Welcome Back, Alex! How Poythress spent two seasons away from Zenit
Season 2022/23
Credit: Christina Pahnke
After the championship triumph with Zenit, Alex joined Maccabi Tel Aviv to showcase his skills in the EuroLeague. There, he reunited with Austin Hollins, who played with us in the 2020/2021 season. Poythress was considered a key player (starting 26 of 30 games), but his season was complicated by a hand injury that sidelined him for several months.
Nevertheless, the center managed to return for the playoffs of Europe's main tournament, where the Israeli team reached the quarterfinals. The series against Monaco was one of the highlights of that campaign, though the Monegasques triumphed in the fifth game. Regardless, Poythress performed well in the EuroLeague, averaging 7.8 points and 3.8 rebounds. His best game was against Fenerbahçe, where Alex scored 15 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and blocked 2 shots in just 23 minutes on the court.
In the national championship, Maccabi reclaimed the title after a shocking failure in the 2021/22 season when Tel Aviv representatives missed out on winning the league for only the 13th time in the tournament's history. Alex played excellently, averaging 10.6 points and 5.2 rebounds, and recorded a fantastic double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds against Hapoel Jerusalem.
Season 2023/24
Credit: Roberto Finizio
Despite Alex's consistent contributions to Maccabi, the Club decided not to activate his option for the next season, forcing the basketball player to find a new team. Poythress ended up with Olimpia Milano, coached by the well-known Ettore Messina. The American also reunited with several former Zenit teammates: Billy Baron, Kevin Pangos, and Shabazz Napier.
The Italian team's season was like a roller coaster. Streaks of failures were followed by emotional victories over Europe's best clubs. Many fans called for Messina's dismissal, but the Club management sided with the former CSKA coach. In this challenging environment, Alex continued to perform steadily, though he didn't always start.
Olimpia Milano finished 12th in the EuroLeague regular season standings, missing the playoffs. Alex averaged 13 minutes on the court, scoring a decent 5.2 points and grabbing 2.6 rebounds per game. His best game in the competition was against his former team of Maccabi, where he scored 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in 21 minutes.
However, in the national championship, Milan fans had reason to celebrate, as Olimpia defeated Virtus in the final series. The teams were pretty close throughout the season, but Virtus Bologna performed better in the EuroLeague than Messina's team. Nevertheless, Poythress's consistent play (7.2 points and 3.3 rebounds) allowed the team to end the season on a high note.
It's also worth mentioning that since 2022, Alex has been actively playing for the Ivory Coast national team. The Ivory Coast representatives have been flawlessly progressing through the African Championship qualifiers, with Poythress putting up superstar numbers — 21 points and 7.3 rebounds.
***
Without a doubt, Poythress could have continued playing in Europe, but he decided to return to Zenit. One of the key factors in his decision was his desire to work with Xavi Pascual again. We are happy to welcome our championship big man back! After winning the United League, Poythress claimed the Israeli and Italian championships. We hope his winning streak continues next season!
