After his frustrated stint in the NBA, where he barely played 17 games for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Argentine forward Gabriel Deck sealed his return to Real Madrid in Spain on Wednesday, where he has already played for three seasons and won five titles.
In April 2021, Deck’s departure from Real Madrid to Oklahoma was surrounded by controversy because it happened in the middle of the season in Spain and with the Euroleague in its decisive phase, but now “Tortu” arrives precisely to try to help the team to get that title, in addition to the ACB League.
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?? #WelcomeHomeDeck ??
?? @gabriel_deck pic.twitter.com/YX3LciKGJr— Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) January 19, 2022
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“It is an honor and a privilege to be here again,” said the man born in the Santiago city of Colonia Dora 26 years ago, who has already successfully passed the medical examination. Deck had even been present at the stadium last Sunday, when “Merengue” beat Casademont Zaragoza 94-69.
“Real Madrid means everything to me, I missed it. I’ve lived through many beautiful moments and that has led me to make the decision to come back. I want to thank you for your support and keep calm because I’m going to give my best like I did until the last moment when it was my turn to leave,” Deck explained.
“The first time he came here we were clear that he was a player who could grow a lot with us, he can play inside and outside, he gives us a lot of versatility, he understands the game and that is not going to change”, explained Spanish coach Pablo Laso.
This is how two weeks of uncertainty end for the forward of the Argentine National Team, who 14 days ago was “cut” by the Thunder, where he had a residual participation since his arrival. He played the last 10 games of the 2020-21 Regular League with the franchise, and in the current one he had only participated in seven games with an average of 8.0 minutes, 2.6 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists.
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