Naje Smith new Krka Reinforcement

"Joining Krka means a great deal to me because of the high-quality basketball and the opportunities the club offers for both me and my future career. I chose Krka because I trust the coach, and I also know players who have successfully played for this club in the past. I want to tell the fans to look forward to the new season, because there will be plenty of exciting, versatile basketball and high-flying play above the rim," said newcomer Naje Smith, who is excited about arriving in Novo Mesto.

Naje Smith (203 cm, born in 2000) is an American basketball player who plays at the power forward and center positions. He is known for his athleticism, mobility, rebounding, above-the-rim play, and rim protection.

He began his college career at Cochise College, where, in the 2019/20 season, he averaged 23.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, earning ACCAC Conference Player of the Year honors and NJCAA All-American First Team selection. He then spent three seasons at Boise State. In his final season, he averaged 10.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and against Northwestern he became the first Boise State player to record a double-double in an NCAA Tournament game.

He began his professional career with Romanian club FC Argeș Pitești before moving to Finland's Kataja Basket. In the 2025/26 season, he played for Slovakia's Prievidza, where he won the Slovak Cup. In the final against Levice, he recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds. In the FIBA Europe Cup, he averaged 10.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.

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Naje Smith nova okrepitev Krke

Krka je okrepila svoje vrste z ameriškim krilnim centrum Naje Smithom.

"Prihod v Krko mi pomeni veliko zaradi kakovostne košarke ter priložnosti, ki jih klub ponuja meni in moji nadaljnji karieri. Za Krko sem se odločil, ker zaupam trenerju, poznam pa tudi igralce, ki so v preteklosti uspešno igrali za ta klub. Navijačem sporočam, naj se veselijo nove sezone, saj prihaja veliko atraktivne, raznovrstne košarke in igre visoko nad obročem," se prihoda v Novo mesto veseli novinec Naje Smith.

Naje Smith (203 cm, 2000) je ameriški košarkar, ki igra na položajih krilnega centra in centra. Odlikujejo ga atletskost, gibljivost, skok, igra nad obročem in zaščita "rakete".

Univerzitetno kariero je začel na Cochise Collegeu, kjer je bil v sezoni 2019/20 z 23,2 točke in 8,5 skoka na tekmo izbran za najboljšega igralca konference ACCAC in v prvo peterko All-American lige NJCAA. Nato je tri sezone igral za Boise State. V zadnji sezoni je dosegal 10,2 točke in 5,6 skoka, proti Northwesternu pa je postal prvi igralec Boise Statea z dvojnim dvojčkom na tekmi zaključnega turnirja NCAA.

Profesionalno pot je začel pri romunskem FC Argeș Pitești, nadaljeval pri finski Kataji Basket, v sezoni 2025/26 pa je igral za slovaško Prievidzo. Z njo je osvojil slovaški pokal, v finalu proti Levicam pa dosegel 18 točk in deset skokov. V evropskem pokalu FIBA je v povprečju beležil 10,2 točke, 7,2 skoka in 1,9 blokade.