Three-time NBA champion Patrick McCaw has reportedly been deported from Belgium to the United States after being detained for four days.
McCaw arrived in Belgium after agreeing to a contract with Filou Oostende of the European BNXT League.
But he was detained in the country due to problems with his visa. He failed to pass passport control due to his passport being flagged as stolen or lost.
McCaw, 27, was selected with the No. 38 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft after a successful two-season stint at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He averaged nine-plus points, three-plus rebounds and two-plus assists in both of his seasons at UNLV.
McCaw’s best season of college basketball came during his second and final season as a Rebel, the 2015-16 season. He established himself as one of the best wings in the nation, as he averaged 14.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.5 steals per game in 33 games played with the team during the 2015-16 season (32 starts).
Those numbers were good enough for McCaw to earn second-team all-conference honors in the Mountain West Conference.
The 27-year-old wing has played for three teams — the Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers — across his five seasons in the NBA. Most recently, he averaged 1.0 point, 0.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game in five appearances with the Raptors during the 2020-21 regular season (zero starts).
McCaw was fortunate to be part of some fantastic teams during the early part of his time in the NBA. He won an NBA title in each of his first three seasons in the league. During his first two seasons in the pros, he won back-to-back titles as a member of the Warriors, who were led by Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.
His third title came in 2019 when he was a member of the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors beat McCaw’s old team, the Warriors, in six games in the 2019 NBA Finals.
It’s unfortunate that McCaw will have to wait a few months for another passport. Here’s to hoping that an NBA team will sign McCaw before the start of the 2023-24 regular season.
