Longtime NBA guard Eric Bledsoe is heading back overseas, having re-signed with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to the team (via Dario Skerletic of Sportando).
Bledsoe played for the Sharks last season after spending 12 years in the NBA and appearing in more than 800 career regular-season and playoff games for the Clippers, Suns, Bucks and Pelicans.
Known for his athleticism and perimeter defense, Bledsoe averaged 13.7 points, 4.7 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 756 regular-season games (27.8 MPG) as an NBA player, with a shooting line of .452/.336/.784. He last played in the NBA in 2021-22, starting 29 of 54 games for the Clippers and recording 9.9 PPG, 4.2 APG, and 3.4 RPG in 25.2 MPG.
In Shanghai last season, Bledsoe put up 17.6 PPG, 6.1 APG and 5.8 RPG on .435/.332/.714 shooting in 29 games (22.6 MPG).
The 33-year-old’s season came to an unusual end when the Sharks were disqualified from the CBA postseason amid match-fixing allegations. Bledsoe, who was serving a suspension during the games in question, distanced himself from the allegations and apparently feels comfortable rejoining the team for the 2023-24 season.
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