NBA teams often take fliers on international talent in the NBA draft, and the future appears to be bright for one Celtics selection.
Boston selected Yam Madar in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft and was described as the “European Steph Curry” by fans. The Israeli guard showed promise when he played in the C’s Summer League team in the 2020-21 season. Madar didn’t stick in Boston, and he continued his career abroad.
The 22-year-old played with Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Israeli Basketball Premier League when was drafted by the Celtics, but the guard signed with Partizan Belgrade of the ABA League a season later.
Madar made his debut in the EuroLeague this season and was named EuroLeague Rising Star on Friday. The award recognizes the best player under 22 years old.
The Partizan guard was the first Israeli to secure the prize and the third player for Partizan to do so, joining Novica Velickovic and Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, who congratulated Madar on the honor. Madar also was the fourth player to be named the Rising Star in his first full EuroLeague season, joining former NBA guard Rudy Fernandez, Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari and Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze.
Partizan made its return to EuroLeague after a nine-season absence and lost in the playoffs to Real Madrid, falling in Game 5 in the best-of-five series.
“Madar led all Rising Star eligible players this season in points, both with his overall total of 221 and also his average of 5.8 points per game,” a EuroLeague press release said. “The guard reached double figures for points 10 times during the regular season, scoring a season-high 15 points on two occasions. He went for 12 points and a season-high (six) rebounds in Game 3 of the playoffs.
“In addition to his scoring and his steals, Madar also averaged 4.7 assists per 40 minutes, the joint most of any Partizan player and the second-highest among eligible players.”
The Celtics still retain Madar’s rights, but the young guard has not committed to his NBA future yet. But his success in the best league outside of the NBA should still be a promising sign for Boston fans.
