Cedevita Olimpija adds Joseph Girard III to strengthen its backcourt

With the new season, the Cedevita Olimpija backcourt will be stronger with the addition of the top scorer of the Lithuanian LKL League. Joseph Girard III, that has been playing for the first time in Europe in the 2024/25 season, playing for Nevėžis Kėdainiai, is coming to Ljubljana.

"I am delighted to have joined Cedevita Olimpija. I cannot wait for the new season to begin," Joseph Girard III has told, as he agreed on cooperation with the Ljubljana squad.

After excellent prformances at the high-school level, Joseph Girard II started his college career at the Syracuse University, where he used to play between the seasons 2019/20 and 2022/23. In his last season at the Syracuse, he has been averaging 17 points, 3 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game. He ended his NCAA career at the Clemson University, where he has been averaging 15.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in 37 appearances in the 2023/24 season.

In the 2024/25 season he tested his skills for the first time on the European courts. In the Lithuanian LKL League, he appeared 35 times in the jersey of Nevėžis Kėdainiai and has been averaging 21 points, 3 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. With these figures, he has become the top scorer of the Lithuanian National Championship. He has also been thrilling everyone with great shooting accuracy – 46.1% field goal percentage and 41.5% from beyond the arc. He has hit 90.8% of all free throws.

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Na zunanjih položajih Cedevita Olimpija okrepljena z Josephom Girardom III

Člansko moštvo Cedevite Olimpije je pred začetkom tekmovalne sezone 2025/26 okrepil ameriški ostrostrelec Joseph Girard III, ki je z ljubljanskim klubom podpisal enoletno pogodbo. V sezoni 2024/25 je bil Girard najboljši strelec litovskega državnega prvenstva.

Z novo tekmovalno sezono bo zunanja linija Cedevite Olimpije močnejša za najboljšega strelca elitne litovske lige LKL. V Ljubljano prihaja Joseph Girard III, ki je po uspešni študentski karieri – začel jo je na Univerzi Syracuse, zaključil pa na Univerzi Clemson – v sezoni 2024/25 prvič zaigral v Evropi in nosil dres ekipe Nevėžis Kėdainiai.

"Navdušen sem, da sem se pridružil Cedeviti Olimpiji. Komaj čakam, da se začne nova sezona!" je ob podpisu pogodbe z ljubljanskim klubom povedal Girard III.

Po odličnih predstavah v srednješolski košarki je Joseph (Joe) Girard III svojo študentsko pot začel v dresu Univerze Syracuse, kjer je igral med sezonama 2019/20 in 2022/23. V svoji zadnji sezoni tam je v povprečju dosegal 17,0 točk, 3,0 asistence in 2,9 skoka na tekmo. Kariero v NCAA je zaključil na Univerzi Clemson, kjer je v sezoni 2023/24 na 37 tekmah povprečno beležil 15,4 točke in 3,3 skoka na tekmo.

V sezoni 2024/25 se je prvič preizkusil v evropski košarki. V litovski LKL je v dresu Nevėžisa Kėdainiai odigral 35 tekem ter v povprečju dosegal 21,0 točke, 3,0 asistence in 2,8 skoka na tekmo. Z omenjenim točkovnim povprečjem je postal najboljši strelec litovskega državnega prvenstva. Ob tem je navdušil z izjemno natančnostjo v metih: iz igre je metal 46,1-odstotno, za tri točke 41,5-odstotno, s črte prostih metov pa kar 90,8-odstotno.