Josh Asselin (born December 24, 1978) is a former basketball player who primarily played in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

during the 2000s to 2010s. Before playing in Spain, Asselin was on the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team from 1997 to 2001. As part of his 879 career points, Asselin's 136 blocks remained in the top ten for most career blocks at Michigan for almost twenty years. During his time with multiple teams in the

Liga Española de Baloncesto The Liga Española de Baloncesto, also known as LEB Oro, is the second basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system after the Liga ACB. It is run by the FEB. The Liga Española de Baloncesto is divided into two categories (the oth ...

duiring the 2000s, Asselin and Bàsquet Manresa won the

2006–07 LEB season The 2006–2007 LEB season was the 11th season of the Liga Española de Baloncesto, second tier of the Spanish basketball. Standings LEB Playoffs Playoff seedings, results, and schedules Quarter-finals (1) Alerta Cantabria (23-11) vs. (8) ...

playoffs. As a

Liga ACB The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administrated by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, wi ...

player from 2007 to 2015, Asselin had the 2007-2008 league season record in blocks and reached the Eurocup Basketball 2010–11 Quarterfinals with

Asefa Estudiantes Club Baloncesto Estudiantes, S.A.D., known simply as Estu and as Movistar Estudiantes for sponsorship reasons, is a basketball team based in the city of Madrid, Spain. It is a member of the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto (ACB). Founded in 19 ...

. Outside of Spain, Asselin was on the

Roanoke Dazzle The Roanoke Dazzle were an NBA Development League team based in Roanoke, Virginia, U.S.. In operation from the inaugural D-League season of 2001–02 through the 2005–06 season, the Dazzle marked the return of professional basketball to Roanoke ...

with the

National Basketball Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA Dev ...

from 2003 to 2004. During the season, he held the season record for most free throws and was part of the All-NBDL First Team. With the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

, Asselin and his team reached the quarterfinals of the

2005 FIBA Americas Championship The 2005 FIBA Americas Championship, later known as the FIBA AmeriCup (also known as The Tournament of the Americas), was hosted by the Dominican Republic, from August 24, to September 4, 2005. The games were played in Santo Domingo. This FIBA Amer ...

. He was also on the Dominican Republic basketball team that did not obtain a qualifying spot into the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

after the

2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men The 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament was a men's basketball tournament that consisted of 12 national teams, where the top three teams earned a place in the 2012 Olympics basketball tournament. It was held on 2–8 July 2012 in Caraca ...

. Other countries that Asselin has played for include

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

and

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

Early life and education

Asselin was born in Caro, Michigan on December 24, 1978. Growing up, Asselin played various sports until basketball became his specialty during his teenage years. Asselin was raised by his parents before his mother died on the day he turned 18. For his post-secondary education, Asselin was asked by multiple universities to enroll with them including

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

and

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

. In 1997, Asselin joined the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team. Asselin injured his thumb while training with Michigan in 1998 and continued to play with his thumb injury in 1999. He was a candidate to play basketball for the United States at the 1999 World University Games but did not make the final roster. At the 1998 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, Asselin and Michigan were defeated by UCLA in the second round. Asselin also competed with Michigan in the first round of the

2000 National Invitation Tournament The 2000 National Invitation Tournament was the year 2000's staging of the annual National Invitation Tournament, an NCAA college basketball competition. Selected teams Below is a list of the 32 teams selected for the tournament.scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...

. Apart from basketball, Asselin studied telecommunications engineering. During his years with Michigan, Asselin was a co-captain of the basketball team from 1999 to 2001. After his final year in 2001, Asselin had 136 blocks during his 121 games. With his blocks, Asselin was in the top ten for most career blocks for almost twenty years by 2020. From 1999 to 2001, Asselin held the season record for most blocks at Michigan. He also had the highest field goal percentage in 1999 and 2000 for Michigan. In other statistics, Asselin had 592 rebounds as part of his 879 career points.

Career

2001 to 2004

Between 2001 to 2002, Asselin was a member of the

CI Rosalía de Castro Club Instituto Rosalía de Castro is a basketball team based in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia and plays in the Pavillón Instituto Rosalia de Castro, in Liga EBA. History The club was born in the Rosalía de Castro High School and it played pr ...

team in

. With the

team, Asselin had 143 points after 15 regular season games and 3 playoff games. From 2002 to 2003, Asselin played in

with Stade Clermontois in the

LNB Pro B The LNB Pro B, commonly known as Pro B, is the French basketball league system, 2nd-tier level men's professional basketball league in France. It is the second division of the Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB), which has organized the league since t ...

. During his 29 games with Clermont, Asselin had 152 rebounds and 243 field goals while accumulating 343 points. As a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

, Asselin was picked to train with the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

in 2003. After practicing with the Warriors, Asselin was cut from the team. During the

2003 National Basketball Development League draft The 2003 NBDL Draft was the third annual draft by the NBA Development League, National Basketball Development League. It was held on November 6, 2003. Draft Key Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 ...

, Asselin was picked by the

in the first round. With the Dazzle from 2003 to 2004, Asselin played in 46 games and has 664 points. Of these points, Asselin had 238

field goals A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ball ...

and 242 free throws. With his 242 free throws, Asselin had the 2003-2004 season record for most scored free throws. That season, Asselin was selected as part of the All-NBDL First Team.

