Free agent forward Gigi Datome announced his intent to depart from the NBA to Turkey Tuesday morning, signing a contract with Fenerbahce of the Euroleague.
Rather than inking a deal to assume a reserve role on an NBA team, Datome opted to take a starting job overseas. He signed a three-year, $1 million deal with Fenerbahce, a team stacked with talented athletes who spent time in the league as well.
Over two seasons in the NBA with both the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics, Datome averaged 3.4 points and 1.4 rebounds per game, shooting 41 percent from the field and 32 percent from three-point range. He morphed into an outstanding outside shooter with Boston for the final 18 games of the 2014-15 season, converting on 47 percent of his attempts from outside in 10.7 minutes of playing time per game.
Datome quickly became a fan favorite in Beantown, as he assimilated into the North End, the Italian section of the city, with remarkable ease. He upped his scoring average from 3.7 points while with Detroit to 5.2 points per game, and he received minutes in all but one of the Celtics' games in their first round series against Cleveland this past spring.
His breakout game came in Boston's season finale against Milwaukee, as he lead the Celtics to a 105-100 victory with 22 points in 27 minutes of action. He recorded double figure scoring on five separate occasions while playing for Brad Stevens' team.
Datome posted a written piece on his Facebook page this morning, outlying what his motives were entering the free agency period and thanking the NBA teams who offered him a roster spot.
He said, "I want to thank all the NBA teams that offered me a spot on the roster, but as I said many times I was looking for a place where I could be an important piece of the rotations. I also want to thank all the Euroleague teams which showed interest in signing me cause it has been an honor to have the possibility to choose among so many prestigious Clubs."
"More than everybody I want to thank Fenerbahçe Ülker : the team where I'll be playing in the next seasons."
Datome joins a Fenerbahce squad laden with NBA-caliber talent. The team includes shooting guard Andrew Goudelock, who played with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2011-2013, small forward Bogdan Bogdanovic, the 27th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, and center Jan Vesely, the sixth overall pick in 2011 Draft by the Wizards Wizards.