 Sleva with Beşiktaş in 2025 | |
| No. 14 – Žalgiris Kaunas | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward |
| League | LKL EuroLeague |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1995-09-23) September 23, 1995 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 224 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Montour (Robinson, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Shippensburg (2014–2018) |
| NBA draft | 2018: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2018–present |
| Career history | |
| 2018–2023 | Paris Basketball |
| 2023 | Braunschweig |
| 2023–2024 | UCAM Murcia |
| 2024–2025 | Beşiktaş |
| 2025–present | Žalgiris Kaunas |
| Career highlights | |
Dustin Nathaniel Sleva (born September 23, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for Žalgiris Kaunas of the LKL and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Shippensburg Raiders.
Professional career
Paris Basketball (2018–2023)
On August 16, 2018, he signed with Paris Basketball of the LNB Pro B.1
Braunschweig (2023)
On January 6, 2023, he signed with Braunschweig of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL).2
UCAM Murcia (2023–2024)
On July 25, 2023, he signed with UCAM Murcia of the Liga ACB.3 With Sleva on the team Murcia reached the finals of the 2024 ACB Playoffs, but was swept 0-3 by Real Madrid.
Beşiktaş (2024–2025)
On February 1, 2025, he signed with Beşiktaş of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL).4
Žalgiris (2025–present)
On June 27, 2025, Sleva signed with Žalgiris Kaunas in the LKL and the EuroLeague.5 On April 4, 2026, Sleva signed a contract extension with Žalgiris through the 2027–28 season, including a potential buyout clause in 2027.6 Reflecting on the extension, Sleva noted that after an initial period of adaptation in the EuroLeague, he found his rhythm and embraced the local basketball culture, describing the sport in Kaunas as a "religion".7
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance index rating |
| Bold | Career high |
EuroLeague
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | Žalgiris | 34 | 7 | 18.2 | .459 | .420 | .735 | 3.4 | 1.1 | .6 | .1 | 7.1 | 6.5 |
| Career | 34 | 7 | 18.2 | .459 | .420 | .735 | 3.4 | 1.1 | .6 | .1 | 7.1 | 6.5 | |
EuroCup
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Paris Basketball | 8 | 0 | 17.0 | .541 | .364 | 1 | 3.1 | 1.0 | .3 | .4 | 6.4 | 7.0 |
| 2024–25 | Beşiktaş | 19 | 17 | 23.2 | .511 | .400 | .778 | 3.5 | 1.1 | 1.8 | .1 | 10.3 | 10.9 |
| Career | 27 | 17 | 21.4 | .518 | .393 | .803 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 1.4 | .1 | 9.1 | 9.7 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Shippensburg Raiders | 27 | 27 | 27.4 | .540 | .403 | .814 | 4.6 | 2.6 | .8 | .5 | 8.7 |
| 2014–15 | Shippensburg Raiders | 29 | 28 | 31.1 | .500 | .392 | .775 | 11.0 | 2.1 | .5 | .4 | 15.8 |
| 2015–16 | Shippensburg Raiders | 31 | 31 | 32.6 | .540 | .407 | .808 | 7.7 | 3.4 | .9 | .8 | 21.7 |
| 2016–17 | Shippensburg Raiders | 33 | 33 | 34.2 | .508 | .374 | .824 | 10.8 | 3.0 | .9 | 1.2 | 21.4 |
| Career | 120 | 119 | 31.5 | .520 | .392 | .806 | 8.7 | 2.8 | .8 | .8 | 17.3 | |
Personal life
Two of Sleva's great-great-grandparents hailed from Kaunas, Lithuania and in 2026 he considered applying for the Lithuanian citizenship.8
References
References
- "Dustin Sleva '18 Signs Professional Contract with Paris Basketball". shipraiders.com. August 16, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- "Löwen verstärken Frontcourt mit US-Forward Dustin Sleva". basketball-loewen.de (in Turkish). January 6, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- "Dustin Sleva aterriza en el UCAM Murcia CB". ucamdeportes.com. July 25, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- "Dustin Sleva moves to Besiktas after exceptional campaign in UCAM Murcia". www.eurohoops.net. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
- Zalgiris announces the arrival of Turkish League finalist, basketnews.com, 27 June 2025
- "Kauno „Žalgiris" pratęsė sutartį su Dustinu Sleva". Žalgiris Kaunas (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 4 April 2026.
- "Laimingas Sleva – apie derybas su „Žalgiriu" ir Masiulio pasitikėjimą". BasketNews.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 4 April 2026.
- "Sleva turi lietuviškų šaknų: „Kitas žingsnis – pasas?"". BasketNews.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 22 February 2026.
External links
External links
- Shippensburg Raiders bio
- Dustin Sleva Euroleaguebasketball.net Profile
- Dustin Sleva TBLStat.net Profile
- Dustin Sleva at Eurobasket.com
- Dustin Sleva TBL Profile
- Media related to Dustin Sleva at Wikimedia Commons