Virtus Segafredo Bologna big man Mam Jaiteh has come a long way before becoming a key piece for a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague team, as he is today.
He grew up at INSEP, the French sports training center near Paris, with whom he took part in 14 games of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament from 2009 to 2012. After that, he played with Nanterre of France as a pro, getting his first taste of the EuroLeague in 2013-14.
Since then, Jaiteh has travelled around the continent, honing on his skills as a big man ready in order to return to the biggest competition of the continent.
"This was a dream for me, to be a EuroLeague player," Jaiteh explains. "Now that I am in, the responsibility for me is to be good enough for my team, for my teammates, for the coaches."
Jaiteh has been performing solidly in this new EuroLeague run, now in a more powerful team and with a more meaningful role on the court. He is averaging 8.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in his 29 appearances this season, all of them as a starter for Virtus.
"He's very professional at practice every day," Virtus head coach Sergio Scariolo says. "Actually, he is a good fit into the lockerroom and into the team group from a human point of view, as well."
Jaiteh's sweet stint with Virtus started last season in the 7DAYS EuroCup. In that competition, he led the team to the title and he earned the EuroCup MVP honor for the season. He capped that success with double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds in the title game against Frutti Extra Bursaspor. It was a season he will never forget.
"I was actually happier for the people that supported me than I was for myself," Jaiteh concludes.