Former EuroLeague champion, MVP Micic joins Hapoel Tel Aviv in a record deal

JERUSALEM, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Israeli EuroLeague club Hapoel Tel Aviv has signed Serbian star Vasilije Micic with a three-year contract.

According to several Israeli and international websites, Micic's salary will be between 14 and 18 million euros for the whole period, making him the highest-paid player in EuroLeague history.

The 31-year-old point guard won back to back EuroLeague titles with Anadolu Efes in 2021 and 2022, in both of which he was named MVP of the Final Four.

With the first win in 2021, he was also crowned EuroLeague MVP, and in 2022 he was the top scorer of the competition.

With Anadolu, where he played from 2018 to 2023, he also won three Turkish Super League championship titles and one Turkish Cup.

He then moved on to the NBA, where he played a total of 102 regular-season games with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Charlotte Hornets, and the Phoenix Suns, averaging 6.8 points and 3.9 assists per game.

Micic was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2014 NBA draft with the 52nd overall pick, and before joining Anadolu he played for Bayern Munich, Red Star Belgrade, Tofas and Zalgiris Kaunas.

Micic also won the bronze medal with the Serbian national team at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the silver medal at the 2017 EuroBasket in Türkiye.

"I am very excited to be part of Hapoel's historic first season in the EuroLeague," Micic said. "I was very impressed with the project that Hapoel is building, the ambitions and the vision."

Hapoel head coach Dimitrios Itoudis added: "We were impressed by Micic's commitment to hard work, leadership and strong desire to return to playing in the EuroLeague and lead Hapoel to new heights. He brings with him experience, work ethic and leadership on the court." ■