The 32-year-old will once again play under Ettore Messina's orders after a successful spell at Mediolanum Forum last season.
Milan brings back playmaker Shabazz Napier
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EA7 Emporio Armani Milan has completed a deal to re-sign Shabazz Napier, the club announced on Thursday. After playing 12 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games for the club last season, in which he averaged 15.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals, Napier (1.85 meters, 32 years old) now returns to Mediolanum Forum for a second stint at Milan.
The American point guard joins Milan from Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, which makes him ineligible to play in the EuroLeague until December 30 as players moving from one EuroLeague club to another may only be registered between the end of Round 17 and the eve of Round 26. In 12 appearances for Zvezda this season, Napier posted 9.8 points and 2.3 assists.
Napier made an instant impact at Milan
Napier first joined Milan last January and hit the ground running upon his arrival. Milan was a team transformed with Napier in the lineup, going 9-3 in the 12 games he played between Rounds 22 and 33. While Milan didn't make the playoffs in the end, Napier was able to reach double figures in points in nine of his 12 appearances last season, getting a career-high mark of 28 points in a road win at Valencia Basket in Round 27. With Milan, Napier had a PIR of 24 or higher on four occasions.
Napier’s journey to the EuroLeague
Napier began his professional career in the NBA with the Miami Heat in the 2014-15 season and went on to play a total of 354 games in the association, having also suited up for the Orlando Magic (2015-16), the Portland Trail Blazers (2016-18), the Brooklyn Nets (2018-19) and then both the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Washington Wizards in the 2019-20 campaign.
In the summer of 2021, Napier agreed to join Zenit St. Petersburg, which was playing in the EuroLeague, but an injury early in the season prevented him from making his debut. Then, in late February 2022, he left the club due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Napier joined Capitanes de Ciudad de Mexico in the G League in November 2022, but a few months later, in the last few days of January 2023, he signed for Milan and made his long-awaited EuroLeague debut.