Vit Krejci

Vit Krejci's Biography

Vít Krejčí, the renowned professional basketball player who was born on 19th June 2000 is currently a valued asset to the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association. Krejčí’s basketball career traces its origins back to Strakonice, a quaint town in the Czech Republic, where he first dribbled the basketball with the youth academy of Sokol Pisek.

At a mere age of 14, Krejčí’s budding talent was noticed by the Spanish basketball club, Zaragoza, which paved the way for his basketball ambitions to soar. In the 2016-17 season, Krejčí secured his position in the reserve team of Zaragoza, Anagan Olivar, enhancing his skills in the Liga EBA’s competitive landscape. Krejčí’s career moved a notch up when, at 16 years and eight months, he played his first professional game for Zaragoza against Fuenlabrada on 5 March 2017.

Krejčí’s first professional stint drew parallels with Sergi García’s career as they tied as the second-youngest debutant in club history, trailing behind Carlos Alocén. Marking a significant milestone in his career, Krejčí declared himself for the 2020 NBA draft on 17th April 2020. In the 2019–20 season, Krejčí menaced his competitors with an average of 3.2 points in just 9.2 minutes and was rewarded with a place in the ACB All-Young Players Team.

However, a harsh turn of events occurred on 25th September 2020 as Krejčí sustained a season-ending injury on his left knee during a game against Real Madrid. Not succumbing to adversity, Krejčí was picked as the 37th overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2020 NBA draft. This opportunity, however, took him to the Oklahoma City Thunder instead, following a subsequent trade agreement.

The year 2021 saw Krejčí’s tabloid headlines as he inked a deal with Oklahoma City Blue, the NBA G League affiliate of the Thunder, on January 28. This platform was instrumental in his rehabilitation from the ACL injury he acquired in Zaragoza. Undeterred by his physical setbacks, Krejčí penned a multi-year deal with the Thunder on 2nd September 2021.

However, on 27 September 2022, Krejčí was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Maurice Harkless and some draft considerations. Although he was waived by the Hawks on 16th August 2023, Krejčí rebounded with a swift deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves on 14th September. Despite being waived on 19th October of the same year, Krejčí bounced back ten days later to seal his spot with the Iowa Wolves.

Once again proving his mettle, on 22nd December 2023, Krejčí signed another two-way contract with the Hawks, which was complemented by a whopping four-year, $10 million contract extension with the Hawks on 12th July 2024.

In addition to his basketball club engagements, Krejčí has glorified the Czech Republic on several international platforms at the youth level. His exceptional average of 14.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists at the 2019 FIBA U20 European Championship Division B in Matosinhos, Portugal, secured him a place in the All-Star Five and led his team to a silver medal. Krejčí’s national level journey crossed a significant landmark in February 2019, when he debuted for the senior national team during the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification stage. Undeniably, Krejčí has etched his name prominently in the annals of Czech and international professional basketball.