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Jodie Meeks, Big3 sharpshooter

Do you remember the thrilling and nerve-wracking finals of NBA conferences or big decisive games in the recent period? American basketball national league is part of family life and it’s part of folklore in the USA. Supporters identify themselves with glamorous stars for the most prestigious national basketball competition in the world.

Many ex-NBA players took part in Big3 and tried to feel the spirit of the different surroundings. One of them is Jodie Meeks, today’s hero of our minds. Jodie had a 11-year long career in NBA and later decided to join Fireball. You will read an interesting story about him in the next couple of paragraphs.

How did Jodie’s professional career begin?

Jodie Meeks promised a lot in his junior career and everybody noticed his enormous potential. His decision to enter the draft pool in 2009 was logical. Meeks was picked as the 41st overall pick by Milwaukee Bucks.

Milwaukee’s coach had many options in the roster for his position. Unfortunately, the hero of our paragraphs did not receive the expected number of minutes on the court in his debut season in the NBA.

The beginning of 2010 was stressful for him because the search for a new club began.

What was the next station on Meeks’ road in NBA?

Jodie put a signature on the contract with Philadelphia together with Francisco Elson, while Primoz Brezec and Royal Ivey went in the opposite direction. The first season brought him an experience similar to the one he had gone through in Milwaukee.

Finally, Jodie got a chance to be the first option in the position of shooting guard in the middle of the second season.

Meeks kept his place in starting lineup in season 2011/2012, but his competition for that position got stronger and stronger. His brilliant individual performance with scoring 31 points against Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t extend his staying in the 76ers.

What happened with Jodie after his tenure with Philadelphia?

Jodie’s average of 8.1 points and 2.2 rebounds during his career recommended him to LA Lakers in the summer of 2012. The team from California invested in a player and it looked like the money started paying off in a victory over Denver in November. Meeks was superb from long range with seven hit three-pointers and 21 points on his account.

Jodie was most productive in his career in season 2013/2014 with 15.7 points per game, including 40 percent of tried three-point shots.

In a 114-110 victory against Oklahoma City Thunder, Jodie scored twice as much as in a fixture against Denver. 24 of those 42 points were scored in the second half of the game and neutralized the triple-double of Kevin Durant, player of the opposing team.

Here is short video where you can see Jodie’s performance in game against Thunder:

Where did Meeks play after the LA Lakers experience?

Detroit spent a big money on Jodie because they wanted a guy who can hit those long-distance shots. Injury stopped Meeks in his intention to show potential until December when he contributed to Detroit’s comeback in a fixture against Phoenix Suns.

Meeks was on fire as his astonishing nine-hit three-point shots helped Detroit pull out a convincing victory versus Orlando Magic. However, his turbulent tenure with the team from the main center of the automotive industry continued due to frequent injuries. Jodie made one more recovery for the game of the last round of season 2015/2016 and registered 20 points.

What occurred with this player after two seasons in Detroit?

Some good performances and 9.2 points per game throughout two years in Pistons caught the attention of Orlando Magic who made deal with Detroit to bring this player.

His debut appearance against former club Philadelphia happened in December after injured Jodie’s two-month absence from the court. Excellent game from Meeks in a 115-103 win over the Knicks came the next month when he was firing from all weapons.

Overall, his collaboration with Magic was marked by the Meeks injuries and positive impact on Orlando’s offense.

Which place was the next destination on his “road”?

Besides being a free agent at that time, Jodie had the reputation of an oft-injured player in the NBA. That didn’t prevent the Wizards to sign him in a two-year deal in the summer of 2017. Meeks finished the only season in Washington’s shirt with 6.3 points per fixture and 34.3 % of his shots beyond the arc have been successful.

Everybody thought that the contract is a chance to revive his careerbut the scandal has shaken the player and everyone involved in the functioning of the club. Jodie was accused of violating the NBA/NBPA anti-drug program and tested positive for banned compounds.

The culmination of everything was a 25-game suspension during which he was not paid. Meeks explained that he didn’t use intentionally these substances for improvement of performance.

How did the controversial situation affect further Jodie’s career?

His second collaboration with Milwaukee started in October 2018 and was another opportunity for Meeks on his bumpy road through NBA.

Board released him before the end of the 25-game ban on November 25, so Jodie didn’t even make his debut in the club from Wisconsin. The reason for such action was the NBA rule that the roster can consist of a maximum of 15 players during the regular season.

In the second half of 2018/2019, Jodie was part of Toronto alongside European stars Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, and Jonas Valanciunas. Meeks best display with 14 points and 5 rebounds scored came in a fantastic 124-101 victory over the Bulls. The Raptors won the league with 4-2 in a big final series against Golden State Warriors, so Jodie Meeks can brag about an NBA ring.

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What were his performances in the national squad?

Jodie Meeks was called up to the USA squad for the AmeriCup in 2022 where his country lost in the semifinal to Argentina with 82-73. The USA won the ninth medal in AmeriCup after they pulled out an 84-80 victory in a game for third place.

What was his first contact with Big3?

Jodie’s 11-year long career came to an end, but it recommended the man to Ball Hogs, Big3 team. Meeks scored 15 three-point shots in the Fireball in 2021, with only Joe Johnson and Leandro Barbosa scoring more. It was an unbelievable achievement if we take into consideration the new environment and style of play in which he found himself.

Ball Hogs man claimed that Big3 turned out to be a lot more physical than expected.

Ball Hogs took eighth place in the final standings as they had three victories and five defeats over the regular part of the season. Despite not qualifying for the playoff, the chemistry was already visible between MeeksLeandro Barbosa, and Spencer Hawes.

How was Meeks playing in the 2022 season?

Jodie was named as co-captain of the squad for the Big3 fifth season, while the captain was still Leandro Barbosa. Meeks ability to shoot from distance showed itself in 2022, but the team didn’t have a good season. Ball Hogs results were even worse than in 2021 and the board needed to sit down and reconsider the new strategy.

After winning the NBA ring with Toronto in 2019, we are wondering if Jodie will win more trophies in the future. Fireball is a great space for doing that and receiving other individual accolades.

Next season is the time when Meeks can attempt to qualify with his team for the long-awaited playoff. Are Ball Hogs capable of making such progress in 2023? Is their man ready to lead them there? What is your opinion? Let’s wait and see.

About the author

Marjan Nikolic

Passionate sports guy, coming from the eastern Europe where best basketball is played (yeah, I know you will not agree!). Dynamic 3x3 basket has special place in my heart.

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