Rayvonte Rice to bolster Kesatria Bengawan Solo in the second half of the 2026 IBL
Jakarta (ANTARA) - American basketball player Rayvonte Rice is confirmed to strengthen Kesatria Bengawan Solo in the second half of the 2026 Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) season, which begins on March 4.
Quoted from the IBL page, Wednesday, Kesatria hopes that Rice’s presence can increase the team’s scoring productivity, especially from the three-point shooting sector.
Rice is not a stranger in the international basketball scene. After not being selected in the 2015 NBA Draft, he began his professional career in Europe with the Italian club, Tezenis Verona.
Although he has a career outside the US, he has tasted the NBA atmosphere by appearing in the 2019 NBA Summer League with the Phoenix Suns.
His journey continued to the NBA G League, when he signed a contract with the Salt Lake City Stars in 2022.
This experience became important capital before Rice continued his career in Asia.
In 2024, Rice played in Taiwan with Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers, which competed in the P. League+ competition.
In the same year, Rice briefly strengthened Liaoning Flying Leopards in the 2024 Basketball Champions League (BCL) Asia tournament.
Rice also felt the competition in the Philippines after being recruited by Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots to replace an injured import player in the 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup.
However, his contract ended on September 26, 2024, and his position was replaced by Jabari Bird.
The last club he defended before coming to Indonesia was Guangdong Southern Tigers from the Chinese Basketball League.
The management of Kesatria Bengawan Solo assessed that Rice met the team’s needs, which were looking for a reliable scorer.
His impressive record in Taiwan was one of the main considerations, where he had made 258 three-point attempts in 19 games with an accuracy of 39.9 percent.
From this performance, the player was able to score an average of 29.7 points per game (ppg).
With his track record and shooting ability, Rayvonte Rice is expected to make a significant contribution and help Kesatria Bengawan Solo compete at the top of the IBL this season.