Bologna, July 21 –
Jaleen Smith already entered the world of German (club) and Croatian (national) basketball, and now he lands in Italy bringing with him as well a two-year period of personal growth in the Euroleague, made of 64 played games and a certified double-digit in the last season: 11.5 points in almost 25 minutes, spread with quality across the entire court but with a marked propensity from long distance. This is indeed his traction, from where Smith lined up his 187 attempts (against 102 from mid-range) becoming the fourth man for triples made in the last Euroleague, in which he signed his career high with the 25 points that he scored last March 23 against the former European champions Efes.
He’s got quick hands combined with a responsive physicality with which he ranges between the top two spots on the perimeter, Jaleen holds up well behind even more structured players. From that New Hampshire college with coach Josh King, whom he would later meet again in Germany, the 28-year-old Texan has come a long way, through two titles with Alba Berlin (championship and cup) and a Croatian passport obtained in 2022, just in time to play the last European Championships. For him, each new experience has never appeared as a door to be thrown wide open to a dark room, but rather as opportunities for growth to be approached with the full measure of confidence that will be worth sustaining on the way. His wide smile almost looks like a movie poster in which he has often demonstrated the tactical intelligence of proving to be decisive even without being the main terminal, not only drawing on the wide shooting range but also with the pick-and-roll, a weapon used through effective ball control.
