Max Besselink
| Belfius Mons-Hainaut | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | BNXT League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 4, 2002 Helsinki, Finland |
| Listed height | 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) |
| Listed weight | 98 kg (216 lb) |
| Career information | |
| College | Santa Clara University (2021) |
| Playing career | 2018–present |
| Career history | |
| 2018–2020 | Helsingin NMKY |
| 2020–2021 | Helsinki Seagulls |
| 2020–2021 | Helsingin NMKY |
| 2021–2022 | BC Nokia |
| 2022–2023 | BG Göttingen |
| 2023–present | Belfius Mons-Hainaut |
Max Besselink (born 4 April 2002) is a Finnish professional basketball player for Belgian team Belfius Mons-Hainaut.
Early life
Besselink was born in Helsinki, Finland, to Canadian father and Finnish-Swedish mother. He was raised in Vartiokylä, Helsinki.[1] His father, Gerry Besselink, played basketball in Finland during 1989–1997, and represented Canada national team in 1986 FIBA World Championship tournament. His mother Nina Besselink (née Johansson), also a basketball player, played in Finland national team and has won two Finnish championship titles.[2][3][4]
Career
Besselink started his senior career with Helsingin NMKY in second-tier Koripallon I-divisioona in 2018.[5] He attended the Basketball Without Borders camp in June 2019.[6] Besselink played with Helsinki Seagulls in the first part of the 2020–21 season in top-tier Korisliiga, but in February 2021, he suddenly re-joined the second-tier team Helsingin NMKY.[7] Later in the same year, he was supposed to join Santa Clara University,[8] but after the summer school he decided to turn professional.[9]
On 28 September 2021, he joined fellow Korisliiga team BC Nokia for the season.[10][11]
It was reported in May 2022 that Besselink had signed with Basketball Bundesliga team s.Oliver Würzburg, but the deal was cancelled later.[12] In September 2022, he signed a contract with Tapiolan Honka,[13] but soon after he exercised a foreign transfer clause in his contract, and joined Bundesliga team BG Göttingen.[14][15] On 28 November 2022, Besselink recorded a season-high 10 points in a 96–95 win against ALBA Berlin.[16] He played in 16 Bundesliga games, averaging 2.1 points and 0.8 rebounds in less than 10 minutes per game in total.
After a season with Göttingen,[17][18] Besselink moved to Belgium and signed a three-year deal with BNXT League team Belfius Mons-Hainaut in July 2023.[19][20][21] On 8 January 2024, he returned from an injury, and made his debut in BNXT League.[22][23]
National team
A former youth international,[24] Besselink has represented Finland senior national team on two occasions.[25] Most recently he played in a 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifying win against Israel,[26][27] recording 5 points, 6 rebounds and an assist in 9 minutes.[28]
Personal life
Besselink's mother tongue is Swedish. He also speaks Finnish, and English with his father.[29]
References
- ^ Suomalaisen koripallon superlupaus pelaa ilmaiseksi ja saa isältään aamiaisen vuoteeseen, jos rikkoo hänen ennätyksensä: ”Ja ellei hän tee, hän saa tarjota minulle oluen”, Aamulehti, 13 October 2020
- ^ Pelaajien poika, Helsingin Sanomat, 13 October 2020
- ^ Nina Besselink, basket.fi
