Aleksej Pokusevski

Aleksej Pokusevski's Biography

Aleksej Pokuševski, born on December 26, 2001, in Belgrade, Serbia, is a revered professional basketball player known for his skill and agility on the court. Currently, he plies his trade for Partizan Mozzart Bet, a Serbian basketball club that participates in the ABA League, Basketball League of Serbia, and EuroLeague. Standing tall at 7 feet (2.13 meters) and weighing around 210 pounds (95 kilograms), Pokuševski exhibits versatility, commanding both power forward and small forward positions.

During his early years, Pokuševski spent his life in Novi Sad, Serbia, where he first began exhibiting his talents on the basketball court with local clubs, including KK Kadet, KK NS Stars, and Vojvodina. His performance there paved his way to the youth system of Olympiacos, a renowned Greek club, in 2015. As young as he was, he did not shy away from participating in significant events like the Jordan Brand Classic camp in 2017, the Basketball Without Borders Europe camp in 2018 held in Belgrade, Serbia, and evoking an invitation in February 2019 for the NBA All-Star Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Charlotte, North Carolina. However, despite his willingness, he could not participate, being denied a US visa.

The year 2019 became a turning point in his career as he made his EuroLeague debut with Olympiacos on 19th March against the German club Bayern Munich. Even though he played for a single minute during the match, he recorded significant stats including 1 point, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist. He subsequently became the youngest Olympiacos player to debut in the EuroLeague, replacing Georgios Printezis.

During the 2019-2020 season, Pokuševski was playing in the Greek A2 League, the second-tier league in Greece, with Olympiacos’ reserve team, Olympiacos B. He was part of the senior EuroLeague club’s practice squad initially and had to sit out for almost 3 months due to a knee injury. Despite this setback, he made a mark playing in the Greek A2, starting in eight out of his 11 appearances and averaging 10.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game throughout the season.

In the middle of the Season, due to injuries in the senior team of Olympiacos, the young talent was called up. He played for just two minutes in his only EuroLeague game of the season, which was eventually suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pokuševski expressed his intention to join the 2020 NBA draft on April 24, thus putting an end to his stint with Olympiacos on November 24, 2020, following his selection in the NBA draft. He was selected as the 17th overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves, which made him the youngest player selected in that year. Later, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

With the Thunder, Pokuševski achieved several milestones. He made his debut for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s affiliate team in the NBA G League on 3 February 2021, and scored 23 points in his first NBA career start, setting several records in the process. His performance stunned everyone when he recorded his first NBA triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists against the Phoenix Suns on April 3, 2022. He became the seventh player from Thunder to achieve this feat, and the 12th youngest in NBA’s history.

After playing a season with the Oklahoma City Blue, Pokuševski was signed by the Charlotte Hornets on February 28, 2024, only to be waived later. The resilient player eventually signed with Partizan of the ABA League, Basketball League of Serbia (KLS), and the EuroLeague on 20 August, 2024.

Apart from club competitions, Pokuševski has also impressed in international under-17 and under-18 championships representing Serbia. He was a part of the Serbian national team editions of the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup, in Argentina, and the 2019 FIBA Under-18 European Championship, in Volos, Greece.

Moreover, Pokuševski is known to have a deep-rooted lineage. His family, originally from Priština, had to shift to Podgorica and then moved on to Belgrade due to the Kosovo War in 1999. Pokuševki’s Ukrainian connections come from his ancestors’ roots in Galicia, present-day Ukraine. He is in the Greek records as a native player due to his early signup with the Greek club Olympiacos, hence confirming his eligibility to represent either Serbia or Greece in national team competitions.

Aleksej Pokuševski’s life journey testifies to his agility and perseverance, both on and off the court, ever since his initiation into professional basketball. It is evident that his family background, especially his father, Saša Pokuševski, a former professional basketball player and coach, heavily influences his love for the sport. His journey surely inspires many young talents who dream of building a career in the world of professional basketball.