The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536961
44 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY DAVID DRIVER n 2023, his second pro basketball season overseas, former NC State standout C.J. Bryce suffered a ro- tator cuff injury while playing in Germany. That led to fewer op- portunities the following year. He eventually landed with a pro team in Russia, but not without some personal sacrifice. "I lost some European friends," Bryce explained, noting that some people didn't approve of him playing in Russia in the wake of that country's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Such are the kind of challenges faced by ex-NC State basketball players who have launched professional careers overseas in recent years. The decisions may not always be as personal as the one Bryce made; some could be as mundane as figuring out what restaurant to eat at in a country where English is not widely spoken or getting input from an agent about changing clubs during a season. "I had to make one of those choices. I was coming off an injury in Germany," said Bryce, 28, who was with the Pack from 2018-20. "Russia was a lot better than I thought. My experience was not bad at all. The people love basketball there." Sitting on a fifth-floor rooftop bal- cony in Athens with a view of the famed Parthenon to the north, Bryce reflected on his first four seasons overseas. The 6-foot-5 guard played for AEK Betsson this past season, averaging 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game to help his club reach the league semifinals and win the consolation game for third place. "It's been a very good learning year," said Bryce, who averaged 13.3 points and 6.2 boards for the Pack in his final sea- son. His overseas career began during the 2020-21 campaign when he aver- aged about 20 points per contest for a I A WHOLE NEW WORLD Former NC State Basketball Stars Extend Their Careers By Heading Overseas Guard C.J. Bryce was a key player during the 2024-25 pro season with AEK Betsson Athens, a team in Greece's top league. Bryce, who spent two seasons at NC State, previously played in Hungary, Germany and Russia. PHOTO COURTESY C.J. BRYCE