Thabo Sefolosha
Thabo Sefolosha | |
|---|---|
| Born | Thabo Patrick Sefolosha May 2, 1984 Vevey, Switzerland |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player (retired) |
| Years active | 2001–2021, 2023 |
| Known for | First Swiss player in the NBA; All-NBA Defensive Second Team (2009–10) |
Thabo Patrick Sefolosha (; born May 2, 1984) is a retired Swiss professional basketball athlete. Throughout his career, he competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as in the Turkish Basketball League, LNB Pro A, and Lega Basket Serie A. In 2006, Sefolosha made history as the first Swiss player to enter the NBA and was later recognized as the greatest Swiss basketball player ever by the Swiss publication Freiburger Nachrichten in 2013.
Early life
Hailing from Vevey, Switzerland, Thabo is the son of Patrick Sefolosha, a Black South African musician, and Christine Sefolosha (née Beck), a Swiss visual artist. He is multilingual, fluent in French, Italian, and English.
Early years (2001–2006)
Sefolosha launched his professional journey at age 17 with Vevey Riviera Basket competing in Switzerland’s premier basketball league. While on a team trip in France, he caught the attention of a French scout who invited him to join Élan Chalon in France’s top division.
Starting out with Chalon’s under-21 team, he advanced to the senior squad during the 2002–03 season, posting averages of 4.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assist per game across 30 contests. The next season saw him become a regular starter, contributing to the team’s third-place finish in the league and a semifinal playoff berth, while averaging 9.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in roughly 30.7 minutes per game.
Ahead of his fourth campaign at Élan Chalon, contract negotiations between his agent and the club president reached an impasse. As a result, Sefolosha signed with Italian side Angelico Biella, citing professional growth opportunities despite initial difficulties finalizing terms with Chalon.
Chicago Bulls (2006–2009)
Selected 13th overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, Sefolosha was immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for the 16th pick (Rodney Carney) plus cash considerations. He expressed both surprise and enthusiasm about joining Chicago. Bulls head coach Scott Skiles emphasized Sefolosha’s defensive prowess, notably his wingspan and quick hands, as major factors behind acquiring him. Following summer league performances, NBA scouts commended his readiness to make an immediate impact for the Bulls.
Oklahoma City Thunder (2009–2014)
On February 19, 2009, Sefolosha was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in return for a first-round pick that was used to select Taj Gibson. He earned selection to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team for the 2009–10 NBA season.
During the 2011 NBA lockout, he signed with Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahçe Ülker for Euroleague competition under a contract allowing him to return once the lockout ended. He participated in seven Euroleague matches representing Fenerbahçe.
In 2012, Sefolosha played a key role in guiding the Thunder to an NBA Finals appearance where they were defeated by the Miami Heat in five games. Serving primarily as a starting shooting guard known for his defense, he often logged significant minutes ahead of star teammate James Harden, who came off the bench.
Atlanta Hawks (2014–2017)
On July 15, 2014, Sefolosha joined the Atlanta Hawks via a sign-and-trade arrangement that also involved rights to Giorgos Printezis, exchanged for rights to Sofoklis Schortsanitis. On January 31, 2015, he suffered a strained right calf that sidelined him for six to eight weeks. Later on April 9, he was ruled out for the remainder of that regular season due to a fractured tibia incurred during an incident involving the New York City Police Department.
Utah Jazz (2017–2019)
On July 18, 2017, Sefolosha agreed to a multi-year contract with the Utah Jazz. During a game against the Charlotte Hornets on January 12, 2018, he sustained an injury to his right MCL, which led to season-ending surgery five days afterward. Later, on April 3, 2018, he received a five-game suspension without pay due to a breach of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program.
Houston Rockets (2019–2020)
Sefolosha inked a one-year deal with the Houston Rockets on September 23, 2019. He officially announced his retirement from professional basketball on March 31, 2021.
Vevey Riviera Basket (2023)
Two years following his retirement announcement, Sefolosha made a comeback by signing with Vevey Riviera Basket, the Swiss club where he began his professional career.
