Thabo Sefolosha
Encyclopedia
Thabo Patrick Sefolosha (born May 2, 1984) is a Swiss professional basketball
shooting guard
who plays for Fenerbahçe Ülker
in Turkey. He is also under contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder
of the NBA
, but is playing overseas because of the 2011 NBA lockout
.
, French
and English
). He was born in Vevey
, Switzerland
to a Swiss mother
and a South Africa
n father.
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), he earned a rotation spot on the senior club, where he played 30 games and averaged 4 points
, 3.5 rebounds
and 1 assist
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, where his team advanced to the semi-finals of the playoffs. During the season he averaged 9.4 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 steal
in 30.7 minutes per game.
Before the start of his fourth season with Chalonnais, 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."
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."
Former Bulls head coach Scott Skiles
cited 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."
After the NBA summer leagues finished, ESPN
asked several NBA talent scouts and executives to rank the summer league players and Sefolosha scored high. "He excelled at just about everything," reported one of the professionals. "Thabo Sefolosha showed that he's going to be able to step in right away and contribute to the Bulls."
for Denver's 2009 first-round draft
pick, which Chicago used to draft Taj Gibson
. Sefolosha was selected to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team for the 2009-2010 NBA season.
, Sefolosha signed with Fenerbahçe Ülker
in Turkey. His deal has an out-clause that will allow him to return to Oklahoma City when the lockout is resolved.
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Chicago
| 71 || 4 || 12.2 || .426 || .357 || .511 || 2.2 || .8 || .5 || .2 || 3.6
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Chicago
| 69 || 22 || 20.8 || .428 || .330 || .721 || 3.7 || 1.9 || .9 || .4 || 6.7
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Chicago
| 43 || 14 || 17.1 || .434 || .300 || .840 || 2.9 || 1.5 || .8 || .4 || 4.5
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
| 23 || 22 || 31.1 || .417 || .243 || .833 || 5.2 || 2.0 || 1.7 || 1.1 || 8.5
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
| 82 || 82 || 28.6 || .440 || .313 || .674 || 4.7 || 1.8 || 1.2 || .6 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
| 79 || 79 || 25.9 || .471 || .275 || .747 || 4.4 || 1.4 || 1.2 || .5 || 5.1
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 367 || 223 || 22.2 || .438 || .304 || .713 || 3.8 || 1.5 || 1.0 || .5 || 5.4
| align="left" | 2007
| align="left" | Chicago
| 9 || 0 || 11.0 || .385 || .375 || .583 || 1.9 || .8 || .2 || .0 || 3.3
|-
| align="left" | 2010
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
| 6 || 6 || 21.2 || .296 || .231 || .889 || 3.0 || 1.2 || .8 || 1.0 || 4.5
|-
| align="left" | 2011
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
| 17 || 17 || 20.2 || .463 || .154 || 1.000 || 3.1 || .9 || .3 || 1.0 || 4.6
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 32 || 23 || 17.8 || .408 || .213 || .824 || 2.8 || .8 || .7 || .3 || 4.3
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
who plays for Fenerbahçe Ülker
Fenerbahçe Ülker
Fenerbahçe Ülker is the professional men's basketball department of Fenerbahçe S.K., a major multisport club based in Istanbul, Turkey. The department has been sponsored by the Ülker since 2006. In 2006 Fenerbahçe S.K...
in Turkey. He is also under contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, but is playing overseas because of the 2011 NBA lockout
2011 NBA lockout
The 2011 NBA lockout is the fourth lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . The owners began the work stoppage at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2011. The main issues dividing the owners and the players are revenue sharing and the structure of the salary cap...
.
Personal background
Sefolosha has lived in several countries and speaks three languages (ItalianItalian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
). He was born in Vevey
Vevey
Vevey is a town in Switzerland in the canton Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne.It was the seat of the district of the same name until 2006, and is now part of the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut District...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
to a Swiss mother
Christine Sefolosha
Christine Sefolosha is a Swiss painter. Born in Montreux, Sefolosha has created works that have been shown at numerous one person and group exhibitions, including at the Cavin Morris Gallery in New YorkAmerican Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore and the Galerie Polad-Hardouin and the Halle...
and a South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n father.
