Cedevita Olimpija stronger with Melvin Ejim!

Cedevita Olimpija will be stronger in the new competition season for Melvin Ejim, who in the season that is behind us was one of the holders of the game of Podgorica’s Budućnost VOLI, which played in the ABA League finals.

In the position of Small and Power Forward, Cedevita Olimpija strengthened with 30-year-old Melvin Ejim before the start of the 2021/22 competition season. The latter will move to Ljubljana from Podgorica, where he was one of the leaders of the Budućnost VOLI game last season, and with his performances he helped the Podgorica team to the final second place in the regional ABA League.

Melvin Ejim is a well-known name to all European basketball connoisseurs, as he has proven himself in many competitions at the highest competitive level. He spent his career at the University of Iowa State, and was one of Iowa’s best players at the time. In his last season spent in college, he averaged 17.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. In 2014, Ejim was not selected for the NBA, and he spent the summer in the San Antonio Spurs jersey in Las Vegas.

This was followed by a move to Europe, where he tested himself at Virtus Roma in the 2014/15 season. After the season, he first signed a contract with medi Bayreuth, then proved himself in the Orlando Magic in the Summer League, and got a chance in the G League with the Erie BayHawks. In March 2016, he then moved to Reyer Venezia, where he remained until the end of the 2016/17 season, helping the team from Venice to the title of Italian national champion, and he himself became the most valuable player in the final set. At the same time, Ejim was selected in the top five of the Basketball Champions League, in which he averaged 10.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

Ejim then spent two seasons with Unics Kazan, followed in July 2019 by moving to Spain, to Unicaja from Malaga. In the 7DAYS EuroCup, he averaged 7.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals, but after a prematurely closed season due to the coronavirus pandemic, he then moved to Podgorica’s Budućnost VOLI. The latter helped to the title of Montenegrin national and cup champion.

In the 2020/21 season, Melvin Ejim played in 31 games in the ABA League. He spent an average of 22.6 minutes on the floor, scoring 10.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists. He showed his best performance in a duel with Mega Basket when he scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds in just under 35 minutes. In the 7DAYS EuroCup, Ejim played in 19 games, scoring 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 27.5 minutes.

Melvin Obinna Ejim
Date and place of birth: March 4 1991; Toronto (Canada)
Height: 201 cm
Playing position: Forward / Power Forward
Career: Virtus Roma (Italy; 2014-15), Erie BayHawks (USA; 2015-16), Reyer Venezia (Italy; 2016-17), Unics Kazan (Russia; 2017-19), Unicaja Malaga (Spain; 2019-20), Budućnost VOLI (Montenegro; 2020-21), Cedevita Olimpija (2021).

Sani Bečirović, sports director of Cedevita Olimpija:
“Everyone who has watched regional and European basketball in recent seasons knows what kind of player we’re talking about, when we mention the name Melvin Ejim. In the season that is behind us, Melvin was one of the leaders in the game at Podgorica’s Budućnost VOLI, and we were able to see his quality by watching the decisive fights in the 7DAYS EuroCup and the ABA League. Ejim has experience playing in the regional league, European Cup and Champions League, he is also a player who puts the team first, so we believe he will quickly fit into our game system and help us take a step forward in all competitions.”

Jurica Golemac, head coach of Cedevita Olimpija:
“We are overjoyed that we managed to bring Melvin to Cedevita Olimpija in Ljubljana. Melvin is an experienced player who is used to winning, but at the same time knows the environment, and has a great season behind him. He is one of the best defensive players of last season, and he can cover all playing positions from the point guard to the power forward. He is also very experienced in offense. He can score points both by playing with his back against the basket and by shooting from a distance. He has a high basketball IQ. We are slowly assembling a team that will definitely be able to compete with everyone in both international competitions and later in the national championship. We are happy that Melvin will come to our help in achieving the set goals.”

Melvin Ejim, player of Cedevita Olimpija:
“I’m excited to be a part of the Cedevita Olimpija family. I know that there’s a lot of great history, tradition and passion, that comes with the team and the organization. I’m happy to be a part of that. I’m excited for this upcoming season, and I hope to see all of you there, and to see and feel your support.”