Excellent Jacob Pullen is back with Cedevita Olimpija!

One of the best players and scorers in the ABA League last season, Jacob Pullen, will wear the Cedevita Olimpija jersey in the upcoming 2021/22 season. Sports enthusiasts can also remember Pullen as a member of Cedevita Zagreb, and in the last two seasons he has defended the colors of Mornar of Bar.

Jacob Pullen, one of the best basketball players in the region in recent years, and a former member of the famous Virtus Bologna and Barcelona, is a new player for the Cedevita Olimpija. The 31-year-old American player, who also has experience playing in the NBA, has been one of the top scorers in the regional competition over the past three seasons, and in the 2020/21 season in 2019/20 he was the key player of the Mornar. In the previous season, he managed to make it to the Semi-finals of the ABA League with the team of Bar.

After spending college years at Kansas State College, Jacob Pullen tried out his skills for the first time in European basketball in the Italian Biella jersey. This was followed by a move to Hapoel, then a return to Italy, to Virtus Segafredo Bologna, while the 2013/14 season was crucial for Pullen, which also has Georgian citizenship, to jump on the big stage. He moved to Barcelona, where he averaged 4.9 points per game in the Euroleague.

He moved to Sevilla in September 2014 and then returned to Brindisi, Italy, in November. Before the start of the 2015/16 season, he moved to Zagreb’s Cedevita and averaged 14.4 points, 3.2 assists and 1.4 rebounds per game in 27 ABA League games. Cedevita also played in the Euroleague at the time, with Pullen playing in 24 games and averaging 13.5 points.

Pullen moved to Khimki, Russia after the end of the season, and the 2017/18 season began with the Philadelphia 76ers, and he also spent his time in Philadelphia with the Delaware 87ers, among others. At the beginning of 2018, he broke up with the Sixers after playing three games in the strongest league in the World, then playing first in Mahram, Iran, and then in Afyon, Turkey, which also helped him break into Turkey’s top-tier basketball league.

In November 2018, Pullen returned to Cedevita and averaged 17.4 points, 1.9 assists and 1.7 rebounds per game in 20 ABA League games. In the 7DAYS EuroCup, he wore the jersey of the Zagreb team in 11 matches and scored 15.3 points per match.

After the end of the 2018/19 season, Pullen moved to Montenegrin Mornar, where he scored 17.7 points per game in the European Cup last season, 16.6 points in the ABA League, 3.1 assists in 1.3 rebounds in 25.3 minutes spent on the floor.

Among other things, Pullen also has the title of Spanish and Croatian national champion in his cupboard, and two titles of Croatian Cup Winner. Twice, in 2016 and 2019, Pullen was also selected in the top five of the regional ABA League.

Jacob Everse Pullen
Date and place of birth: November 10 1989; Maywood (USA)
Height: 183 cm
Playing position: Point Guard / Guard
Career: Biella (Italy; 2011-12), Hapoel Jerusalem (Israel; 2012-13), Virtus Bologna (Italy; 2013), Barcelona (Spain; 2013-14), Sevilla (Spain; 2014), Brindisi (Italy; 2014-15), Cedevita (Croatia; 2015-16), Khimki (Russia; 2016-17), Philadelphia 76ers (USA; 2017-18), Mahram Tehran (Iran; 2018), Afyon (Turkey; 2018), Cedevita (Croatia; 2018-19), Mornar (Montenegro; 2019-21), Cedevita Olimpija (2021).

Sani Bečirović, sports director of Cedevita Olimpija:
“Jacob Pullen is a player we have definitely missed in the last two seasons. He is an excellent scorer and an extremely talented player who is able to decide the game on his own, so he will be able to come to our aid in the 7DAYS EuroCup and the ABA League, and the same goes for hunting all the home titles. Pullen has experience with playing at the highest level, but he also knows our team, as he was part of Zagreb’s Cedevita in the past. I believe he will fit in perfectly with our team.”

Jurica Golemac, head coach of Cedevita Olimpija:
“Jacob is more or less known to everyone in Slovenia and the wider region. He has been playing in the regional competition for a long time, but he is an experienced sniper who we missed last season. We gained in width on the outside playing positions. We are glad that Jacob decided to come to Ljubljana. With his experience and his quality, he will definitely contribute to the games of our team, so we can’t wait for him to join us, get to know the team and start working with us.”

Jacob Pullen, player of Cedevita Olimpija:
“I am excited to have joined Cedevita Olimpija in Ljubljana. In a way, I returned to Cedevita, and for the first time I will play for a club from Slovenia. I can’t wait to play in the 7DAYS EuroCup and the ABA League, and to achieve all the goals we set for ourselves. My goal is always for the team to fight for the title, no matter what competition they are competing in. I thank the fans and the management of Cedevita Olimpija. It’s nice to be back. Third time’s the charm. I hope we win a good number of trophies this time.”