Ghanaian Power Forward/ Small Forward Ben Bentil has ended up as the top performer in Red Star MTS Belgrade (Crvena Zvezda) in the opening round of 2022-2023 Euroleague season.
Red Star lost 59-72 to reigning Euroleague champions Anadolou Efes; Turkish side Anadolou is aiming to win Europe’s premier basketball title for the third time in a row.
Bentil led Red Star after scoring 13 points, four rebounds and two assists in 20:13 minutes as a starter in the game that had no Red Star player score in double figures aside the Sekondi native.
27 year old Bentil scored two of four two point shot attempts and scored one of a trio of three point shot attempts. He was efficient from the free throw area as he converted six of seven attempts. (Click highlighted text to watch game highlights)
Efes was led by Will Clyburn and Vasilije Micic who scored 19 and 16 points respectively; Micic won the Euroleague Most Valuable Player Award in Anadolou’s 2021 Euroleague title run.
Red Star plays Bentil’s former team Panathinaikos next in the competition on October 13; Bentil won two Greek league titles with Panathinaikos.
He is the first Ghana born player to play in the NBA.