- ^ Entinen Kanadan MM-pelaaja riemuitsee Suomen kisapaikasta - "Tästä saatetaan käydä kuumia väittelyitä", Yle, 2 February 2014
- ^ Namikakasvatti Max Besselink Saksan pääsarjaan, hnmky.fi, 31 May 2022
- ^ Max Besselink valittiin Basketball Without Borders -leirille, basket.fi, 9 June 2019
- ^ Huippulupaus Max Besselinkin, 18, lähtöhalut yllättivät Seagullsin täysin, pelaajille jopa suuri pettymys, Helsingin Sanomat, Heikki Miettinen, 17 February 2021
- ^ Max Besselink teki keväällä päätöksen, joka hämmästytti koripalloväkeä – suurlupaus lähtee nyt Yhdysvaltoihin: "Uskon, että pystyn pelaamaan NBA:ssa", Yle, Janne Karinkanta, 20 May 2021
- ^ Huippulupaus Max Besselink palaa Korisliigaan ollakseen joukkueensa ykkösmies, asiantuntija haluaa rauhaa hänen ympärilleen: "Turbulenssia ilmassa", Yle, Juho Tuomisto, 28 September 2021
- ^ Max Besselink liittyy uutena pelaajana Näätiin, bcnokia.fi, 28 September 2021
- ^ Suomi-koripallon suurlupaus palaa Suomeen, MTV Oy/ mtvuutiset.fi, 28 September 2021
- ^ Koripalloilija Max Besselink suuren askeleen äärellä – Sai siirron huippusarjaan, penkkiurheilu.com, 31 May 2022
- ^ KAKSI ÄSSÄÄ HIHASTA – MAX BESSELINKIN JA SAMPPA MÄEN SOPIMUKSET TÄYDENTÄVÄT HONGAN MIESTEN JOUKKUEEN, tapiolanhonka.fi
- ^ MAX BESSELINK SIIRTYY HONGASTA SAKSAN BUNDESLIIGAAN, tapiolanhonka.fi
- ^ BG verpflichtet finnisches Talent Besselink, bggoettingen.de
- ^ Max Besselink saalistamassa kovaa päänahkaa, basket.fi, 28 November 2022
- ^ Max Besselink verlässt die BG Göttingen in Richtung Belgien, goettinger-tageblatt.de
- ^ BG Göttingen stellt drei Spieler für Nationalteams ab – zwei von ihnen könnten Konkurrenten werden, goettinger-tageblatt.de
- ^ Max Besselink kolmivuotisella sopimuksella Belgiaan, basket.fi, 17 July 2023
- ^ Helmikuussa Susijengin MM-karsintaottelussa pelannut Max Besselink vaihtaa taas maata ja seuraa, Salon Seudun Sanomat, 17 July 2023
- ^ Max Besselink vaihtaa Saksan koripallokentät Belgiaan, Yle, 17 July 2023
- ^ Alexander Madsenille debyytti Espanjassa – Max Besselink palasi kentille, basket.fi, 8 January 2024
- ^ Basket | De retour aux affaires à Mons-Hainaut, Max Besselink espère être débarrassé des blessures : « Je suis devenu une meilleure personne, sur et en dehors du terrain », sudinfo.be, 12 January 2024
- ^ Max Besselink: ”Olin tosi yllättynyt maajoukkuekutsusta”, basket.fi, 25 November 2020
- ^ Max Besselink yllätysnimenä ehdolle viimeisiin MM-karsintapeleihin, Helsingin Sanomat, 15 February 2023
- ^ Max Besselink: ”Tää matka on vasta alussa”, basket.fi, 24 February 2023
- ^ WM-Qualifikation: Drei Spieler der BG Göttingen international unterwegs, hna.de
- ^ m.besselink, basket.fi
- ^ "Pappa tyckte jag inte var så bra på fotboll" – Max Besselink har vuxit upp i en basketfamilj och nu är det hans tur att debutera i ligan, Svenska Yle, 11 October 2020
External links
- 2002 births
- Living people
- Finnish expatriate basketball people
- Finnish men's basketball players
- Small forwards
- Finnish expatriate basketball people in Germany
- Finnish expatriates in Germany
- Finnish expatriates in Belgium
- Finnish people of Canadian descent
- Swedish-speaking population of Finland
- BC Nokia players
- Helsinki Seagulls players
- BG Göttingen players
- Belfius Mons-Hainaut players
- Swedish-speaking Finns
- Expatriate basketball people in Belgium