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Michael Humphrey has agreed to a deal with Russian squad Parma Basket, per his high school coach on Twitter.
Big props to my guy @bigmikehump3 for signing with Parma basketball club in the top league in Russia. Proud of him and his hard work pic.twitter.com/xwcglU1tg2
— Ray Portela (@PortelaRay) July 24, 2018
Parma Basket plays in Perm, a city of about one million located by the Urals. They were promoted to the top league in Russia, the VTB United League, two seasons ago after winning the title in the second tier league. The VTB United League features a number of former NBA talents like Nando de Colo, and includes teams from Kazakhstan, Estonia, Belarus, and Latvia. This past season Parma also played in the FIBA Europe Cup, the second tier of FIBA’s continental club competition, which is a competitor of the EuroLeague.
Humphrey graduated this June after an excellent four year career. This past season he averaged 10 points and 7.3 rebounds a game while making 39% of his three point attempts. His versatility and athleticism should make him a nice fit for the European game.
There is likely to be some level of culture shock; Perm is not the most cosmopolitan of cities. Last season Parma had just one American on their roster, and only one other who had played in the States. The winters are also quite a bit harsher than those of Palo Alto. Regardless, it is a great opportunity for Humphrey to continue his career in a league with a high quality of play.