The Czech Republic national basketball team has made a name for themselves in the international arena. They have qualified for six EuroBasket tournaments since the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993, and have also been to the FIBA World Cup.
In 2022, they are looking to win their first-ever Olympic gold medal. Here are a few NBA players that will be representing their country at the competition.
Jiri Welsch
Jiri Welsch was born in Pardubice, Czech Republic in 1980 and is a former professional basketball player. He has also represented the senior Czech national basketball team.
Welsch is a 6′ 7 (201 cm) tall forward who has played in the National Basketball Association. He was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2002, and has since played for several different teams, including Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks.
He was also a member of the Boston Celtics, where he started 68 games and averaged 9.2 points per game. He is known for his ball handling skills and ability to take the ball to the basket.
Aside from his NBA career, Welsch has also represented the Czech national basketball team. He has a strong sense of defense and is known for his excellent shooting ability.
Welsch began his basketball career in Europe playing for BK JIP Pardubice of the Czech Republic National Basketball League, CSA Sparta Prague and Union Olimpija Ljubljana. He was drafted by the Philadelphia 74ers in the first round of the 2002 NBA draft, and was soon traded to the Golden State Warriors for future draft assets.
Tomas Satoransky
A Czech b-ball expert, Tomas Satoransky stands at 2.01 m in height and has a wingspan of 6’7”. He primarily plays at the point guard position for FC Barcelona of the Spanish Liga ACB and EuroLeague.
He is a great dunker and can precisely hit the basket, making him an excellent player to watch in the NBA. He is one of the best players to come out of the Czech Republic and has an incredibly high skill level.
Satoransky was drafted by the Washington Wizards in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft. He has played two seasons in the NBA. He is currently a free agent and can sign with any team. He has an impressive reputation and has already started to build a brand in his home country, and has several important sponsorships.
In the Wizards’ February 14th game against New York, Satoransky set a career high in blocks with 3 blocks. In the same game, he also logged a career-high in efficiency with 35.
This is a good sign for his future in the NBA, as he has a lot to offer as a player and has been improving. He can play at the point guard or shooting guard position and is a great athlete who has worked hard to get better.
Moreover, Satoransky is also a good defender. He can stop players on the perimeter and in the paint. He can also defend against dunks, which is a good trait to have in the NBA.
Ondrej Balvin
In the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers, Ondrej Balvin threw down a post up dunk. His 7 foot 1 inch frame made for an impressive display, as he was able to take a block from Victor Wembanyama and turn it into a dunk.
The big man is a member of the Czech Republic’s senior team and has played in the country’s top league, the B.League, for a few seasons. He has also spent time in Spain, Germany and Japan.
During his playing career, he averaged a whopping 8.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He was a fan favorite and one of the most sought after Czech players.
He was named to the Czech Republic’s All-Star team in 2015 and helped the nation qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup that same year. He was an integral part of the Czechs’ historic sixth-place finish at the 2019 FIBA World Championship in China and their third-place showing at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
The Czechs have a few other notable players on their roster, including point guard Tomas Satoransky and center Jan Vesely. The country’s top guns also include Blake Schilb and Patrik Auda, who have a combined 30 points in their first two games of the tournament. The Czechs will face the USA in a do-or-die matchup on Saturday, so they’ll need to be on their game to have a chance at winning.
Jan Vesely
Jan Vesely, born on April 24, 1990 in Ostrava, Czech Republic, is a basketball player. He is the sixth overall pick of the Washington Wizards in the 2011 NBA Draft, a 2010 FIBA Europe Young Men’s Player of the Year Award winner and a two-time FIBA EuroLeague Champion.
Vesely is a very versatile player that can play both the power forward and center position. He has also represented the Czech national team in the European and Olympic tournaments. He is currently playing for Fenerbahce in the Turkish Basketball Super League and the EuroLeague.
During his time in the NBA, Vesely was able to make an impact on the team and he was also a fan favorite. He was known for his aggressive game and he was able to score many points in his career.
He is a great defender as well and is a very hard worker. His hustle plays on both ends are an asset to the Wizards and fans love him for it.
His dunks are very impressive and they have been a great addition to the team’s offense. He is a very talented player and he has the potential to be a star in the NBA.
Vit Krejci
Vit Krejci is a 6-8 (203 cm) 195 lb forward who has played for the Atlanta Hawks and College Park Skyhawks in the G League this season. He is currently under a two-way contract with the team and has averaged just 1.6 points in 6.6 minutes over 16 appearances this year. He’s a good offensive player and has been used to play the point guard position in the G League, but he’s still raw and will need to improve his shot-blocking and PnR defense.
He is a great athlete and has a lot of potential for the NBA. He’s also a smart and energetic player, so it will be interesting to see if he can use his energy well on defense. He’s an inconsistent off-ball defender who sometimes does a nice job tracking his man through screens, but other times loses him because of his focus problems.
He’s a mid or late second-round pick and is worth a look if the team is looking for an off-ball defender who can provide scoring help off the bench. He’s also a good candidate for the pace and space era, as he’s got the quickness to defend switches on the perimeter and his body balance is strong enough to protect against switches.