A Royal Pain
Fansided

Sacramento Kings’ latest breakthrough signing can be an NBA star

By Parker Thomas

MILAN, ITALY - MARCH 03: Shabazz Napier #13 of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and Aleksandar Vezenkov #14 of Olympiacos Piraeus in action during the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 26 game between EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and Olympiacos Piraeus at Mediolanum Forum on March 03, 2023 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Roberto Finizio/Getty Images)
MILAN, ITALY - MARCH 03: Shabazz Napier #13 of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and Aleksandar Vezenkov #14 of Olympiacos Piraeus in action during the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 26 game between EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and Olympiacos Piraeus at Mediolanum Forum on March 03, 2023 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Roberto Finizio/Getty Images) /
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If you have kept up with the Sacramento Kings over the past year, you likely have heard the name Sasha Vezenkov numerous times. The Bulgarian national has made many headlines recently, due to him finally signing for the Kings and being named EuroLeague MVP for the 2022-23 season.

But aside from all the recent headlines you may have seen, there still remains a question for many: who really is Sasha Vezenkov?

Let’s get to know one of the Kings’ best signings this off-season.

Quick information

Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, here is some quick information about Aleksandar “Sasha” Vezenkov.

  • 27 years old
  • 6-foot-9 stretch forward
  • Comes to Sacramento after playing for Olympiacos (Greece)
  • Averaged 17.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists (per game) (2022-23 season)
  • Shot 65.5% from 2-point field goals, 37.8% from 3-point field goals
  • Drafted in 2017 by the Brooklyn Nets with the 57th pick
  • Draft rights were traded to the Kings in the summer of 2022.
  • Signed with the Kings for a reported $20 million/3-year deal

Sasha’s time in Europe

Vezenkov was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, but holds nationality in two other countries as well – Greece and Bulgaria, electing to represent the latter internationally.

While Sasha obviously was a standout in his younger years, he officially got a start at professional basketball in 2011, when he debuted for the Greek team Aris Thessaloniki at the age of 15. Here he won multiple awards, being named the Greek League’s Young Player of the Year three years in a row from 2013-2015, also being the MVP in 2015.

After that season, Vezenkov made a move to Barcelona, where his career was a bit underwhelming, but won a league title and was named to a young player team of the year.

Fast forward to 2018, when Vezenkov made the switch from Barcelona to his most recent team, Olympiacos. This is where the Sasha Vezenkov name came to boom. He helped Olympiacos overcome many hurdles, including winning the 2022 Greek League to end a six-year drought for one of Greece’s top teams. Most recently, he was named EuroLeague MVP but unfortunately finished second in the league after a heartbreaking loss to Real Madrid in the championship that ended 78-79.

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