Jobey Thomas

Jobey Wayne Thomas (born March 24, 1980) is an American retired basketball player who competed for a number of professional clubs, mostly in Italy, with a short but successful spell in Portuguese basketball.

Jobey Thomas

Thomas with Pallacanestro Varese
Personal information
Born	(1980-03-24) March 24, 1980 (age 45) Charlotte, North Carolina
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	198 lb (90 kg)
Career information
High school	Independence (Charlotte, North Carolina)
College	Charlotte (1998–2002)
NBA draft	2002: undrafted
Playing career	2002–2015
Position	Shooting guard
Career history
2002–2003	Queluz
2003–2004	Andrea Costa Imola
2004–2006	Basket Club Ferrara
2006–2008	Sutor Basket
2008–2009	Olimpia Milano
2009–2011	Pallacanestro Varese
2011–2012	Treviso Basket
2012–2013	Pallacanestro Trieste
2013	Basket Barcellona
2013–2015	Benfica
Career highlights
First-team All-Conference USA (2002)

In his college basketball career, Thomas holds the Charlotte 49ers record for three-pointers made and games played.^[1]

Career

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Thomas played basketball at Independence High School. He helped lead Independence to the 1997 North Carolina 4A state championship as a junior and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.^[2]

One of the nations top guard recruits, he signed to play college basketball for the Charlotte 49ers in Division I NCAA, under Bobby Lutz. He ended his college career for Charlotte with then records for three-pointers made, games, consecutive games (130) and starts and single-season record for three-pointers (110), plus Conference USA records for career three-pointers made, single-season three-pointers made and single-season three-pointers in league games (60), while averaging 13.4 points per game.^[1] He took part in ESPN's Three-Point Shooting Contest on 24 March 2002,^[3] and on the 2002 NBA Pre-Draft summer camp in Chicago.^[4]

After not being drafted, he moved to Europe and joined Queluz in the Portuguese Basketball League, playing only 18 games with an average of 24 points per game.^[5]

He soon joined the Serie A in Italy, and in a five-year period, Thomas average more than 17 points per game in 163 games, representing three different teams.^[5] After arriving at Olimpia Milano in 2008, he made his debut in European competitions, playing the 2008–09 Euroleague, averaging 12.1 points per game, helping Milano reach the Top 16 stage.^[5]

He continued his globetrotter career and moved clubs again, first at Pallacanestro Varese and then at Treviso Basket, where he returned to European basket, playing the 2011–12 Eurocup and reaching the Top 16 with the Venetian team.^[5]

After two more short stints in more Italy, Thomas returned to Portugal in August 2013,^[6] to play for Benfica, adding nine titles in two seasons, and competing in the 2014–15 EuroChallenge. On 1 June 2015, the 35-year-old announced his retirement from basketball.^[7]

Honors

Benfica

• Portuguese League: 2013–14, 2014–15
• Portuguese Cup: 2013–14, 2014–15
• League Cup / Hugo dos Santos Cup: 2013–14, 2014–15
• Portuguese Supercup: 2013, 2014
• António Pratas Trophy: 2014