University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
LJ Thorpe signs contract to play in the EuroCup
06.20.2025 | Men's Basketball
HAMBURG, Germany – UNC Asheville men's basketball alum LJ Thorpe has agreed to sign a contract to play with Veolia Hamburg Towers in the EuroCup through the 2026-27 season.
EuroCup is the second-tier professional basketball club competition in Europe, organized by Euroleague Basketball. It sits below the top-tier EuroLeague in the European basketball hierarchy. The competition features teams from various European national leagues, with the two finalists often earning spots in the next season's EuroLeague. The 2025-26 EuroCup Regular Season is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 and to finish on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.
Thorpe joins the EuroCup from Juventus, where he averaged 8.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.0 steals per game in 34 Lithuanian League appearances. In two Basketball Champions League games during the 2024-25 season, he averaged 18.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists.
𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐤𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠, 𝐋.𝐉. 😍
— Veolia Towers Hamburg (@hamburgtowers) June 12, 2025
Mit L.J. Thorpe verstärken wir uns um einen athletischen, spielintelligenten und vielseitigen Akteur, der unsere Offense künftig strukturieren und antreiben wird. 🏀
➡️ https://t.co/tE0v0pOlp5#VeoliaTowersHamburg pic.twitter.com/D22ryoaqCN
Thorpe joins the EuroCup from Juventus, where he averaged 8.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.0 steals per game in 34 Lithuanian League appearances. In two Basketball Champions League games during the 2024-25 season, he averaged 18.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists.
Thorpe made his professional debut with Finnish side Pyrinto in 2022, where he averaged 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.7 steals in 34 games. He then went to play for Siauliai in Lithuania, posting 13.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.0 steals in 31 Lithuanian League games in 2023-24, which was his final stop before joining Juventus.
Thorpe was a key player for the Bulldogs during his time in Asheville. In 100 games played as a Bulldog, Thorpe scored 1,254 points, grabbed 458 rebounds, dished out 292 assists, and totaled 103 steals. His 1,254 points rank 20th on UNC Asheville's all-time scoring list and 12th during the Division I era.
A three-time All-Big South Honorable Mention selection, Thorpe arguably saved his best for his last season in Asheville. He ranked in the top 10 among Big South players in field goal percentage (4th - .495), assists (5th – 119), free throw shooting percentage (7th - .739), and points scored (8th – 450) during the 2021-22 season.