With his illustrious college career over, AJ Brodeur made the natural decision when deciding the next step of his journey.
Former Penn basketball sensation and 2020 Wharton graduate AJ Brodeur has announced that he will be signing a professional basketball contract with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg.
Riesen, meaning “giants” in English, plays in the Basketball Bundesliga League, the highest level of competition in Germany. The club, founded in 1960, also plays in the European Basketball Champions League competition.
“It’s surreal to me,” said Brodeur. “It’s really a dream come true.”
As a Quaker, Brodeur arguably had one of the greatest careers in program history, ranking first all-time in points, blocked shots, field goals made, and games played and started.
In his final game for the Red and Blue, the three-time unanimous first team All-Ivy selection went out with a bang by recording the school’s first triple double.
“AJ is a player who has won at every level so far,” said Riesen coach John Patrick. “He is a hard worker on and off the floor.”
When his college career ended, Brodeur had to look overseas because there were not any opportunities in the United States due to the coronavirus, but most European leagues had a plan in place to play amid the pandemic.
Multiple teams reached out to Brodeur after his agent put out his film, but in the end, the decision to join Riesen was an easy one.
Brodeur emphasized how similar the Riesen’s style of play is to Penn’s. It incorporates a lot of passing, little use of isolations, and will give him a chance to score on the low block, something that may not have been possible in other leagues as an undersized 4 or 5 man.
Penn coach Steve Donahue spoke highly of the team to Brodeur, noting that he watches it frequently and incorporates many elements of their play into his offense. Given how much Brodeur had excelled in this offense, it was a natural fit.
“There are a lot of small things that add up that make this team a great fit for me,” said Brodeur. “They were also the first team to give me an offer.”
While he will feel right at home in Riesen’s offense, it will take him some time to get used to German culture. Brodeur, who has only been to Europe two times, has been reading up on German food, language, and places to see.
The only downfall of Brodeur joining Riesen is that a glorious streak may finally come to an end. No, not Brodeur’s iron man games started streak dating back to high school. Rather, his mom’s perfect attendance record at his games.
Brodeur said that while it wouldn’t surprise him if his mom, Jerri Brodeur, a Certified Public Accountant, began looking for accounting jobs in Germany, she will probably have to watch most of his games online while making it out to Ludwigsburg for a few.
Just like Jerri, many Penn fans will have their eyes on Brodeur as he starts this next step of his basketball journey.
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