Barcelona, Lorbek agree to multi-year extension

FC Barcelona Regal and big man Erazem Lorbek agreed to a three-year contract extension that would keep the three-time All-Euroleague selection playing for the Spanish champion through 2015. Lorbek (2.08 meters, 28 years old) has proven to been one of the game’s best pivot players, helping Barcelona win the Turkish Airlines Euroleague title in 2010. In his three seasons with the club, Lorbek has also reached another Final Fours, been named twice to the All-Euroleague team and celebrated two Spanish championships and Spanish King’s Cups. Last season Lorbek was a top offensive weapon on the team as Barcelona employed a record-setting defense and boasted the best record in the Euroleague. He averaged 13 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while ranking eighth in the league with a performance index rating of 15.1 per game. At the Final Four in Istanbul, Lorbek was named to the All-Euroleague First Team for the first time.

The early part of Lorbek’s career saw him play for seven different clubs in five countries over eight seasons before he found a home in Barcelona. He came through the youth system at Union Olimpija in his native Slovenia, spent one season playing college basketball in the United States for Michigan State University, played three years with Fortitudo Bologna in Italy and had stints with Virtus Roma and Benetton Treviso in Italy, Unicaja in Spain and CSKA Moscow in Russia. In that time, he reached the Euroleague title game with Bologna in 2004 and CSKA in 2009. Lorbek also collected national league titles in Italy and Russia. He was the first winner of the Euroleague Rising Star award in 2004-05 and named to the All-Euroleague Second Team in 2009 and in 2010. Last season, he moved into the top 20 on the Euroleague career scoring (19th; 1,618 points) and rebounding (14th; 749 rebounds) lists. He has also been a regular with the Slovenian national team, with whom he has appeared at the European Championships four times.