Playmaker TJ Shorts II from Telekom Baskets Bonn has been voted the Most Valuable Player of the Season in the Basketball Bundesliga.
This was announced by the league on Thursday (May 4th, 2023). The 25-year-old received 88 percent of the votes in the election conducted by coaches, sporting directors, captains and journalists.
Bonn provided the MVP last season
With that, Shorts prevailed well ahead of DeWayne Russell (EWE Baskets Oldenburg) and Stanley Whittaker (Würzburg Baskets). “He’s a big part of our success. His level of performance and above all his consistency were a driving force for us throughout the season,” said coach Tuomas Iisalo about his 1.75m tall guard. Shorts II is averaging 18 points and nearly eight assists per game so far this season.
Last year, Shorts took second place as a professional at Hakro Merlins Crailsheim. The most valuable player last season was Parker Jackson-Cartwright, also in the Bonn jersey.
63 percent of the votes for Iisalo
Bonn also had reason to celebrate in the coaching competition: Iisalo was voted coach of the year for the second time in a row.
Iisalo received 63 percent of the vote. Roel Moors (BG Göttingen) and Sasa Filipovski (Würzburg Baskets) came in second and third.
The 40-year-old Finn is enthroned with the club in the BBL after 32 match days at the top of the table and has the best prospects of winning the main round, in which the Champions League is located Bonn in the Final Four.
Head coach Iisalo thanks Bonn players
Baskets coach Tuomas Iisalo gives instructions from the coaching zone.
“A coach cannot directly influence the game, so the greatest thanks go to our great players, who have shown an unusually high level of commitment and sacrifice,” said Iisalo. “As always, this award is the result of great teamwork. Let’s do it finish the season in the same way.”
Iisalo, who came to Telekom Baskets from league competitor Hakro Merlins Crailsheim in 2021, has led his team to 56 wins in 66 BBL games so far. The club lost just five games in all competitions in 2022/23.
