Jordan Loyd, a former two-way point guard on the championship 2018/19 Raptors, has inked a contract with Serbian club KK Crvena Zvezda, per Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Loyd’s new squad belongs to the Basketball League of Serbia, the Adriatic Basketball Association League, as well as the EuroLeague.
The 6’4″ 26-year-old has just wrapped up a successful initial season with Valencia, a team that plays in both the Spanish League ACB and the EuroLeague. Loyd averaged 11.9 PPG (he converted 41% from deep), 2.2 APG and 1.0 SPG while with Valencia during his tenure for the squad’s 2019/20 season.
Loyd’s cup of coffee in the NBA is perhaps most notable for his moment as the “Random Guy In A Suit” next to Kawhi Leonard as he clinched his notoriously clutch 2019 semifinals Game 7 buzzer-beater against the Sixers. The guard saw action in 12 games for Toronto during his lone NBA season thus far.
Loyd went undrafted out of the University of Indianapolis in 2016. After logging time in the then-D-League with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Loyd went overseas, where he suited up for the Israeli club Hapoel Eilat in 2017/18.
It’s kind of sad to think that just last year he was in the NBA, not playing very well, but still in the NBA, and now has fallen all the way to playing in Europe.
Playing in Europe isn’t that bad. He will get more money over there, and if he plays well he could come back to the NBA.
Maybe he prefers to play in Serbia. Maybe he has a better opportunity there. Serbia has the Coronavirus under control. Serbians will be allowed to travel to Europe, while Americans are banned by Europe because we haven’t gotten our stuff together on Covid-19.
It’s a sign of the times. Several baseball players are sitting out the MLB mini season due to the pandemic.
I was in Belgrade once and had a burrito. It was surprisingly good for Mexican food in Serbia.
He put up some impressive numbers in the G-League last year. Seems to have a solid 3-pt shot too, wonder why he didn’t get a chance even on a 2-way deal this season. Anyway wish him the best and who knows maybe he’ll resurface in a couple years in the NBA again.