Valencia Basket and versatile forward Aaron Doornekamp have agreed to a deal that will keep the sides together for the coming season, the club announced Monday. Doornekamp (2.01 meters, 33 years old) averaged 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in 23 games in the 7DAYS EuroCup last season to help Valencia lift the trophy. This will Doornekamp's third season with Valencia; he made his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut with the Spanish powerhouse in the 2017-18 season. Doornekamp started his career with JuveCaserta of Italy and has also played for New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig and Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt of Germany as well as Iberostar Tenerife of Spain before joining Valencia. He helped Tenerife win the Basketball Champions League 2017 and lifted the FIBA Europe Cup trophy with Frankfurt in 2016. Doornekamp has also been a member of the Canadian national team, which he helped to a silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games and a bronze medal at the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship.
"Obviously, this was our priority. My family and I are really happy here, this is a great club and a great group of guys. I am excited about next year," Doornekamp said about the agreement. "We have a lot of guys back, so I think we will be a very competitive team and we have a good culture. Obviously, the EuroLeague is the best competition in Europe and we are all excited about the opportunity. It is going to be tough, but I think guys are working hard now and will be ready."