Josh Nebo
Joshua Okechukwu Nebo[2] (born July 17, 1997) is an American-born naturalized Slovenian professional basketball player for Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega basket serie A and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Saint Francis Red Flash and the Texas A&M Aggies. In 2020-21 he led the Israel Basketball Premier League in rebounds per game. Early lifeNebo was born in Houston and later lived in Katy, Texas,[3] and grew up skateboarding and playing defensive end in football. He first began playing basketball in middle school.[4] Nebo attended Cypress Lakes High School, where he was frequently overshadowed by teammate De'Aaron Fox. As a senior, Nebo helped lead Cypress Lakes to the Class 6A state quarterfinals in 2015.[5] Lightly recruited, he signed with Saint Francis (PA).[6] College careerNebo grew three inches and gained 50 pounds during his first two years in college.[5] He averaged 4.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game as a freshman at Saint Francis and finished second in the conference in blocks with 56.[7] On February 2, 2017, he scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 78–61 win over St. Francis Brooklyn.[8] As a sophomore, Nebo averaged 12 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.[9] Nebo was named to the Third Team All-Northeast Conference (NEC) and NEC Defensive Player of the Year during his sophomore season after setting the single-season record with 89 blocks. Following the season, he transferred to Texas A&M.[4] Nebo cited homesickness and the fact that his parents were not able to attend his games as the reasons for his transfer. He scored a season-high 21 points and had seven rebounds on January 12, 2019, in an 81–80 win against Alabama.[6] Nebo made two starts as a junior and averaged 8.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Coming into his senior season, he missed much of the preseason with a torn hamstring.[10] Nebo scored a season-high 21 points in an 87–75 victory against Mississippi State on February 22, 2020.[11] As a senior, Nebo averaged 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.[12] Professional careerHapoel Yossi Avrahami Eilat (2020-2021)On July 26, 2020, Nebo signed with Hapoel Eilat of the Israeli Basketball Premier League.[13] He averaged 13.9 points per game and led the Israeli Basketball Premier League with 9.9 rebounds per game, was third with a .665 field goal percentage, and was sixth with 1.1 blocks per game.[14] He was named 2021 Eurobasket All-Israeli League Second Team.[15] B.C. Zalgiris Kaunas (2021-2022)On June 21, 2021, Nebo signed with Žalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League.[16] Playing for them in the Euroleauge Nebo started 17 out of 28 games and averaged 8.8 points (65% from 2-point range) and 6.2 rebounds (6th-best in the league).[17] Maccabi Playtika Tel-Aviv (2022-2024)On July 1, 2022, Nebo signed with Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv.[18] In 39 EuroLeague games (33 starts), he averaged 7.4 points and 6.2 rebounds in 22 minutes per contest. On July 18, 2023, Nebo renewed his contract with Maccabi.[19] In March 2024, Nebo was named MVP of Round 29 after beating KK Crvena zvezda. He had 18 points and 13 rebounds.[20] AX Armani Exchange Milano (2024-Present)On June 24, 2024, Nebo signed a two-year deal with Olimpia Milano of the LBA and the EuroLeague.[21] In October 2024, Nebo reported a muscle injury in the left groin region during the Monaco Euroleague game.[22] In November 2024, Nebo was injured again as he reported an injury to his right arm and would be out for two weeks.[23] National team careerIn June 2024, Nebo received a Slovenian passport and became eligible to play for the Slovenia national team ahead of the 2024 Olympic Qualifiers.[24] On June 23, 2024, he made his debut for Slovenia in a friendly against Lithuania, putting up nine points and eight rebounds. Career statistics
EuroLeague
Domestic leagues
College
References
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