Salah Mejri


Salah Mejri is a Tunisian professional basketball player for Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He represents the senior Tunisian national basketball team internationally. Standing at, he plays at the center position. Mejri was the first Tunisian NBA player when he joined the Mavericks in 2015 as a 29-year-old rookie and played 4 seasons in the NBA before returning with the Real Madrid in 2019 offseason.

Professional career

Early career

Mejri started playing basketball at the age of 20 for Étoile Sportive du Sahel in the Tunisian Basketball League. In September 2010, he signed a two-year contract with the Antwerp Giants of the Belgian League, and in August 2012, he moved to the Spanish League to play with Obradoiro CAB. In May 2013, he was named the Spanish League's Rising Star.

Real Madrid

On July 8, 2013, Mejri signed with the Spanish club Real Madrid. He became the first North African, MENA and Tunisian player in the history of Real Madrid and the EuroLeague. In the 2014–15 season, Real Madrid won the EuroLeague championship, after defeating Olympiacos, by a score of 78–59, in the EuroLeague Finals. Real Madrid eventually finished the season by also winning the Spanish League championship, after defeating Barcelona 3–0 in the league's finals series. Real Madrid thus won the triple crown that season.

Dallas Mavericks

On July 30, 2015, Mejri signed with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. On October 25, 2015, it was announced that Mejri had made the Mavericks' 2015–16 opening-night roster. Three days later, he made his debut for the Mavericks, becoming the first Tunisian to appear in an NBA game. He played in five of the team's first eight games to begin the season, before not playing again until January 13, 2016. With the team's regular starters all rested for their match-up with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Mejri managed 25 minutes off the bench, and recorded 17 points and 9 rebounds in a 108–89 loss to the Thunder. On January 24, with starting center Zaza Pachulia out injured, Mejri made just his eighth appearance for the Mavericks and started in place of Pachulia. In 29 minutes of action, he recorded 10 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks in a 115–104 loss to the Houston Rockets. On March 20, he recorded 13 points, 14 rebounds and 6 blocks in 32 minutes off the bench in a 132–120 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers. During his rookie season, he received multiple assignments to the Texas Legends, the Mavericks' D-League affiliate.
On June 30, 2016, Mejri underwent arthroscopic surgery for a right knee debridement. On February 1, 2017, he had 16 points and a career-high 17 rebounds in a 113–95 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He was re-signed by the Mavericks on August 3, 2018 to a one-year-contract. He was waived on February 7, 2019 to open up a roster spot for Zach Randolph who the Mavericks acquired in a trade, but brought back three days later after Randolph was waived.

Return to Real Madrid

On October 10, 2019, Mejri returned to Spanish EuroLeague club Real Madrid for the rest of the season. He did not play in the ACB final tournament and was replaced by Juan Nunez.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

EuroLeague

Tunisian national team

Mejri is a member of the senior men's Tunisian national basketball team. He played center for the team in the 2009 FIBA Africa Championship, and helped the team to the bronze medal, and its first-ever trip to the FIBA World Cup.
In 2011, Mejri was named MVP, as Tunisia won the 2011 FIBA Africa Championship, and received an invitation to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. There, the team finished 0–5; however, he led all competitors in blocked shots, with 17, despite only playing in 5 matches.