On Friday, the San Antonio Spurs announced that they signed Australian center Jock Landale to a contract following a strong campaign in the National Basketball League.
Landale averaged 16.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 blocked shots last season with Melbourne United. He was named the 2021 NBL Grand Final MVP after Melbourne swept the Perth Wildcats to win the championship.
The 25-year-old most recently helped Australia claim the bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics with a win over Slovenia. He averaged 12.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists for the Boomers as Australia won its first-ever Olympic medal in men’s basketball.
Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported the deal was for two years.
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Landale previously spent four years at Saint Mary’s prior to turning pro. He was named the 2018 West Coast Conference Player of the Year after averaging 21.1 points and 10.2 rebounds as a senior. He was also a consensus second-team All-American.
He also played in Serbia and Lithuania prior to signing in the NBL.
After some productive seasons overseas, Landale will now have the opportunity to showcase his skillset on the NBA stage. The Spurs have often found success in signing international players and Landale could be the next in line.
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