Jean Montero, Chosen as the Best Young Player of the Euroleague
The Dominican player for Valencia Basket, Jean Montero, has been awarded as the best young player in the Euroleague. The competition announced this Wednesday the awarding of the ‘Rising Star’ trophy, after the coaches’ vote.
In his debut season in the Euroleague, Montero has shown exceptional performance, averaging 13.7 points, 4.6 assists, and a performance index rating of 16.4 per game. This last figure is the highest among all candidates for the award.
His impact on the competition has been notable, ranking as the eleventh player with the highest overall rating and seventh if the statistics are adjusted to 40 minutes of play.
Montero won this same recognition last campaign in the Eurocup, the second highest competition in European basketball, and is the first player to achieve both trophies.
The ‘Rising Star’ award recognizes the outstanding performance of players under 22 years old at the beginning of each season. Montero, born on July 3rd, turned 22 on July 3rd, so this was his last chance to compete for the award.
Montero, originally from Santo Domingo, began his training in the lower categories of DOSA and Mauricio Báez. In October 2019, he joined the lower categories of Gran Canaria, where he debuted in the ACB.
Although he was not selected in the 2022 ‘draft’, he participated in the Summer League with the New York Knicks. In January 2023, he played on loan at Betis and, in the following season, at Andorra, also on loan from Gran Canaria. In July 2024, Andorra acquired Montero and transferred him to Valencia Basket.
