.jpg) Sestina in September 2023 | |
| No. 77 – Olimpia Milano | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward /center |
| League | LBA EuroLeague |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1997-05-12)May 12, 1997 (age 28) St. Marys, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 234 lb (106 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Cameron County (Emporium, Pennsylvania) |
| College | |
| NBA draft | 2020:undrafted |
| Playing career | 2021–present |
| Career history | |
| 2021 | Long Island Nets |
| 2021 | Hapoel Holon B.C. |
| 2021–2022 | Merkezefendi |
| 2022–2023 | Türk Telekom |
| 2023–2024 | Fenerbahçe |
| 2024–2025 | Valencia |
| 2025–present | Olimpia Milano |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Nathan Michael Sestina (born May 12, 1997) is an American professionalbasketball player forOlimpia Milano of theLega Basket Serie A (LBA) and theEuroLeague. He playedcollege basketball forBucknell andKentucky.
Sestina was born inSt. Marys, Pennsylvania and grew up inEmporium, Pennsylvania. As a senior atCameron County High School, Sestina averaged 22.6 points and 14 rebounds per game and was named the North Tier Conference Player of the Year. He finished high school with 1,703 points and 955 rebounds, a school record.[1] Sestina committed to play college basketball at Bucknell over offers from 11 other schools.[2] He became the first Division I basketball player from PIAA District 9 since 1990.
Sestina suffered a season-ending shoulder injury four games into his freshman year and used amedical redshirt.[3] He averaged 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game over 31 games as a reserve player during his sophomore year. As a junior, Sestina averaged 6.5 points and 3.9 rebounds and 14.9 minutes played per game.[4] He became a starter going into his senior year and enjoyed a breakout season, averaging 15.8 points (6th in thePatriot League) and 8.5 rebounds per game (2nd in conference) and was named to the second team All-Patriot League.[5][6] Following the end of the season, Sestina entered the transfer portal for his final season of eligibility as a graduate transfer. He was ranked the third-best player in the transfer portal byESPN.[7] Sestina committed to transfer to theUniversity of Kentucky.[8]
In his first game with the Wildcats, Sestina scored seven points and grabbed a team-high six rebounds in a 69–62 win over top-rankedMichigan State and hit a key three-point shot in the second half.[9] He broke his left wrist six games into the season againstLamar, causing him to miss four weeks and three games.[10] Sestina was averaging 7.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 27.8 minutes of play at the time of the injury.[11] Sestina returned in a game againstUtah on December 18 and was scoreless. In the next game versusOhio State, Sestina scored a season-high 17 points in a 71–65 Kentucky loss.[12] He scored his 1,000th career point during a 13-point game againstLSU on February 18, 2020.[13] Sestina averaged 5.8 and 3.8 rebounds per game in 28 games and was named to theSoutheastern Conference Community Service Team.[14][15]
On July 30, 2020, Sestina signed his first professional contract withKyiv-Basket of theUkrainian SuperLeague.[16] On October 13, he signed withNizhny Novgorod of theVTB United League.[17] However, with the season being cancelled, Sestina was released on November 3, before playing an official game for the team.[18]
After going undrafted in the2020 NBA draft, Sestina signed anExhibit 10 contract for with theBrooklyn Nets on December 1, 2020.[19][20] He was waived by the Nets on December 11.[21] He was added to the roster of the Nets'NBA G League affiliate, theLong Island Nets.
On March 15, 2021, he signed withHapoel Holon of theIsraeli Basketball Premier League.[22]
On July 8, 2021, he signed withMerkezefendi Belediyesi Denizli Basket of the TurkishBasketbol Süper Ligi (BSL).[23]
On June 22, 2022, Sestina signed withTürk Telekom of the Turkish BSL.[24] On June 21, 2023, he mutually parted ways with the club.
On July 14, 2023, Sestina signed a two-year (1+1) deal with Turkish powerhouseFenerbahçe.[25]
On June 18, 2024, he signed withValencia of the SpanishLiga ACB.[26]
On October 20, 2025, he signed withOlimpia Milano of theLega Basket Serie A (LBA).[27]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance index rating |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Fenerbahçe | 35 | 4 | 11.5 | .465 | .385 | .588 | 1.5 | .4 | .3 | .2 | 3.6 | 2.9 |
| Career | 35 | 4 | 11.5 | .465 | .385 | .588 | 1.5 | .4 | .3 | .2 | 3.6 | 2.9 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Türk Telekom | 22 | 6 | 26.7 | .442 | .372 | .844 | 4.6 | 1.0 | .5 | .3 | 10.4 | 9.0 |
| Career | 22 | 6 | 26.7 | .442 | .372 | .844 | 4.6 | 1.0 | .5 | .3 | 10.4 | 9.0 | |
| Year | Team | League | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 |  Long Island Nets | G League | 15 | 19.8 | .394 | .325 | .667 | 2.7 | .7 | .3 | .3 | 7.7 |
| 2020–21 |  Hapoel Holon | Ligat HaAl | 14 | 24.3 | .505 | .400 | .810 | 3.6 | .9 | .7 | .3 | 10.4 |
| 2020–21 | Hapoel Holon | BIBL | 5 | 27.0 | .491 | .345 | .900 | 5.0 | 1.6 | 1.0 | .8 | 16.8 |
| 2021–22 |  M. B. Denizli | TBSL | 30 | 26.5 | .465 | .455 | .824 | 4.4 | 1.3 | .3 | .4 | 9.9 |
| 2022–23 | Türk Telekom | TBSL | 36 | 23.9 | .496 | .445 | .774 | 3.4 | .8 | .5 | .7 | 10.8 |
| 2023–24 | Fenerbahçe | TBSL | 18 | 23.9 | .468 | .427 | .733 | 5.1 | 1.1 | .7 | .3 | 9.6 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Bucknell | 4 | 0 | 8.0 | .545 | .667 | 1.000 | 1.3 | .8 | .5 | .0 | 3.8 |
| 2016–17 | Bucknell | 31 | 1 | 12.0 | .508 | .292 | .696 | 3.7 | .4 | .2 | .5 | 4.8 |
| 2017–18 | Bucknell | 34 | 0 | 14.9 | .560 | .341 | .744 | 3.9 | .9 | .3 | .6 | 6.5 |
| 2018–19 | Bucknell | 31 | 31 | 27.8 | .536 | .380 | .808 | 8.5 | 1.2 | .4 | 1.1 | 15.8 |
| 2019–20 | Kentucky | 28 | 7 | 19.8 | .463 | .407 | .750 | 3.8 | .8 | .4 | .6 | 5.8 |
| Career | 128 | 39 | 18.2 | .525 | .374 | .773 | 4.9 | .8 | .3 | .7 | 8.1 | |
Sestina's father, Donald is a former teacher, basketball coach and athletic director for Cameron County High School and his mother, Rachelle, is also a teacher and swam collegiately atIndiana University of Pennsylvania.[1][28] He has four siblings and his two older brothers, Andrew and Jason, both served in theU.S. Marine Corps.[29]
Sestina is engaged to former Kentucky volleyball player and current Kentucky assistant volleyball coachMadison Lilley.[30]
