It's a detour, but not goodbye - more of a "see you soon!" for Paul Zipser: The 29 year old fan favorite of Bayern Basketball will leave the BMW Park this summer and not wear the red jersey in the upcoming season. The former German international will leave Munich after seven non-consecutive years and join his hometown team Heidelberg. He will sign a 1+1 contract with the BBL team, which includes options to re-join Bayern after both seasons.
„More playing time and a more favorable practice schedule"
"Together with Paul, we decided to take a detour, so that he can find his rythm and confidence again by having more playing time and a more favorable practice schedule", comments Daniele Baiesi, sports director of FCBB. "He will help his home town team in a familiar surrounding and prepare himself for the planned comeback to Munich. Paul is our boy and Munich will stay his home."
Paul itself, who travelled to Heidelberg on Tuesday, commented in a similar fashion: "It's not a goodbye, but I'll take a different route to play basketball on a high European level, hopefully in Munich. The focus has been difficult last season after my story. I made many steps forward and can only say thank you so much for the support in Munich. But now I'm happy to play a year in the BBL in my home town. Heidelberg has steadily become a lot better over the last years and made strides. Now I can focus on practice and playing basketball, without the stressful EuroLeague calendar and travels."
Best German BBL player stopped abruptly
Paul Zipser was born in Heidelberg, his family and the family of his wife Mira are still living there. Bayern signed him despite a serious foot injury in 2013. In 2016, he made the jump from Munich to the NBA, when he signed with the Chicaco Bulls. After two years overseas and a short stint in Spain, he came back to Munich in 2019.
In the 2020-21 season he was arguably the best German player in the BBL and showed some outstanding performances. As top scorer of the final against Berlin, he was a big part in winning the cup, as well as the first-ever playoff berth of a German team in the EuroLeague.
„Our door is always open for Paul“
Kurz darauf stoppte den Flügelspieler mitten in den BBL-Playoffs eine Hirnblutung abrupt, die Not-OP verlief just am Tag des ersten Finales erfolgreich. Nach längerer Reha und dank viel persönlichem Einsatz kehrte Paul im Frühjahr 2022 aufs Parkett zurück. Vergangene Saison hatte er 26 BBL-Einsätze bei durchschnittlich 13 Minuten Spielzeit (4,0 PpS).
Shortly after, an aneurysma put a halt on the career of the wing player right in the middle of the BBL playoffs. The emergency surgery was a complete success - at the same day his team played the first game of the final series. With a lot of personal effort, he made his comeback to the hardwood in spring of 2022. Last season, he played 26 BBL games and averaged 4.0 PPG in 13 minutes per game.
"We'll miss Paul and his positive outlook and just as a guy who belongs to us. But this step just makes sense", says Bayern CEO Marko Pesic. "Our door is always open for Paul, this will never change!"