Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv officially signs Saben Lee, as the talented point guard signed a contract for two seasons, ending in 2026. The 25-years-old point guard joins the yellows from Turkish side Manisa, after spending the previous four seasons in the NBA.
Lee, standing 1.88 M (6ft 2in) tall, is a speedy and explosive guard, capable of driving to the hoop with ease and finishing strong. He has great ball-handling skills and is a good facilitator for his teammates. In two games for Manisa this season in the BCL, Lee showcased his impressive scoring prowess by posting 36 points against UCAM Murcia and a competition record-tying 43 points against FMP Belgrade.
“I’m excited to join such a historic club and excited for this season”, said Saben Lee to Maccabi’s official website. “I hope we can win a lot of games this season and make the fans proud! I’m very grateful for the opportunity here. Also want to say thank you to management, coaches and everyone that had a say in getting me suited up in a Maccabi jersey. Let’s go Maccabi Tel Aviv, can’t wait to get to work”.
“We are very happy that Saben joins us”, confirmed Maccabi’s head coach Oded Kattash. “He is a very versatile player with a plethora of offensive skills that will help us. Besides his offensive versatility, Saben has high athletic abilities that helps him on both sides of the court”.
Saben Antonia Lee was born June 23rd, 1999, in St. Louis, Missouri. Sports was a dominant feature in his family – his father, Amp Lee, Was a running back who spent nearly a decade in the NFL. In fact, Amp won a Super Bowl with St. Louis and also went down in history as the last player to receive a touchdown from the legendary Joe Montana as a 49er. Lee’s cousin, Trent Forrest, is also a EuroLeague guard – he recently joined Baskonia, and the two will have a chance to meet on the court this season.
The Lee family moved to Phoenix, Arizona when Saben was still a toddler, and that was were he discovered a knack for basketball. He was named first team All-State twice, and received many collegiate offers, choosing to represent his mother alma mater, Vanderbilt. In his three seasons with the Commodores, Lee was mostly a starter and he delivered averages of 18.6 PPG, 4.2 APG and 3.5 RPG in his final season.
He was drafted 38th overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2020 NBA Draft, but was then traded to Detroit, where he spent the first two seasons of his pro career. In 85 performances in the NBA with the Pistons, Lee averaged 5.6 PPG, while simultaneously represnting the franchise’s G-League team.
Lee then bounced around, playing for the Raptors G-League team, spending a short stint with the Philadelphia 76ers and eventually finding his spot in his hometown as a member of the Suns. He played for Phoenix for two seasons, and in all collected 134 games in the Assosicion with 5.2 PPG, 2.8 APG and 14.5 MPG to show for it. This summer he made the jump to Europe and signed for Manisa, but after turning heads in his first few games, Saben will now have a chance to show himself in the top European competition with Maccabi.
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