European career
Sefolosha was invited to join the junior Swiss national basketball team, and at 17 he began a professional career with Tege 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 Sportif Chalonnais in the premier pro league in France.Sefolosha spent his first year in Chalon-sur-Saône
Chalon-sur-Saône
Chalon-sur-Saône is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the largest city in the department; however, the department capital is the smaller city of Mâcon....
playing with the junior under-21 squad, which traveled alongside the senior club. The following year (2002-03), he earned a rotation spot on the senior club, where he played 30 games and averaged 4 points
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
, 3.5 rebounds
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
and 1 assist
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
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, where his team advanced to the semi-finals of the playoffs. During the season he averaged 9.4 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 steal
Steal (basketball)
In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
in 30.7 minutes per game.
Before the start of his fourth season with Chalonnais, 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
Pallacanestro Biella
-Notable players :-Sponsorship names:In the past, due to sponsorship deals, it has also been known as:*Fila Biella *Lauretana Biella . For the 2009–10 season,*Lauretana Biella Eurocup-External links:* *...
. "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."
Chicago Bulls
He was taken with the 13th pick of the 2006 NBA Draft2006 NBA Draft
The 2006 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2006 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players,...
by the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
and promptly traded to the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
for the 16th pick (Rodney Carney
Rodney Carney
Rodney Dion Carney is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at the University of Memphis and was selected in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls and shortly afterwards traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.-Early college career:Carney made the Conference USA...
), 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."
Former Bulls head coach Scott Skiles
Scott Skiles
Scott Allen Skiles is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and former American professional basketball player. He also is the former head coach of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns. Skiles holds the NBA record for assists in one game, with 30...
cited 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."
After the NBA summer leagues finished, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
asked several NBA talent scouts and executives to rank the summer league players and Sefolosha scored high. "He excelled at just about everything," reported one of the professionals. "Thabo Sefolosha showed that he's going to be able to step in right away and contribute to the Bulls."
Oklahoma City Thunder
On February 19, 2009, the trade deadline, Sefolosha was traded by the Bulls to the Oklahoma City ThunderOklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
for Denver's 2009 first-round draft
2009 NBA Draft
The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
pick, which Chicago used to draft Taj Gibson
Taj Gibson
Taj Jami Gibson is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association . Following the 2010 signing of Carlos Boozer, he has played as the second string power forward...
. Sefolosha was selected to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team for the 2009-2010 NBA season.
Turkey
In October 2011, during the 2011 NBA lockout2011 NBA lockout
The 2011 NBA lockout is the fourth lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . The owners began the work stoppage at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2011. The main issues dividing the owners and the players are revenue sharing and the structure of the salary cap...
, Sefolosha signed with Fenerbahçe Ülker
Fenerbahçe Ülker
Fenerbahçe Ülker is the professional men's basketball department of Fenerbahçe S.K., a major multisport club based in Istanbul, Turkey. The department has been sponsored by the Ülker since 2006. In 2006 Fenerbahçe S.K...
in Turkey. His deal has an out-clause that will allow him to return to Oklahoma City when the lockout is resolved.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Chicago
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
| 71 || 4 || 12.2 || .426 || .357 || .511 || 2.2 || .8 || .5 || .2 || 3.6
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Chicago
| 69 || 22 || 20.8 || .428 || .330 || .721 || 3.7 || 1.9 || .9 || .4 || 6.7
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| align="left" | Chicago
| 43 || 14 || 17.1 || .434 || .300 || .840 || 2.9 || 1.5 || .8 || .4 || 4.5
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
| 23 || 22 || 31.1 || .417 || .243 || .833 || 5.2 || 2.0 || 1.7 || 1.1 || 8.5
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
| 82 || 82 || 28.6 || .440 || .313 || .674 || 4.7 || 1.8 || 1.2 || .6 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
| 79 || 79 || 25.9 || .471 || .275 || .747 || 4.4 || 1.4 || 1.2 || .5 || 5.1
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 367 || 223 || 22.2 || .438 || .304 || .713 || 3.8 || 1.5 || 1.0 || .5 || 5.4
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2007
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
| align="left" | Chicago
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
| 9 || 0 || 11.0 || .385 || .375 || .583 || 1.9 || .8 || .2 || .0 || 3.3
|-
| align="left" | 2010
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
| 6 || 6 || 21.2 || .296 || .231 || .889 || 3.0 || 1.2 || .8 || 1.0 || 4.5
|-
| align="left" | 2011
2011 NBA Playoffs
The 2011 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on...
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
| 17 || 17 || 20.2 || .463 || .154 || 1.000 || 3.1 || .9 || .3 || 1.0 || 4.6
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 32 || 23 || 17.8 || .408 || .213 || .824 || 2.8 || .8 || .7 || .3 || 4.3
External links
- ThaboSefolosha.com - Official site
- ThaboSefolosha.ch – Fanpage
- 2006-07 NBA statistics