Leicester Riders have continued their summer rebuild with the signing of American forward Bernard Pelote ahead of the 2026-27 Super League Basketball season.
The 6’8” forward arrives after his rookie professional campaign in Germany with Tübingen Tigers, where he played in ProA during the 2025-26 season.
Pelote averaged 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game in Germany, giving Riders another versatile option as head coach Rob Paternostro shapes his new-look roster.
He also produced a strong German Cup display against top-flight BBL opposition Trier Gladiators, finishing with 16 points and six rebounds while shooting 3-of-8 from three-point range.
Before turning professional, Pelote spent three seasons with Western Carolina University. In his senior campaign he averaged 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, having previously earned SAC All-Conference Third Team honours in 2022 and SAC All-Freshman Team recognition in 2021.
Pelote said he was excited to join a club with “such a rich winning culture” and thanked Paternostro for the opportunity to become part of the Riders programme.
The signing makes Pelote the eighth confirmed player on Leicester’s 2026-27 roster and the seventh new addition ahead of the coming campaign.