Matt Lottich, a standout point guard on the Osaka Evessa's three bj-league title teams, will not return to the team next season, it announced on Friday. Lottich, who turned 26 on Tuesday, wanted to pursue playing opportunities in Europe, the team said in a statement.
Lottich has signed a deal to play for the Duesseldorf Giants of the German League's first division. The team was founded in 1904. It currently plays in a 45,000-seat stadium, the Wilhelm-Dopatka-Halle.
The Stanford University graduate averaged 20.2 points per game last season, helping pick up the offensive slack when two-time MVP Lynn Washington was sidelined due to a knee injury.
Lottich has kept busy this month as the camp director of the Matt Lottich Life Skills Basketball Camp in San Carlos, Calif., which is a 20-minute drive from Stanford University. The camp is in its fifth season.