After a stunning debut campaign in the EuroLeague, the Paris star has joined the seven-time champs
Panathinaikos signs All-EuroLeague guard TJ Shorts
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Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens has made the biggest splash of the summer transfer window so far by signing TJ Shorts, who has penned a two-year deal at OAKA.
Shorts (1.75 meters, 27 years old) took the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by storm in his – and Paris Basketball's – first season in the competition, posting 19.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.0 steal and 22.8 PIR in 37 games.
Thanks to Shorts leading the way, Paris finished eighth in the regular-season standings, then beat Real Madrid in the Play-In Showdown before falling to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in the playoffs.
The American-born point guard was named the EuroLeague's MVP of the Month for November and was selected to the All-EuroLeague First Team.
The journey that Shorts has been on over the last few years has been like something out of a box-office movie. After starting his professional career in Latvia with Ventspils in 2019-20, the undersized guard went on to play for the Hamburg Towers and the Crailsheim Merlins, both in Germany, in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, respectively. But it was his next move that really changed the trajectory of his career.
Shorts agreed to sign for Telekom Baskets Bonn in the summer of 2022 and that allowed him to work under Tuomas Iisalo. Together, they went on to win the 2022-23 Basketball Champions League title. One year later, Shorts followed Iisalo to Paris Basketball with one goal of mind: making the EuroLeague. And they did just that by inspiring Paris to the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup crown. Although Iisalo departed Paris in the summer of 2024, Shorts continued to star – this time under Tiago Splitter – in his and the club's first season in the EuroLeague.
Having guided Paris to the EuroLeague Playoffs, something very few people expected before the season, Shorts followed that up by securing his second consecutive French League MVP trophy and the club's first French League title.
Now, Shorts will continue his journey at Panathinaikos. As he puts it himself: the marathon continues.