Red and white jersey for Maurice Kemp
Kemp in Pistoia
Through a note released Friday, Estra Pistoia Basket 2000 announced it has reached an agreement through June 30, 2025 with forward Maurice Kemp Jr. The player will wear jersey number 9.
Born in Miami (Florida) on Feb. 2, 1991, 203 centimeters for 86 kilograms, after attending high school at Miami Dade Christian Academy he spent his college career between Alabama, again Miami Dade and East Carolina ending his college career in 2013 with a 20.2 point season in 35′ of usage. Not chosen at the Draft, he immediately began his career in Europe in Hungary with Alba Fehervar where he played a total of 18 games between league and Eurocup (12.3 points in 25′ average).
In 2014/15 he returned to the United States where he played an entire championship with the Cleveland Charge (he had as a teammate the’former red and white Alex Kirk) and then returned to Europe passing through Greece, with the jersey of Kavalas, to continue with the’Estonia (Avis Utilitas Rapla). In 2017/18 he plays an excellent year in Argentina with Obras Sanitarias where he averages 21.4 points and 7 rebounds. He returns again to Europe, this time to Spain, to wear the jersey of Fuenlabrada in Liga ACB and then plays an important season with the BC Kalev/Cramo jersey in VTB League putting up more than 13 points on average per game with 53% from two and 77% at the free in addition to harpooning just under 6 rebounds per game winning the championship. He will close out the 2020/21 year in Puerto Rico with the Gigantes de Carolina.
In the summer of 2021 he moved to Israel where he will experience two championships as a star player: he started with Maccabi Rishon Lezion (16 points and 6.4 rebounds per game) and then moved for a year and a half to Bnei Herzelya where he played the 2022/23 championship with remarkable numbers as evidenced by his 20-point average (53.5% from 2 and 80% at the free) to which he added 8.2 rebounds and 2 assists in 27 games. Also at the European level, he played playoffs with Kalev/Cramo and in Israel, while in addition to the Eurocup at the beginning of his career in Hungary è he also took the court in the Fiba Champions League with Fuenlabrada (11.5 points in 22′ of usage) and especially with Bnei Herzelya where in 5 games he put up 25.4 points and 7.6 rebounds on average in 35′ with 40% from 3.
In 2023/24 he moved to Asia playing no less than 46 games in the Chinese A Series with the Guangzhou Long Lions putting up an average of 14.3 points in just 21′ of usage with 52% from 2 and 50% from 3 while this season he started with the Fujian SBS Xunxing Sturgeons ending the’adventure, after seven games, at the’beginning of this month.
The Pistoia Basket 2000 è already working to take care of the paperwork related to the visa to get the player to Italy as soon as possible.
“I am really excited about arriving in Pistoia for the rest of the season – Maurice Kemp Jr –s first words in red and white: I accepted the call from the club becauseé there will be a way to compare myself in a very high level league like the Italian one and because of the exceptional reputation the club has. I can’t wait to contribute to the team’s results and to help achieve success on the field. I am ready to get started!”.