2004 to 2007

Starting in 2004, Asselin spent a season each in the LEB with the Caceres Club Baloncesto,

Cantabria Baloncesto Cantabria Baloncesto was a professional basketball team who played during five seasons in Liga ACB. The team was also known as Cantabria Lobos. From 1975 to 2004 the team was based and played in Torrelavega, but after the 2003-04 season the Can ...

and Bàsquet Manresa. During these seasons, Asselin reached the quarterfinals with Baloncesto during the

2004–05 LEB season The 2004–2005 LEB season was the 9th season of the Liga Española de Baloncesto, second tier of the Spanish basketball. LEB standings LEB Oro Playoffs The two winners of the semifinals are promoted to Liga ACB. Relegation playoffs ''Club ...

. Asselin named Most Valuable player while he and Manresa won the playoffs in the

. After ending his time at the LEB in 2007, Asselin had 894 rebounds and 684 field goals while amassing 1791 points in his 128 games with the four teams. In between this time period, Asselin went to

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

in 2004 to play in the Liga Profesional de Baloncesto with Trotamundos de Carabobo. After a month in the LPB, Asselin moved to

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

to join

Gallitos de Isabela Gallitos de Isabela is a professional basketball team based in Isabela, Puerto Rico. They play their home games at the José Abreu Coliseum. History In 1984, the Gallitos reached the BSN Finals, during that year known, due to a scandal concerni ...

for another month stint. As part of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, Asselin scored 114 points with Gallitos de Isabela. In 2005, Asselin returned to France as part of the Élan Béarnais Pau-Lacq-Orthez team as part of the

LNB Pro A The LNB Pro A, currently known for sponsorship reasons as Betclic Élite, is the top-tier men's professional basketball league in France. The competition has existed since 1921. Since 1987, the Ligue Nationale de Basket has governed the league. ...

. During his seven games with Pau-Orthez, his team reached the semi-finals during the 2005–06 Pro A season. The following year, he expanded his basketball career to the

as a member of the Naco team.

2007 to 2015

As a member of the

from 2007 to 2014, Asselin played in two seasons each with Ricoh Manresa and La Bruixa d'Or. During this time period, Asselin was also with CB Murcia,

and Assignia Manresa for one season and briefly played for Cajasol. With Asefa Estudiantes, Asselin and his team reached the Eurocup Basketball 2010–11 Quarterfinals. With his combined statistics, Asselin had 2,279 points and 900 rebounds during his 216 games in the ACB. He also had the 2007-2008 season block record in the ACB with 69 blocks. In the duration of his ACB career, Asselin briefly played for

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

in 2009 as part of the

Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...

team. In his only VTB United League game, Asselin amassed five points. In 2013, Asselin returned to Puerto Rico for a few months to play with the

Brujos de Guayama Brujos de Guayama is a Puerto Rican professional basketball team of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional based in Guayama, Puerto Rico. Despite being in the league since 1971, the team has not won any BSN Championships but have made 2 finals appeara ...

. With the BSN team, Asselin had 47 points. During his 21 games with Guayama, Asselin and his team made the semifinals of the league's playoffs. That year, Asselin was signed by Foolad Mahan Isfahan as a temporary player for the

team. During the 2014-15 Greek Basket League, Asselin played in four games with Panionios B.C.

FIBA events

Asselin was part of the Dominican Republic team that reached the quarterfinals of the

. He was tied for fifth for the highest block percentage at the tournament with 1.4. With Donetsk, Asselin and the Ukrainian team competed in the regular season of the

2009–10 FIBA EuroChallenge 2009–10 FIBA EuroChallenge was the seventh edition of Europe's third-tier level transnational men's professional club basketball FIBA EuroChallenge Tournament, organized by FIBA Europe. Teams Regular season The Regular Season begins from No ...

. In 2012, Asselin was selected for Dominican Republic before qualification for the men's basketball event at the

started. After the

, Asselin and his team did not gain a qualifying spot into the Olympics. With the Dominican Republic, Asselin and his team won the

2012 Centrobasket The 2012 Men's Central American and Caribbean Basketball Championship, also known as 2012 Centrobasket, was the regional championship of FIBA Americas for Central America and Caribbean subzone, played June 18–24, 2012. The top four teams qua ...

tournament. During the 2013 FIBA Asia Champions Cup, Asselin had a dislocated shoulder during the quarterfinals. With Foolad Mahan Isfahan, Asselin and the Iran team won the 2013 Asian Cup final. At the

2015 FIBA Americas League The 2015 FIBA Americas League was the 8th edition of the top intercontinental professional basketball competition in the Americas. Bauru of Brazil, won its first intercontinental title, after they beat Pioneros de Quintana Roo of Mexico, in the G ...

, Asselin and Malvin reached the preliminary round played for

Honors and personal life

Throughout the years with Michigan, Asselin won multiple basketball awards with the team. These included the Rudy Tomjanovich Most Improved Player in 1999 and the Loy Vaught Rebounding Award in 2001. In 2018, '' MLive'' chose Asselin as one of the best 25 centers at Michigan high schools between 1993 to 2018. Asselin studied Spanish in university and

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

while he was married.

References

{{reflist 1978 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Spain American expatriate basketball people in France American expatriate basketball people in Venezuela American expatriate basketball people in the Dominican Republic American expatriate basketball people in Ukraine American expatriate basketball people in Iran American expatriate basketball people in Greece Bàsquet Manresa players BC Donetsk players Cantabria Baloncesto players CB Estudiantes players CB Murcia players Élan Béarnais players Liga ACB players Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players Trotamundos B.B.C. players Real Betis Baloncesto players Foolad Mahan Isfahan BC players Panionios B.C. players Roanoke Dazzle players