After spending his summer proving himself one workout at a time, former Ohio men’s basketball guard D.J. Cooper signed a contract on Monday to play professionally in Greece.
Cooper announced he had signed a deal with PAOK BC, a member of the Greek Basket League which is located in Thessaloniki, Greece. The official terms of the deal have yet to be announced.
The GBL is the premier professional league in Greece and is one of the top three basketball leagues in Europe. Teams in the GBL participate in the Greek Championship, as well as the Eurocup, which includes the top teams throughout Europe.
Cooper is the lone U.S.-born player on PAOK BC’s roster, though alumni of the club include former NBA players Peja Stojakovi? and Scott Skiles.
He also turned down an opportunity to join the New York Knicks, per his agent Mike Naiditch.
“The Knicks could not offer enough of a financial guarantee in order to tip the scales in (Cooper’s) favor,” Naiditch said.
After not being selected in the NBA Draft in June, Cooper accepted a pair of invitations to compete in the NBA Summer League.
However, he received limited playing time with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Golden State Warriors in the Orlando and Las Vegas Summer Leagues, respectively.
Cooper is the only player in NCAA history to compile at least 2,000 points, 900 assists, 600 rebounds and 300 steals in a career. He is also the program-leader in assists, steals, games started and 3-pointers made.
He was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year last season.
PAOK BC is set to begin its season in October, though Naiditch said that Cooper is expected to depart overseas later this week.
Cooper was unavailable for comment.
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