Quinones Could Become Shandong Men’s Basketball Team’s Third Foreign Player, With Outlook Widely Viewed as Promising

With Shandong Hi-Speed Men's Basketball Team officially announcing Banton's signing, the highly anticipated third foreign player is gradually emerging. Lester Quinones, who briefly played for Qingdao last season, is expected to join the team in a new role and compete for the championship together with Faye and Banton. The 27-year-old Lester Quinones is a professional basketball player from the Dominican Republic, standing 1.91 meters tall and primarily playing as a shooting guard. After going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, he earned a two-way contract with the Golden State Warriors through his outstanding performances in the Summer League. During his two seasons with the Warriors, he won the NBA G League Most Improved Player Award for the 2022-23 season. In 2024, Quinones subsequently reached contract agreements with the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Orleans Pelicans.

In international competitions, Quinones represented the Dominican Republic national team at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, helping the team make a historic advance to the Round of 16. Last season, he played only two regular-season games and two playoff games for Qingdao. Although the sample size was limited, his scoring ability was fully demonstrated. In the regular season, he averaged 22.5 points, along with 4.5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals per game. In a game against Beijing Shougang, Quinones came off the bench and played 28 minutes, recording 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, showing strong ball-handling and offensive capabilities.