Salah Mejri Explained

Salah Mejri
صالح الماجري
Height Ft:7
Height In:2
Weight Lb:235
Birth Date:15 June 1986
Birth Place:Jendouba, Tunisia
Nationality:Tunisian
Draft Year:2008
Career Number:50
Career Position:Center
Career Start:2006
Career End:2023
Years1:2006–2010
Team1:Étoile Sportive du Sahel
Years2:2010–2012
Team2:Antwerp Giants
Years3:2012–2013
Team3:Obradoiro CAB
Years4:2013–2015
Team4:Real Madrid
Years5:
Team5:Dallas Mavericks
Years6:2015–2016
Team6:Texas Legends
Years7:2019–2020
Team7:Real Madrid
Years8:2020
Team8:Beijing Royal Fighters
Years9:2021–2022
Team9:Al-Jahra
Years10:2022–2023
Team10:Beirut Club
Years11:2023
Team11:Kazma
Highlights:
Profile:salah_mejri
Bbr:mejrisa01

Salah Mejri (Arabic: صالح الماجري; born June 15, 1986) is a Tunisian former professional basketball player who represented the senior Tunisian national basketball team internationally. Standing at, he played at the center position. After a successful career in Europe, Mejri was the first (and only) Tunisian NBA player when he joined the Dallas Mavericks in 2015 as a 29-year-old rookie. He stayed in the NBA for four seasons before returning with the Real Madrid in the 2019 offseason.

Professional career

Early career

Mejri started playing basketball at the age of 20 for Étoile Sportive du Sahel in the Tunisian Basketball League.[1] In September 2010, he signed a two-year contract with the Antwerp Giants of the Belgian League, and in August 2012, he moved to the Spanish League to play with Obradoiro CAB.[2] In May 2013, he was named the Spanish League's Rising Star.[3]

Real Madrid

On July 8, 2013, Mejri signed with the Spanish club Real Madrid.[4] He became the first Tunisian player in the history of Real Madrid and the EuroLeague. In the 2014–15 season, Real Madrid won the EuroLeague championship, after defeating Olympiacos, by a score of 78–59, in the EuroLeague Finals.[5] Real Madrid eventually finished the season by also winning the Spanish League championship, after defeating Barcelona 3–0 in the league's finals series. Real Madrid thus won the triple crown that season.[6]

Dallas Mavericks

On July 30, 2015, Mejri signed with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.[7] On October 25, 2015, it was announced that Mejri had made the Mavericks' 2015–16 opening-night roster.[8] Three days later, he made his debut for the Mavericks, becoming the first Tunisian to appear in an NBA game.[9] He played in five of the team's first eight games to begin the season, before not playing again until January 13, 2016. With the team's regular starters all rested for their match-up with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Mejri managed 25 minutes off the bench, and recorded 17 points and 9 rebounds in a 108–89 loss to the Thunder.[10] On January 24, with starting center Zaza Pachulia out injured, Mejri made just his eighth appearance for the Mavericks and started in place of Pachulia. In 29 minutes of action, he recorded 10 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks in a 115–104 loss to the Houston Rockets.[11] On March 20, he recorded 13 points, 14 rebounds and 6 blocks in 32 minutes off the bench in a 132–120 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers.[12] During his rookie season, he received multiple assignments to the Texas Legends, the Mavericks' D-League affiliate.[13]

On June 30, 2016, Mejri underwent arthroscopic surgery for a right knee debridement.[14] On February 1, 2017, he had 16 points and a career-high 17 rebounds in a 113–95 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.[15] He was re-signed by the Mavericks on August 3, 2018, to a one-year-contract.[16] He was waived on February 7, 2019, to open up a roster spot for Zach Randolph who the Mavericks acquired in a trade,[17] but brought back three days later after Randolph was waived.[18]

Return to Real Madrid

On October 10, 2019, Mejri returned to Spanish EuroLeague club Real Madrid for the rest of the season.[19] [20] He did not play in the ACB final tournament and was replaced by Juan Nunez.[21]

China

In September 2020, Mejri signed a one-year contract with Beijing Royal Fighters.[22]

Kuwait

On September 16, 2021, Mejri signed in Kuwait with Al-Jahra of the Kuwaiti Division I Basketball League.[23]

Beirut Club

On April 14, 2022, Mejri signed in Lebanon for Beirut Club of the Lebanese Basketball League.[24]

Kazma

In March 2023, Mejri made his debut for Kazma of Kuwait in the West Asia Super League (WASL), recording 19 points and 17 rebounds in a win over Shabab Al Ahli.[25] On 9 February 2024, Mejri announced his retirement from professional basketball.[26]

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

|-| style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Dallas| 34 || 6 || 11.7 || .628 || .000 || .587 || 3.6 || .3 || .2 || 1.1 || 3.7|-| style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Dallas| 73 || 11 || 12.4 || .642 || .333 || .590 || 4.2 || .2 || .4 || .8 || 2.9|-| style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Dallas| 61 || 1 || 12.0 || .642 || .000 || .576 || 4.0 || .6 || .4 || 1.1 || 3.5|-| style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Dallas| 36 || 4 || 11.1 || .491 || .324 || .625 || 3.6 || 1.0 || .3 || .7 || 3.9|-class="sortbottom"| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career| 204 || 22 || 11.9 || .603 || .293 || .590 || 4.0 || .5 || .4 || .9 || 3.4

