Heytvelt signs to play in Turkey

Basketball: Josh Heytvelt, the 6-foot-11 post who starred for the basketball teams at Gonzaga University and Clarkston High, has signed with Oyak Renault Bursa of the Turkish Basketball League. He was schedule to depart Spokane Tuesday to join the team, whose season begins in mid-October.

The team is located in Bursa, a city of 2 million on the western side of the country.

“It’ll give him a chance to see what’s out there,” Michelle Heytvelt said of her son Monday, “and to come back stronger and to give the NBA another go-round. That’s his passion, that’s what he’s wanted since he was a baby, I swear. I think it’s another really solid, good step in a direction of making that his career.”

Heytvelt and his agent worked out a contract with the Turkish club last week. Since then, he has packed and prepared for his move to eastern Europe.

“Josh, he’s checking into things,” Michelle said. “The (Turkish) 3-point line is the same as college. You can swat the ball if it hasn’t gone into the rim, which is not the case in the U.S. So he’s pretty excited about that one.”

Heytvelt wasn’t selected in this year’s NBA draft.

Many of the players who were drafted will play in other leagues around the world this season. In those cases, the NBA team that picked those players keeps their rights, but doesn’t have to pay their salary.

NBA teams asked Heytvelt’s agent if the Clarkston native would be willing to go overseas, but he told them, “ ‘No, Josh is NBA material,’ ” Josh’s father, Rolin Heytvelt, recounted.

“Josh’s agent’s wisdom saw that by refusing to do that and go the free-agency route, Europe is still very much an option for Josh,” Rolin said. “And now, rather than being the exclusive rights to one team in the NBA, Josh is a free agent and free and clear to work something with any team in the NBA. Or, if he likes it in Europe, he may just stay there and keep playing.

“Who knows how this works?” Rolin added. “It’s like any job: You start off at an entry level and see where it takes you.”

Heytvelt was with the Washington Wizards’ summer league team, but didn’t get much playing time and wasn’t signed long-term by the club.

Lewiston Tribune

Legendary bull Yellowjacket dies

Rodeo: Yellowjacket, the 1999 PRCA Bull of the Year that helped put Eastern Washington’s Flying Five Rodeo Co. on the map, died of natural causes in Texas.

The bull appeared in the National Final Rodeo six times from 1997-2002.

In 1999 he was ridden just twice in 40 attempts, yielding scores of 94 and 95.

Dave Trimmer