Today, NBL club Anhui WenYi officially announced that former Shandong men’s basketball foreign player Troy Gillenwater has joined the team.
The official announcement is as follows:
At a critical moment as the 2024 NBL regular season approaches its conclusion, to further enhance the team’s fighting strength and better achieve our season goals, Anhui WenYi announces the signing of Troy Gillenwater, who played for four seasons with the CBA’s Shandong team, to help propel the team forward.
Born in December 1988, Gillenwater stands at 205 cm tall and weighs 110 kg, playing as a power forward. As a ball-handling big man, Gillenwater is versatile, with both reliable slashing and finishing abilities near the basket and effective mid-to-long-range shooting, making him an invaluable plug-and-play foreign player.
Over the years, Gillenwater has competed in Asian leagues, including stints in South Korea, Japan, and China. From the 2017 to 2019 seasons, he played for Shaanxi, averaging 31 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, and was named Finals MVP twice.
Starting from 2021, Gillenwater played four consecutive seasons with the CBA’s Shandong team, consistently delivering standout performances. In the most recent 2023-2024 season, in an average of 23.4 minutes per game, he contributed 23.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, with a field goal percentage above 50% and a free throw percentage of 86.9%, showcasing highly efficient play. Notably, his average scoring led the team (sixth in the CBA), while his rebounding ranked second on the team.
As the NBL only allows each team to register three foreign players simultaneously, Gillenwater will replace Zubcic and form a new foreign trio with Dakari Johnson and Pierre Jackson, alongside domestic players.
We thank Zubcic for his hard work this season with Anhui WenYi and believe that his experience in the Chinese league will be a fond memory. We wish him all the best in his future basketball career and look forward to crossing paths again someday.
Depending on registration and the coaching staff’s overall arrangements, Gillenwater plans to make his debut with Anhui WenYi on August 1st in the away game against Hefei Cyclone. Please stay tuned.