Sam Griesel

Sam Griesel

No. 5–Alba Berlin
Position	Shooting guard / Small forward
League	BBL Champions League
Personal information
Born	(2000-03-22) March 22, 2000 (age 25) Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
Nationality	American / German
Listed height	2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
Listed weight	98 kg (216 lb)
Career information
High school	Lincoln East (Lincoln, Nebraska)
College	North Dakota State (2018–2022) Nebraska (2022–2023)
NBA draft	2023: undrafted
Playing career	2023–present
Career history
2023–2025	Telekom Baskets Bonn
2025–present	Alba Berlin
Medals Men's basketball Representing   Germany FIBA U20 European Championship 2019 Tel Aviv Team

Samuel Achim Griesel (born March 22, 2000) is an American-German professional basketball player for Alba Berlin of the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), and the Champions League. ^[1] He plays the shooting guard and small forward position.

Early life and high school career

Sam Griesel was born on March 22, 2000, in Lincoln, Nebraska. He is the son to an American mother, and a father who emigrated from Germany. ^[2] Growing up, Griesel played soccer, which was practiced in his father's family. ^[3] Griesel played soccer and high school basketball at Lincoln East. He averaged 15.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game during his high school career. ^[4]

College career

North Dakota State (2018–2022)

Griesel began his collegiate career at North Dakota State prior to the 2018–19 season. He went on to play four years at the school, averaging 9.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. ^[5]

Nebraska (2022–2023)

For Griesel's final year of eligibility in the 2022–23 season, he transferred to Nebraska. ^[6] He averaged 12 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. ^[7]

Professional career

Telekom Baskets Bonn (2023–2025)

After going undrafted during the 2023 NBA draft, Griesel started his professional career signing a two-year contract with German club Telekom Baskets Bonn. ^[8]

Alba Berlin (2025–present)

At the expiration of his contract with Bonn, Griesel signed a two-year deal with club Alba Berlin heading into the 2025–26 season. ^[9]

National team career

In 2019, Griesel was selected to represent Germany at the 2019 FIBA U20 European Championship. He helped the Germany U20 national team to a bronze medal finish, averaging 5.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game during the tournament. ^[10]

Personal life

In September 2024, an American sports drama film named Rez Ball made its debut, where Griesel played an acting role of a young basketball player. ^{[11] [12]}

References

1. "Sam Griesel Basketball Champions League profile". fiba.basketball. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
2. "Basketballer Samuel Griesel: Ein Überflieger aus Nordhessen". hna.de (in German). Retrieved December 1, 2017.
3. "East's Griesel has international following". journalstar.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
4. "Sam Griesel's Lincoln East stats". maxpreps.com. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
5. "Sam Griesel North Dakota State stats". gobison.com. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
6. "Sam Griesel comes back home to Lincoln to join Husker basketball". ksnblocal4.com. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
7. "Sam Griesel Nebraska stats". huskers.com. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
8. "Talentierter Deutsch-Amerikaner: Telekom Baskets verpflichten Sam Griesel". telekom-baskets-bonn.de (in German). Retrieved July 7, 2023.
9. "Von Bonn nach Berlin: ALBA verpflichtet Sam Griesel". telekom-baskets-bonn.de (in German). Retrieved July 21, 2025.
10. "Sam Griesel 2019 FIBA U20 European Championship profile". fiba.basketball. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
11. "Movie Review: Native sports drama 'Rez Ball' follows formula but wins out with heart and poignancy". apnews.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
12. "Rez Ball (2024)". imdb.com. Retrieved September 30, 2024.

External links

• Sam Griesel at FIBA
• Sam Griesel at Eurobasket.com