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Nigeria’s D’Tigers Captain Chimezie Metu, who entered the NBA through the 2018 NBA Draft as the 49th pick by the San Antonio Spurs, is set to embark on a new chapter of his basketball career overseas peaknews.ng reports.
The Nigerian-American power forward/center spent his first two seasons oscillating between the Spurs and their G-League affiliate in Austin.
In 2020, Metu was waived by the Spurs and subsequently signed with the Sacramento Kings, where he proved to be a reliable bench contributor over three seasons.
Last year, Metu joined the Phoenix Suns but was traded on February 8th to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team deal that also involved the Brooklyn Nets. After being waived by the Grizzlies, he finished the season with the Detroit Pistons.
Now, Metu is heading to Europe, signing with FC Barcelona. The Spanish basketball powerhouse has a rich history of attracting former NBA talents, including Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Ricky Rubio, Nikola Mirotic, and Anderson Varejao.
Last season, FC Barcelona reached the runner-up position in the Spanish Liga ACB, bolstered by the performances of former NBA players like Rubio, Jan Vesely, Jabari Parker, Willy Hernangomez, Tomas Satoransky, and Alex Abrines. The club has claimed the Liga ACB title 10 times since 2000.
Metu represented the Nigerian Men’s National Basketball Team at the Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament held in Lagos, Nigeria but did not qualify for the 2024 Olympics.