Playoffs

|-| style="text-align:left;" | 2016| style="text-align:left;" | Dallas| 4 || 1 || 19.0 || .700 || .000 || .417 || 3.3 || .3 || .8 || 1.3 || 4.8|-class="sortbottom"| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career| 4 || 1 || 19.0 || .700 || .000 || .417 || 3.3 || .3 || .8 || 1.3 || 4.8

EuroLeague

Denotes seasons in which Mejri won the EuroLeague

|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2013–14| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"| Real Madrid| 26 || 2 || 10.1 || .603 || .667 || .545 || 2.9 || .1 || .4 || 1.1 || 3.5 || 5.6|-| style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;"| 2014–15†| 9 || 0 || 9.6 || .600 || .000 || .476 || 2.3 || .1 || .4 || .8 || 4.4 || 4.8|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20| 6 || 0 || 5.0 || .500 || .000 || 1.000 || 1.2 || .2 || || .2 || 1.0 || 1.7|- class="sortbottom"| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career| 41 || 2 || 9.3 || .598 || .400 || .533 || 2.5 || .1 || .4 || .9 || 3.3 || 4.9

National team career

Mejri is a member of the senior men's Tunisian national basketball team. He played center for the team in the 2009 FIBA Africa Championship, and helped the team to the bronze medal, and its first-ever trip to the FIBA World Cup.[27]

In 2011, Mejri was named MVP, as Tunisia won the 2011 FIBA Africa Championship, and received an invitation to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. There, the team finished 0–5; however, he led all competitors in blocked shots, with 17, despite only playing in 5 matches (some teams played in as many as 8 matches).

Awards and Individual Honors

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Archive.FIBA.com Player Profile Salah MEJRI (TUN).. FIBA.com. November 21, 2015.
  2. News: Obradoiro tabs big man Salah Mejri. July 30, 2015. Sportando.com. August 14, 2012.
  3. News: Salah Mejri es el Jugador Revelación 2012–13. July 30, 2015. ACB.com. May 14, 2013. es.
  4. News: Real Madrid announced Salah Mejri. July 30, 2015. Sportando.com. July 8, 2013.
  5. News: Real Madrid is Euroleague champion for record ninth time!. July 18, 2015. euroleague.net. May 17, 2015.
  6. News: Real Madrid make it 4 out of 4. June 24, 2015. Marca. Spain. June 24, 2015. es.
  7. News: Mavs sign pick-and-roll threat Salah Mejri. July 30, 2015. Mavs.com. July 30, 2015.
  8. News: Salah Mejri, the center who made the Mavericks roster out of nowhere. October 25, 2015. mavsmoneyball.com. October 25, 2015.
  9. Web site: 8 Dallas players reach double figures, Mavs rout Suns 111–95. National Basketball Association. October 28, 2015. October 28, 2015.
  10. Web site: Durant scores 29, Thunder beat Mavericks; Westbrook ejected. National Basketball Association. January 13, 2016. January 13, 2016.
  11. Web site: Harden's triple-double leads Rockets over Mavericks 115–104. National Basketball Association. January 24, 2016. January 24, 2016.
  12. Web site: Nowitzki, Williams lead Mavericks past Trail Blazers 132–120. National Basketball Association. March 20, 2016. March 20, 2016.
  13. Web site: 2015–16 NBA Assignments. National Basketball Association. December 12, 2015.
  14. Web site: Mavs center Salah Mejri undergoes knee surgery. InsideHoops.com. June 30, 2016. June 30, 2016.
  15. Web site: Curry, Mejri lead Mavericks to 113–95 win over 76ers. ESPN. February 1, 2017. February 2, 2017.
  16. Web site: Mavericks re-sign center Salah Mejri. mavs.com. August 3, 2018. August 3, 2018.
  17. Web site: Mavericks acquire Justin Jackson and Zach Randolph. mavs.com. February 7, 2019. February 7, 2019.
  18. Web site: Mavs sign free agent center Salah Mejri on Sunday. mavs.com. February 10, 2019. February 10, 2019.
  19. News: Official Announcement: Salah Mejri Real Madrid CF . 10 October 2019 . Real Madrid C.F. - Web Oficial . 10 October 2019.
  20. News: Salah Mejri in Real Madrid return Real Madrid CF . 10 October 2019 . Real Madrid C.F. - Web Oficial . 10 October 2019.
  21. Web site: Real center Salah Mejri out for ACB final tournament . Sportando . 11 June 2020 . 11 June 2020.
  22. Web site: Beijing Royal Fighters to sign Salah Mejri . Sportando . September 5, 2020 . September 5, 2020.
  23. Web site: Abduljalil . Yusuf . Jahraa signs Salah Mejri . September 16, 2021. Afrobasket.com . September 17, 2021.
  24. News: Boubaker . Saber Ben . Basketball : Salah Mejri nouveau joueur de Beirut First Club . 11 May 2022 . Sport By TN . 14 April 2022 . fr-FR.
  25. Web site: New guys Mejri, Rector show way as Kazma hand Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai first loss. FIBA.basketball. 7 March 2023. 9 March 2023.
  26. Web site: Basketball, L’immense Salah Mejri arrête sa carrière à 37 ans. Ettachkila.com. 9 February 2024. 10 February 2024. French.
  27. Web site: Archive.FIBA.com 2009 FIBA Africa Championship for Men.. FIBA.com. November 21, 2015.
  28. Web site: Basketball, L’immense Salah Mejri arrête sa carrière à 37 ans . ettachkila.
  29. Web site: Les meilleurs joueurs par nation : Maghreb et Océan Indien . leroster.