Sam Hoskin Retires, Joins Zhejiang As Coach In China

Sam Hoskin, 37, retires from basketball today to become Assistant Coach and coach of player development in China at the Zhejiang Golden Bulls, a Chinese Basketball Association club that he played for in 2008-09. Hoskin quietly had an illustrious career. Hoskin started his career in 2003 by signing a NBA free agent contract with the once Seattle Supersonics before being released and heading to Israel. During that Israeli season, with Hapoel Galil, Hoskin averaged 21.8ppg and 9.8rpg. Hoskin went on from there to play for the older now defunct Russian teams Ural Great Perm and Dynamo Moscow Region from 2004 to 2007 and established himself as one of the best power forwards in Europe having ranked 2nd in scoring and 3rd in rebounding in the same Russian season and playing the likes of CSKA Moscow, BC Khimki and Unics Kazan. After Russia, Hoskin played in the Euroleague with Olympiacos and Cibona from years 2006 to 2008 before heading to the Chinese team he now coaches at Zhejiang. At Zhejiang, after suffering two knee patella tendon injuries, Hoskin still went on to play again in China for Xinjiang and Jilin. Hoskin goes on to play for another 8 years in places like China, Iran, Egypt, Lebanon and Uruguay. Hoskin won the 2012 Lebanese Championship with Champville the Lebanese club’s first ever championship and shot 93.1% from the field a record for any player in international basketball that year. “It is a true testament to God and my family that I was able to play for 16 years in spite of my severe injuries. I want to thank everyone even my competitors and doubters along the way. I am overwhelmed!” said Hoskin in a written statement.