Throughout his high school, college and professional careers, Cortez native Kirk Archibeque has been a difference-maker on and off the court.
With that in mind, one of Belgium’s top professional teams, the Port of Antwerp Giants, recently signed the former Montezuma-Cortez High School to a contract.
Clearly excited to play in Belgium next season, Archibeque explained that his decision to sign with the Giants partially resulted from his desire to play against top competition.
“The league is probably a little bit higher than the one in Poland,” said Archibeque. “It will bring me more exposure for the future years.”
While playing in Belgium, Archibeque will compete against teams throughout Europe.
“We’ll play in a competition called the Euro Challenge,” said Archibeque. “We’ll play teams from Russia, Italy and France.”
In preparation for the upcoming season, Archibeque plans to work diligently to maintain his strength while improving his overall skill set.
“For the next two weeks, I’ll hit a lot of weights and cardio,” said the chiseled big man. “Five or six weeks before I leave, I’ll really start hitting the gym and do a lot of form shooting.”
While basketball will be Archibeque’s primary focus upon arriving in Belgium, he plans to enjoy another year of life aboard in one of Europe’s most beautiful countries.
“I’ve never been to (Belgium) at all, but the city where I’m going has been described as the Venice of Northern Europe,” said Archibeque. “The city that I’m going to is called the diamond capital of the world.”
Playing in Poland last season for Rosa Radom, Archibeque enjoyed great success, averaging 13.7 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game. The talented forward/center also led the league with 11 double doubles on the year.
“The (2013-14 season) was probably my best as a professional,” wrote Archibeque in an email to the Cortez Journal earlier this year. “My offseason really paid off.”
With any luck, another summer spent in the gym will make Cortez’s most successful basketball player even better as he continues to build on what has already been a highly successful professional career.