7DAYS EuroCup MVP: Jerian Grant, Turk Telekom Ankara

The MVP for the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup season is Jerian Grant of Turk Telekom Ankara. Euroleague Basketball congratulates Grant on the award, which was voted on by a combination of the competition’s head coaches, team captains, fans and media.

Regardless of the metrics used, Grant compiled an outstanding season for Turk Telekom, which will face Gran Canaria on Wednesday in the EuroCup Final with the winner earning the right to play in next season’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. The point guard’s case for MVP included big moments, consistency and volume. He shined in the playoffs and was the EuroCup Quarterfinals MVP, played the most minutes of any player in the EuroCup (33:16 per game), and ranked second in assists (6.2) and fourth in average PIR (18.7).

Grant hit the ground running in his first EuroCup campaign. He posted PIRs in double digits in each of his first 17 games in helping Turk Telekom wrap up second place in regular season Group B with a 13-5 record. He notched his first double-double in Round 3 with 12 points and 10 assists in a victory over Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv. Grant scored at least 23 points three times over a five-game stretch between Rounds 12 and 16 and dished at least 5 assists in all but four games this season.

Come the playoffs, Grant took his game to another level. He dominated in the come-from-behind quarterfinal win over ratiopharm Ulm with 20 points and 7 assists. Grant kept the team alive when it was struggling early by drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line. Grant drew 13 fouls, which set the record for a game that late in the season, and finished the game with a career-best performance index rating of 13.

A week later, Grant tallied 19 points, 6 assists and 2 steals in a road victory at Prometey Slobozhanske, which secured Turk Telekom a spot in the championship game. He enters the final with averages of 14.8 points per game on 53.7% two-point shooting. He has also averaged 3.0 rebounds and is second in the EuroCup with 5.7 fouls drawn per game.

A member of a famed basketball family, his father Harvey played 11 seasons in the NBA and Harvey’s twin brother Horace spent 17 seasons in the NBA and won four championships, including three as a part of the first leg of the Chicago Bulls dynasty. Jerian has two brothers who play professional basketball, too.

Jerian played five seasons in the NBA before debuting in Europe with Promitheas Patras in Greece during the 2020-21 season. He came to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague last season with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and joined Turk Telekom over the summer.

Grant is the first Turk Telekom player and the third from a Turkish club to earn the EuroCup MVP. He joins Erick McCollum (2016, Galatasaray Istanbul) and Scottie Wilbekin (2018, Darussafaka Istanbul) in that distinction.