Long-time stalwart “JJ” Jessup extends his contract with Bayern until 2028

After the widely celebrated contract extension with World Cup winner and Eurobasket Champion Andreas Obst, FC Bayern Basketball has secured another key player on a long-term deal: Justinian Jessup, who joined last summer and immediately became one of the German champion’s most reliable scorers, has extended his contract in Munich ahead of schedule until 2028. The American shooting guard is impressing in his first EuroLeague season with consistency and only on the last gameday, in the win over France’s record champion Lyon-Villeurbanne (93:82), he set a personal best in Europe’s top competition with 19 points.

“I love this city and my teammates”

“When I came to Munich, my goal was to make the most of the opportunities I would get here,” says Jessup. “And I’ve already been able to put a lot into practice and have learned a great deal this year. I’ve proven to myself that I belong in the EuroLeague, and I feel very comfortable in Munich. I love this city and also my teammates this year. The city, the club, the whole situation here – I really like all of it together. Since January I’ve been playing even better and quite consistently. I’m very happy to stay, and my goal now is to win the BBL with the team and finish the season strong. After that, we’ll attack again.”

At 27, “JJ” is no longer young enough to be considered for the “EuroLeague Rising Star” award, but as a left-hander he is likely seen across the league as one of the most interesting rookies in Europe’s top competition. Averaging 8.2 points in 19 minutes of playing time, the three-point specialist has immediately established himself as a key part of the offense in his debut season – and with a 66 percent shooting rate he is FCBB’s most reliable scorer from two-point range; his delicate floater is a trademark of the robust second-round pick (No. 51) in the 2020 NBA Draft.

“One of the best shooters in Europe”

In the Bundesliga, where he previously played for Ulm for two years, Jessup is the league leaders’ second-best scorer with 11.4 points per game, behind Obst (16.4). His three-point percentage in the easyCredit BBL stands at 45.2 percent. In addition, Jessup averages 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He is also Bayern’s iron man: JJ has appeared in 59 of Munich’s 61 competitive games so far, more than any other player.

Sporting director Dragan Tarlac is very pleased with the next signing: “JJ stands for a very high level of professionalism and for the values that Bayern represents. The commitment he has shown to this club from the day he arrived until today is outstanding. He is not only one of the best shooters in Europe, he also always gives everything on both ends of the court for his team. We are very happy that a personality like JJ is staying with us and that we can continue working together consistently to achieve our goals in the future.”