November 2024.
“I said that if they take my player, I’ll make offers for all of their stars. It doesn’t mean they’ll want to play for Hapoel, but I’ll sign them and they can go wherever they want. Maybe I’ll even send them to Partizan for free.”
July 2026.
“You’ll always be part of our family and you’ll always have my friendship. Crvena zvezda, please take good care of him.”
Nearly two years separate those two messages from Hapoel owner Ofer Yannay.
Several twists and plenty of patience later, Jonathan Motley is finally a Crvena zvezda player.
Back to His Best
On the court, Crvena zvezda is getting one of the EuroLeague’s most dominant big men.
For years, Motley has consistently performed at the highest level of European basketball.
He spent two outstanding seasons at Fenerbahçe, where the club did everything it could to keep him. In the end, only Hapoel’s financial power convinced him to leave Istanbul.
In Tel Aviv, he dominated the paint and helped Hapoel capture the EuroCup title.
Last season, however, was different.
His EuroLeague numbers remained solid, but Dan Oturu established himself as the team’s starting center. Motley also dealt with a minor injury, while Tal Odiase eventually moved ahead of him in the rotation during the playoff series against Real Madrid.
It was a turbulent season – not a bad one, but one that fell below the standards Motley had set for himself.
Belgrade offers him something every elite player eventually needs – a fresh start.
“He’s an extremely versatile player,” Branko Maksimović, Motley’s coach during his first European season with Lokomotiv Kuban, told SKWeek.
“He’s a versatile big. He can attack facing the basket and space the floor, yet he’s equally dominant on the low block. He reads space exceptionally well and knows exactly how to play off the ball-handler.”
That first season in Europe proved to be the launchpad for everything that followed.
Motley averaged 21.2 points and 7.0 rebounds in the EuroCup before earning his move to Fenerbahçe and, eventually, becoming one of Europe’s premier centers.
“Zvezda has guards who force opposing big men to help, which should create space for Motley. That’s where his versatility really shows. He can finish above the rim, but he’s also very comfortable knocking down mid-range jumpers,” Maksimović added.
Built for Demanding Systems
The 31-year-old arrives in Belgrade after spending four seasons in two of Europe’s most demanding systems.
He played three seasons under Dimitris Itoudis and another under Šarūnas Jasikevičius. Ibon Navarro’s basketball comes with different principles, but high expectations will hardly be something new for Motley.
According to people close to him, the 206-centimeter center has already begun preparing intensively for next season and is expected to arrive at training camp in top physical condition.
“From my experience, he always communicated well with his teammates. That’s important for team chemistry. His work ethic is excellent – he practices hard and behaves professionally,” Maksimović said.
That assessment becomes even more relevant considering some of the questions that have surrounded Motley in recent years.
His attempted departure from Hapoel a year and a half ago did little to improve his public image. Add Belgrade – a city famous for its nightlife – and Motley’s occasional tendency to do things on his own terms, and it is easy to understand why some Zvezda fans have reservations.
Hearing such praise from a coach who worked with him every day should help ease at least some of those concerns.
A Different Dimension
Once Motley establishes a deep seal on the low block, he’s almost impossible to dislodge.
Still, most of his offense comes from pick-and-roll situations and offensive rebounds. He reacts quickly around the rim, has excellent hands and possesses a natural instinct for tracking missed shots.
When he pops instead of rolling, he usually prefers the mid-range jumper, although he also expanded his game last season by making 20 of his 41 three-point attempts in the EuroLeague.
Defensively, he can occasionally gamble too much while chasing blocks, and he did not look quite as comfortable switching onto smaller players as he had earlier in his career.
Maksimović, however, has little doubt about what Zvezda is getting.
“He’s mobile, with quick feet, quick hands and excellent anticipation. He can execute every defensive scheme. When I coached him, with Darius Thompson at point guard, our one-through-five pick-and-roll defense worked extremely well.”
Motley also shared an NBA locker room with Miloš Teodosić during their time with the Los Angeles Clippers.
It is safe to assume Zvezda’s new sporting director knew exactly what he was looking for.
The mission is clear: bring Jonathan Motley back to the level that once made him one of the most dominant centers in the EuroLeague.