Beskitas Safe House for NBA Players, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson the Latest One

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson signed a contract with the Turkish powerhouse, Besiktas, becoming yet another NBA star to play for this club.

According to the info from overseas, Hollis-Jefferson will have a clause to leave the club only if he heads to one NBA team. All this was confirmed later by the player’s agent Adie von Gontard.

Hollis-Jefferson played in 319 NBA matches since being drafted back in 2015 as the 23rd overall pick. He was previously a member of the Arizona Wildcats and the First-team All-Pac-12 member.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson officially signs with Besiktas Basketbolhttps://t.co/wzSqFdbupT

— Sportando (@Sportando) September 28, 2021

While playing for Brookly, Toronto, and Portland Trail Blazers, Hollis-Jefferson established himself as a reliable rotation option but also being a starter for two years while playing for the Nets. His best year was 2018, once he averaged 13.8 points for the franchise from Brookly, with 6.8 boards, 2.5 assists, and one steal.

He is expected to bring big quality to Besiktas and make them one of the title contenders in the Turkish league. It is currently one of the best national competitions in Europe, with the likes of Efes Pilsen, the reigning Euroleague champions, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, etc.

Besiktas seems to be a safe house for the former NBA stars, and including RHJ, seven players with at least 250 matches in the best basketball league in the world came here directly from the NBA.

The biggest name of all is Allen Iverson, the 2001 NBA MVP, and an 11-time NBA All-Star. After his stints in the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and the Memphis Grizzlies, the Answer decided to change the continent heading for Istanbul and signing for Besiktas.

One of the most influential basketball players ever signed a two-year deal worth $4 million in October 2010, but left the club in January next year because of a calf injury. After the surgery in the USA, he didn’t play pro basketball.

Deron Williams is the next one on the list. Iverson had 914 NBA games, while Williams appeared in 845. The third overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft was a member of the black-and-whites in 2011 during the lockout. His 50-point performance against Gottingen was the highlight of the period spent in Turkey, and after returning to the NBA, Besiktas decided to retire the No.8 jersey Williams wore.

The Puerto Rican legend, Carlos Arroyo left a big mark in Besiktas’ history. After an unsuccessful episode with the Boston Celtics, Arroyo came to Besiktas, helping them win three trophies in his first year – Turkish championship, Turkish Cup, and the EuroChallenge Cup. He was the Turkish Super League Finals MVP.

Arroyo changed seven NBA teams.

The 12th overall pick from the 2006 NBA draft, Hilton Armstrong played for Besiktas, coming from Golden State back in 2014. Though that wasn’t his first European adventure as he already played for Asvel and Panathinaikos in the past.

Earl Clark, the 14th pick from the 2009 draft, was a part of this club between 2016 and 2018. He became the Turkish League All-Star but didn’t help the team win some trophies or make notable results. The former Seattle Supersonics, LA Clippers, and the Atlanta Hawks big man, Predrag Drobnjak, who played 278 NBA games, also played for Besiktas in the past.