Regular season
|- | align="left" | | align="left" | Chicago | 71 || 4 || 12.2 || .426 || .357 || .511 || 2.2 || .8 || .5 || .2 || 3.6 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Chicago | 69 || 22 || 20.8 || .428 || .330 || .721 || 3.7 || 1.9 || .9 || .4 || 6.7 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Chicago | 43 || 14 || 17.1 || .434 || .300 || .840 || 2.9 || 1.5 || .8 || .4 || 4.5 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 23 || 22 || 31.1 || .417 || .243 || .833 || 5.2 || 2.0 || 1.7 || 1.1 || 8.5 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Oklahoma City | style="background:#cfecec;"| 82* || style="background:#cfecec;"| 82* || 28.6 || .440 || .313 || .674 || 4.7 || 1.8 || 1.2 || .6 || 6.0 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 79 || 79 || 25.9 || .471 || .275 || .747 || 4.4 || 1.4 || 1.2 || .5 || 5.1 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 42||42||21.8||.432|| .437|| .884||3.0||1.1||.9||.4||4.8 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Oklahoma City |81||81||27.5||.481||.419||.826||3.9||1.5||1.3||.5||7.6 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Oklahoma City |61||61||26.0||.415||.316||.768||3.6||1.5||1.3||.3||6.3 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Atlanta |52||7||18.8||.418||.321||.776||4.3||1.4||1.0||.4||5.3 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Atlanta |75||11||23.4|| .505 || .339|| .626||4.5||1.4||1.1||.5||6.4 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Atlanta |62||42||25.7|| .441|| .342|| .733||4.4||1.7||1.5||.5||7.2 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Utah |38||6||21.2|| .492|| .381|| .815||4.2||0.9||1.4||.3||8.2 |-
Playoffs
|- | align="left" | 2007 | align="left" | Chicago | 9 || 0 || 11.0 || .385 || .375 || .583 || 1.9 || .8 || .2 || .0 || 3.3 |- | align="left" | 2010 | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 6 || 6 || 21.2 || .296 || .231 || .889 || 3.0 || 1.2 || .8 || 1.0 || 4.5 |- | align="left" | 2011 | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 17 || 17 || 20.2 || .463 || .154 || 1.000 || 3.1 || .7 || .9 || .3 || 4.6 |- | align="left" | 2012 | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 20 || 20 || 22.3 || .402 || .327 || .889 || 2.7 || 1.3 || 1.5 || .5 || 5.3 |- | align="left" | 2013 | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 11 || 11 || 27.3 || .344 || .316 || .818 || 4.5 || 2.1 || 1.1 || .5 || 5.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2014 | style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma City | 13 || 13 || 17.5 || .415 || .261 || .800 || 2.1 || .7 || .8 || .0 || 4.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2016 | style="text-align:left;"| Atlanta | 10 || 2 || 20.3 || .478 || .368 || .533 || 4.1 || 1.7 || 1.0 || .6 || 5.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2017 | style="text-align:left;"| Atlanta | 4 || 0 || 2.3 || .000|| -|| .250|| .0|| .0|| .0|| .0|| .3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2019 | style="text-align:left;"| Utah | 4||0||10.5||.143||.125||-||2.0||.5||.0||.0||1.3 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 96||69||18.8||.396||.283||.744||2.8||1.1||.9||.3||4.4
Euroleague
|- | align="left" | 2011–12 | align="left" | Fenerbahçe | 7||6||26.9||.529||.500||.633||6.0||.9||2.1||.4||11.4||14.3 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 7||6||26.9||.529||.500||.633||6.0||.9||2.1||.4||11.4||14.3
Personal life
On April 8, 2015, Sefolosha and fellow player Pero Antić were taken into custody outside a New York nightclub following an altercation involving Indiana Pacers' Chris Copeland, during which police caused a fracture to Sefolosha's right leg, prematurely ending his season.[1] He required surgery to mend a broken tibia and ligament injuries.
In September of that year, Sefolosha rejected a plea deal and chose to face trial; meanwhile, charges against Antić were dismissed.[2] On October 9, a jury in Manhattan found him not guilty on all accusations: obstructing government administration, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.[3] Afterwards, he initiated a lawsuit against New York City and eight officers, seeking damages up to $50 million.[4] By April 2017, Sefolosha reached a $4 million settlement with the NYPD, donating a significant portion to Gideon's Promise, an organization dedicated to supporting public defenders.[5]
In October of 2017, during a rafting excursion on the Provo River, Sefolosha rescued a woman from drowning.[6]
See also
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1984 births
- Living people
- 21st-century Swiss athletes
- Atlanta Hawks players
- Chicago Bulls players
- Élan Chalon players
- Fenerbahçe men's basketball team members
- Houston Rockets players
- Swiss NBA players
- Oklahoma City Thunder players
- Pallacanestro Biella players
- Philadelphia 76ers draft selections
- Shooting guards
- Small forwards
- Sports figures from Vevey
- Swiss expatriate basketball players in France
- Swiss expatriate basketball players in Italy
- Swiss expatriate basketball players in Turkey
- Swiss expatriate basketball players in the United States
- Swiss male basketball players
- Swiss individuals of South African heritage
- South African expatriate athletes in France
- South African expatriate athletes in Italy
- South African expatriate athletes in Turkey
- South African expatriate athletes in the United States
- Utah Jazz players
- Vevey Riviera Basket players
- Philadelphia 76ers draft picks