy. From there, winning domestic titles is also an important goal“, he commented.
Finally, regarding the situation in which he is and what the friends of Panathinaikos can expect from him, he said:I have worked very hard and on a daily basis all this time and I feel ready to come in and help the team immediately. I promise that I will give 100% in every training session and every match, in order to help Panathinaikos win. I want to use all the experience I have and my basketball iq to contribute to the team. Shooting is my strong point but I will try hard in all areas, in defense and attack to offer to the team».
The announcement of the OEM:
KAE Panathinaikos announces the acquisition of Matt Thomas until the end of the 2023-2024 season.
Matt Thomas was born on August 4, 1994 in Illinois, USA, he is 1.91m tall. and competes in the shooting guard position.
As a college kid, he played for Iowa State and finished his final season there (2016-2017) averaging 12.3 points on 44.5% 3-point shooting, 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
In the summer of 2017, after participating in the Summer League with the Lakers, he signed a contract with the Spanish Obradoiro. In the 2017-2018 season, he averaged 15.4 points, with a 45.9% shooting percentage from beyond 6.75m, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
The following season he was transferred to Valencia Basket with which he won the Eurocup having averaged 12.7 points with a 47.8% three-point shooting percentage, 1.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists.
The following year found him in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors jersey, while in the middle of the 2020-2021 season he moved to the Utah Jazz. In the 2021-2022 season he played for the Chicago Bulls.
In 126 games in the NBA regular season, Thomas averaged 4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 9.7 minutes. His three-point shooting percentage exceeded 40%, which confirms his executive skill.
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