After graduating from Missouri State in 2005, Anthony Shavies has been grinding the European basketball scene for a while now. At 29 years old, he's getting better, not worse. On Sunday, the former MSU guard signed with Neckar Ludwigsburg, a club in Germany's First Division.
“It seems like everything slows down a little bit,” Shavies said. “You see things before they happen because you've been through all those situations so many times before. The game has become much more mental and I rely less on my athleticism at this point.”
His signing with Ludwigsburg is significant. Shavies has played for 4 clubs - one in Ukraine and 3 in Austria — and has worked his way up the ladder. First Division clubs are the best in each country, and Germany is one of the most competitive countries for basketball.
Last season, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 9.2 points, 4.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game for Mykolaiv (Ukraine). He has previously been an all-star at Furstenfeld (Austria).