Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv has signed Serbian-Australian center Aleks Mari? (30, 6’11”). Last season, Mari? played for Lokomotiv Kuban in the Euroleague (including 4 games against Maccabi), where he averaged 6.1 points, and 3.6 rebounds in 17 minutes per game.
By Amy Samin
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv has signed Serbian-Australian center Aleks Mari? (30, 6’11”) until the end of December (the first round of the Euroleague). Maccabi has the option of deciding in December whether or not to extend the contract through the end of the season. Head coach Guy Goodes said, “We are happy to have Mari? join us. Aleks will bring to Maccabi experience, toughness and physical strength under the baskets. He will help us in the paint, along with Tyus and Sofo (once he recovers”).
Mari? is an Australian who also holds Serbian citizenship. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska, where he played from 2004-08. His first professional team was Granada in Spain, where he played the 2008-09 season. A year later he went to play for Partizan Belgrade, and the 2009-10 season was Mari?’s best in terms of personal statistics. In his first season in the top level of European play, Mari? led Partizan to the Euroleague Final Four (after defeating Maccabi 3 games to 1 in the quarterfinals), and finished the season with excellent averages: 14.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, which earned him a spot on the All-Euroleague First Team. That season, he and Partizan also won the Serbian double (Cup and Championship) and the Adriatic League championship. His best game came against Efes Pilsen, where Mari? earned 49 index points.
That excellent season resulted in his obtaining a contract with Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos, where he played for the next two seasons. In 2010-11, his first season in Greece, Mari? and PAO won the Euroleague title after defeating Maccabi in the final, and claimed the Greek championship as well. In 2012 they won the Greek Cup. For the last two years Mari? has played for Russian team Lokomotiv Kuban. In 2012-13 he helped Kuban win the Eurocup championship, with season averages of 11.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. In the final, Mari? had a double double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Last season, he played with Loko in the Euroleague, including 4 games against Maccabi, and contributed 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in an average 17 minutes per game.
Mari? played for the Australian National Team in the 2010 Basketball World Cup and in the London Olympics in 2012.
