- published: 09 Apr 2015
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Thabo Patrick Sefolosha ( /ˈtɑːboʊ ˌsɛfəˈloʊʃə/; born May 2, 1984) is a Swiss professional basketball player who plays as a shooting guard and small forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA.
Sefolosha has lived in several countries and speaks three languages (Italian, French and English). He was born in Vevey, Switzerland to a Swiss mother and a South African father.
Sefolosha was invited to join the junior Swiss national basketball team, and at 17 he began a professional career with Tege Riviera Basket, in Switzerland's top domestic league. On a team trip to France, Sefolosha was approached by a French talent scout to play with Élan Sportif Chalonnais in the premier pro league in France.
Sefolosha spent his first year in Chalon-sur-Saône playing with the junior under-21 squad, which traveled alongside the senior club. The following year (2002–03), he earned a rotation spot on the senior club, where he played 30 games and averaged 4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1 assist per game.
The following season, Sefolosha earned a starting spot on the senior team, which he helped lead to a third place finish in the French league, where his team advanced to the semi-finals of the playoffs. During the season he averaged 9.4 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 steal in 30.7 minutes per game.