Shemik Thompson jets from Lewes to Romanian basketball league

Shemik Thompson - former Cape all-state player, now 22 years old and a graduate of Central Connecticut State where he was the starting point guard all four seasons, was at the Cape versus Milford game Dec. 20 saying hello and goodbye to his friends. Early today, Dec. 21, Shemik was rolling down the runway at Philadelphia International Airport with a final destination of Bucharest, Romania.

Shemik was rookie of the year in the North East Athletic Conference as a freshman in 2008 and was the four-year assist leader for the Blue Devils of Central Continental State. He earned his college degree in international business.

“I signed with a team in the Romanian professional basketball league [there are 16 teams] and I am off,” Shemik said. “The name of the team is Dinamo B. The general manager will pick me up at the airport. I get a house to live in for free and a car to drive. The money isn't great the first year; I look at it more as a chance to prove myself. I know I'm in for a cultural shock, but I'm ready for the challenge."

There is a temptation to say that Shemik Thompson is Cape's first professional basketball player, but sitting across the gym was John Bishop, who after his playing days at Cape played professional basketball in Argentina.