Shippensburg University basketball alumnus Dustin Sleva '18 has carved out an outstanding career overseas as a player who contributes to winning teams.
 
This past season, Sleva helped his club, Beşiktaş Fibabanka, to the Turkish Basketball Super League finals, where they fell to Fenerbahce Beko 4-1 in a best-of-seven championship series that concluded Thursday.
 
It is the second straight season Sleva has led his club to a domestic league final after helping Spanish side UCAM Murcia to a Liga ACB runner-up finish in 2023-24.
 
"The level of fan engagement in Turkey and especially in Beşiktaş is on a whole different level than anything I have experienced," Sleva noted. "Beşiktaş has 20 million fans. They do not stop shouting or whistling all game. It was the most fun that I have had while playing."
 
In 42 domestic league games for Beşiktaş, Sleva averaged 11 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals. He also shot 59.8% from the field and 45.3% from three-point range.
 
With Beşiktaş, Sleva averaged 10.3 points per game in EuroCup competition. His 1.8 steals per game was tops in the tournament.
 
He was named to the Eurobasket.com All-Turkish League All-Imports Team and League Player of the Week.
 
According to published reports, Sleva has already come to agreement with Lithuanian champions Zalgiris Kaunas for next season. As champions, Zalgiris will compete in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague in 2025-26, the highest level of competition in Europe.
 
Also competing overseas in 2024-25 were former Raiders Jake Biss, Carlos Carter, Dom Sleva and Rashon Johnson.
 
Biss and Carter made up two-fifths of the starting lineup for German outfit Eisbaeren Bremerhaven.
 
Carter averaged 8.3 points and a team-best 1.5 steals for Bremerhaven, while Biss averaged 8.1 points and 2.4 assists. The duo helped Bremerhaven achieve a 23-11 record and a fourth-place finish in the German second division.
 
Dom Sleva put up big numbers in Luxembourg for BBC Mambra Mamer, totaling 27.6 points and 15.1 rebounds per contest.
 
Johnson averaged 11.9 points, 5.5 boards and 2.2 assists in 20 games for Motilones in Colombia.

(Photos courtesy of Dustin Sleva)