Kenneth Faried Joins Baskonia: The Manimal Lands in Vitoria

Baskonia has found their man for the paint, and it's a major name. Kenneth Faried will play for the Vitoria squad, according to Chema de Lucas, who reports the deal between the club and the 36-year-old, 6'10" American center is done.

The most unlikely return, part two

If the signing surprises, his recent history surprises even more, and we covered it live in this space. Faried started last November playing in Taiwan with the TSG GhostHawks, and ended that same month as EuroLeague MVP: Panathinaikos signed him on the 9th to cover for Yurtseven's injury, and the Manimal responded with 13.5 points on 64.5% shooting, 7.5 rebounds—four of them offensive—and 2 blocks per game, leading a 4-0 run for the Greens that put them atop the standings.

The story, however, ended bittersweet in Athens. He won the Greek Cup, though he didn't play in the final, and in the championship series against Olympiacos he was left out of the rosters for all five games despite being available. After his official departure from the club in June, he landed with the Cangrejeros de Santurce in the Puerto Rican league, where he debuted with 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Now Baskonia rescues him from there.

What Vitoria is getting

At 36 years old, Faried is no longer the All-Rookie from Denver or the 2014 World Cup champion with the United States, but November proved his motor remains elite in Europe: energy, offensive rebounding, intimidation, and a locker room magnetism that even Ataman acknowledged from the first practice. He is, moreover, exactly the profile missing alongside Khalifa Diop in Paolo Galbiati's rotation, who had revamped the entire perimeter without touching the paint.