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Max Besselink

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Max Besselink
BC Nokia
PositionSmall forward
LeagueKorisliiga
Personal information
Born (2002-04-04) April 4, 2002 (age 22)
Helsinki, Finland
Listed height2.02 m (6 ft 8 in)
Listed weight98 kg (216 lb)
Career information
CollegeSanta Clara University (2021)
Playing career2018–present
Career history
2018–2020Helsingin NMKY
2020–2021Helsinki Seagulls
2020–2021Helsingin NMKY
2021–2022BC Nokia
2022–2023BG Göttingen
2023–2024Belfius Mons-Hainaut
2024–presentBC Nokia

Max Besselink (born 4 April 2002) is a Finnish professional basketball player for Finnish Korisliiga team BC Nokia.

Early life

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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

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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 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] Besselink had earlier played with Finland U20 at the 2022 FIBA U20B EuroBasket, and became ill of pneumonia and sinusitis in the middle of the tournament. The rehabilitation took over one-and-a-half months and eventually Würzburg announced that his services were not needed and exercised a contract buy-out.[13] In September 2022, Besselink signed a contract with Tapiolan Honka,[14] but soon after he exercised a transfer abroad clause in his contract, and joined Bundesliga team BG Göttingen.[15][16] On 28 November 2022, Besselink recorded a season-high 10 points in a 96–95 win against ALBA Berlin.[17] Due to injuries, he managed to play 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,[18][19] Besselink moved to Belgium and signed a three-year deal with BNXT League team Belfius Mons-Hainaut in July 2023.[20][21][22] On 8 January 2024, he returned from an injury, and made his debut in BNXT League.[23][24] Later he suffered another injury and resided in Finland while recovering.[13]

On 18 June 2024, Besselink returned to Finland and signed with BC Nokia in Korisliiga.[25]

National team

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A former youth international,[26] Besselink has represented Finland senior national team on two occasions.[27] Most recently he played in a 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifying win against Israel,[28][29] recording 5 points, 6 rebounds and an assist in 9 minutes.[30]

Personal life

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Besselink's mother tongue is Swedish. He also speaks Finnish, and English with his father.[31] His brother Michael is also a basketball player.

References

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  1. ^ 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
  2. ^ Pelaajien poika, Helsingin Sanomat, 13 October 2020
  3. ^ Nina Besselink, basket.fi
  4. ^ Entinen Kanadan MM-pelaaja riemuitsee Suomen kisapaikasta - "Tästä saatetaan käydä kuumia väittelyitä", Yle, 2 February 2014
  5. ^ Namikakasvatti Max Besselink Saksan pääsarjaan, hnmky.fi, 31 May 2022
  6. ^ Max Besselink valittiin Basketball Without Borders -leirille, basket.fi, 9 June 2019
  7. ^ Huippulupaus Max Besselinkin, 18, lähtöhalut yllättivät Seagullsin täysin, pelaajille jopa suuri pettymys, Helsingin Sanomat, Heikki Miettinen, 17 February 2021
  8. ^ Max Besselink teki keväällä päätöksen, joka hämmästytti koripalloväkeä – suurlupaus lähtee nyt Yhdysvaltoihin: "Uskon, että pystyn pelaamaan NBA:ssa", Yle, Janne Karinkanta, 20 May 2021
  9. ^ Huippulupaus Max Besselink palaa Korisliigaan ollakseen joukkueensa ykkösmies, asiantuntija haluaa rauhaa hänen ympärilleen: "Turbulenssia ilmassa", Yle, Juho Tuomisto, 28 September 2021
  10. ^ Max Besselink liittyy uutena pelaajana Näätiin, bcnokia.fi, 28 September 2021
  11. ^ Suomi-koripallon suurlupaus palaa Suomeen, MTV Oy/ mtvuutiset.fi, 28 September 2021
  12. ^ Koripalloilija Max Besselink suuren askeleen äärellä – Sai siirron huippusarjaan, penkkiurheilu.com, 31 May 2022
  13. ^ a b Loukkaantumiskierteestä toipuva Max Besselink hakee Nokialta uutta nousua – Tavoite yhä NBA:ssa, koripallo.com, 26 July 2024
  14. ^ KAKSI ÄSSÄÄ HIHASTA – MAX BESSELINKIN JA SAMPPA MÄEN SOPIMUKSET TÄYDENTÄVÄT HONGAN MIESTEN JOUKKUEEN, tapiolanhonka.fi
  15. ^ MAX BESSELINK SIIRTYY HONGASTA SAKSAN BUNDESLIIGAAN, tapiolanhonka.fi
  16. ^ BG verpflichtet finnisches Talent Besselink, bggoettingen.de
  17. ^ Max Besselink saalistamassa kovaa päänahkaa, basket.fi, 28 November 2022
  18. ^ Max Besselink verlässt die BG Göttingen in Richtung Belgien, goettinger-tageblatt.de
  19. ^ BG Göttingen stellt drei Spieler für Nationalteams ab – zwei von ihnen könnten Konkurrenten werden, goettinger-tageblatt.de
  20. ^ Max Besselink kolmivuotisella sopimuksella Belgiaan, basket.fi, 17 July 2023
  21. ^ Helmikuussa Susijengin MM-karsintaottelussa pelannut Max Besselink vaihtaa taas maata ja seuraa, Salon Seudun Sanomat, 17 July 2023
  22. ^ Max Besselink vaihtaa Saksan koripallokentät Belgiaan, Yle, 17 July 2023
  23. ^ Alexander Madsenille debyytti Espanjassa – Max Besselink palasi kentille, basket.fi, 8 January 2024
  24. ^ 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
  25. ^ Max Besselink palaa BC Nokiaan, basket.fi, 18 June 2024
  26. ^ Max Besselink: ”Olin tosi yllättynyt maajoukkuekutsusta”, basket.fi, 25 November 2020
  27. ^ Max Besselink yllätysnimenä ehdolle viimeisiin MM-karsintapeleihin, Helsingin Sanomat, 15 February 2023
  28. ^ Max Besselink: ”Tää matka on vasta alussa”, basket.fi, 24 February 2023
  29. ^ WM-Qualifikation: Drei Spieler der BG Göttingen international unterwegs, hna.de
  30. ^ m.besselink, basket.fi
  31. ^ "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
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