Jan Vesely reaches 4,000 points in the Euroleague

This Tuesday saw Jan Vesely join an elite group of players who have scored 4,000 points in the Euroleague. With his performance against Crvena Zvezda, Vesely reached the landmark after 370 matches over 14 seasons in Europe's top club basketball competition. "It's incredible. It's really exciting to become part of history. I have been playing for a long time and I can hope to keep on going," said the Barça man in an interview with Euroleague media.

Vesely made his debut in the Euroleague with Serbian side Partizan in the 2008/09 season. In three seasons he scored 418 points in 54 games for Partizan before moving to the NBA in 2011. On his return to European basketball in 2014, he signed for Fenerbahce, scoring 2,590 points in the Euroleague in 222 matches, winning the title in 2017 and being named MVP of the tournament in 2018/19. The Czech came to Barça in 2022 and since then, he has racked up 992 points to take him to the magic total of 4,000 after 94 games as a blaugrana. 

Improving shooting from the field 

As well as having all the attributes of a top class center, Vesely has adapted his game over the years. "You can't dunk every ball after a pick and roll for 15 years, your body gets tired and it's tough. I decided to work on my free throws to feel more comfortable from the free throw line without worrying whether or not I was going to miss," says the blaugrana. 

"That was the idea and the next step was to shoot for two from medium range. Every year I work in the summer, but without focusing on 20 different things. I focus on the details that help me during the season. Every year I gain a little and now I feel comfortable shooting two pointers from distance." 

The sixth member of the club 

Vesely is now the sixth member of an exclusive club of players who have reached 4,000 points. The still active Mike James (4,830) and Nando De Colo (4,618) lead the way, followed by Vassilis Spanoulis (4,455) and blaugrana legend Juan Carlos Navarro (4,152). The most recent addition prior to Vesely was Real Madrid's Sergio Llull, who now has 4,039 points. 

Vesely is now 34 years old and has a contract with Barça until 2026. This season his stats remain as consistent as ever with 10.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and a valuation of 13.8 per game.