Former Toronto Raptors centre wins EuroLeague title

A former Toronto Raptors starter has found himself as a basketball champion — even if it’s on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Khem Birch, a Raptors staple for much of their post-championship era, has found himself at the pinnacle of the EuroLeague, winning the championship on Sunday while playing with Turkish side Fenerbahce.

“This is like a movie. You know my story, I lost to Fener seven years ago, and now I have won with them. This is like a movie to me… This is my No.1 accomplishment, and now I want more,” Birch told Bugra Uzar of EuroHoops.net. ” I know what I’m capable of, and now they see.”

Birch scored two points and six rebounds in the final game, which took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Fenerbahce topped Monaco 81-70 in the final. Greek sides Olympiacos and Panathinaikos filled up the other two spots of the bracket, with Olympiacos winning 97-93 in the third-place game.

At age 32, Birch’s time in the NBA might have passed him by, though he seems intent on continuing his basketball career across the pond.

Birch spent parts of three seasons in Toronto, starting 45 of his 94 games with the team. He first joined the Raptors in the 2020-21 season where they were based in Tampa, Florida, due to complications around the COVID-19 pandemic, and last played in the NBA in Toronto during the 2022-23 season.

Birch averaged 5.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in his time in Toronto.

He eventually parted ways with Toronto when he was dealt as part of a package for Jakob Poeltl to the San Antonio Spurs, but was eventually placed on waivers prior to the 2023-24 season before heading over to Europe. A Montreal native, Birch was also part of the 2024 Canadian Olympic roster in Paris, where the team was bounced in the quarterfinal by hosts France.

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