Lonnie Walker IV joins Istanbul's Besiktas after failed NBA comeback bid

American basketball guard Lonnie Walker IV, 27, has joined Besiktas, a club based in Istanbul, Turkey. The deal runs until the end of the season, and the club announced it on 15 October. Besiktas competes in the EuroLeague, the top European club basketball competition.

A failed NBA attempt

In the offseason Walker joined the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, the North American professional league, and tried to return to it. He appeared in two preseason games, playing 17 minutes in total and scoring four points. After that, the two sides parted ways.

Familiar with the EuroLeague

Walker has already played in Europe. His first team on the continent was Zalgiris of Kaunas, Lithuania, where he was one of the team's leaders. In 19 EuroLeague games he averaged 13.6 points and 3.2 rebounds. Last season the American played for Maccabi of Tel Aviv, Israel.

In the NBA he played for the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. According to information from the club, he averaged 10 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists over 342 games.

The new team

Besiktas has begun its EuroLeague season with two wins in five games. The team sits 12th in the standings, directly ahead of Walker's former club, Kaunas Zalgiris.