Joe Asberry(Pro Pathway Tour) Best Advice For Ballers Chasing The Overseas Dream Is To Be Humble And Realistic

Joe Asberry (196-F-1965, college: SF State) is an American ex professional basketball player that really has seen it all from crime to drugs, but also played against legends like David Robinson (215-C-65, college: Navy), Gary Payton, Jason Kidd and Brian Shaw and was teammates with German legendary player Christian Welp. He had a 11 year professional career that saw him toil around in the minor leagues of Germany, but he belonged to the best in his day at that level. Since retiring from the game, he has been a spokesperson for young kids and drug prevention, guest speaker, worked in the Alba Berlin organization, been a master of ceremonies for UBC Hannover and been a mentor for young Americans coming overseas trying to live the dream of being a professional basketball player. He worked recently with the Artland Dragons organization. He helped organize the Pro Pathway Tour with Elijah Allen and spoke to germanhoops.com about the experience.

Thanks Joe for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you?

What´s up my Man Miles? Always good to catch up with you. I´m in Munich right now enjoying the sun and getting ready for Omari´s Knox´s Elite Camp. I´m his MC so I´m looking forward to go crazy on the Mic, when his young skilled athlete´s get buckets!

You recently took part at the Pro Pathway Tour in Germany. How did that gig come about for you?

The Pro Pathway Tour is an opportunity for underdogs chasing the Overseas Pro Basketball Dream to have a door open for a Entry Level Job. (Pro B and 1st Reg) It came about as a nice Gesture from Big Slim,and Elijah Allen. We appreciate the cool life Pro Basketball Overseas has given us so that´s are way to pay it forward.

Your partner Elijath Allen is a hooper who is a individual trainer and also runs camps. Talk a little about your relationship to him? How special is it?

Elijah Allen is my guy. We met 14 years ago and we have been tight homeys ever since. It´s bigger then basketball with us. We have been helping American Import and young ballaz for years behind the scenes so now we´re doing our thing together with our Showcase. I recruited him to sign with the Agent I was working with Mike Baron. We signed him and the rest is history. He hit the biggest 3 ball in the History of Bochum. That 3 ball led Bochum from Pro B to Pro A. He´s humble so he just laughs when I tell all of the young bucks that story, LOL!

Both you guys are so passionate for the game and just want to see guys grinding to make it overseas be successful. Do you feel like each other´s strength trickles off on the other and makes each other even more powerful to help these guys succeed?

We both want to see guys WIN! Elijah played with and us guys like OJ Mayo, Bill Walker and King James himself so he understands high level Pro Basketball just like I do. We both love the game and we feel like we both had a Legit shot at making it to the NBA, but a few coaches who had “Hidden Agendas” got in the way. We never make excuses. Overseas Pro Basketball was the cards we were dealt so we played those cards We work well together because we feel like our strength is we tell basketball players the TRUTH! There is NO HIDDEN AGENDA. Either you´re built for pro hoops or your not and if you´re missing things in your game we´re going to tell you and teach you what you need to get where your trying to go.

The tour was in many places in Germany. What was your summary how the whole tour went? What were the biggest challenges for you and Elijah?

The tour was an overall success. The guys played vs guys who had BBL, PRO A,PRO B,1st Reg and NBBL experience. The biggest challenge was to make guys understand how difficult it is to get a Job overseas. There are thousands of guys who want to be the “Import” so if you don´t have something elite in your game it´s not going to happen.

Talk a little about how a day went? Was everyone always together?


The Day was easy. Show up one hour before the game and play. It was like an Allstar Game. We had one beautiful day where we all got together ate lunch and took the time to bond as a Unit. That was the best day.

What was your impression of the games: How did the guys do and who were some of the teams?

The Games went very well. We won two games and we lost one. The game we lost was to Elijah Allen´s Allstars led by Terry Winn. That was an eye opening experience for our “Imports”. They could play vs a “Import” who destroyed 1st Reg when he was in Giessen. I had seen him play on film, but that was the first time I saw it with my own eyes. He´s the truth. He plays with the team, he led his young guys and he could get to his spots and get a bucket easily

I checked the roster and it was guard infested. As a big what was it like working strictly with guards? Did you have to reshape your teachings a bit to what your used to when working with bigs who love to dunk?

Our team was guard heavy, but that wasn´t a problem. It was Run and Gun basketball. It´s easy to play for me and Elijah, We give you a few Horns sets and let you Hoop. The mission is to show the GM´s,Coach´s and Agents what you can do and not run around like a Robot waiting to get CUT!

What personally gives you the biggest pleasure working with American ballers. Your used to working with German boys and girls. Do some of these guys have ego´s that are out of control?

I was working with Germans and Girls during the day. That´s the behind the scenes work I spoke on. When I´m in a weight room pumping up my muscles or at night when I´m on the phone, I´m dealing with American and Canadian Pro´s Guys 24/7 ” Imports” are hitting me up from all over the world especially when they´re pissed off at their Coach I just give them solid advice and let them know it doesn´t matter what the Coach does, it matters that you´re the “Import” so you have to perform and help your team win thats what you signed up for. That´s my biggest pleasure helping them to stay calm under the overseas pro basketball pressure. And yes some Americans have inflated ego´s as they should, they´re a Low Percentage of people worldwide getting paid to play Basketball. When the ego goes overboard, I start asking them the tough questions! LOL!

You’re a guy that saw it all in a time when these guys weren´t born yet. You had to grind in the Regionalliga. What is the best Joe Asberry advice that you give an American baller trying to get a job overseas?

The best advice I can give guys about playing Pro Basketball overseas is to be humble and be realistic. I told myself I have to change my mindset and work harder to be a better basketball player! Me vs Me! I had a game with 10 Dunks in 1st Reg back in the day and it led to 2nd Division Finland, Switzerland, Luxembourg and I was a BBL Practice Dummy! I loved every minute of it, because I got PAID for my DUNKS! I´m not bitter about my journey. I blame myself for my NBA Failure. Other “Imports” should do the same. Check the Man in the Mirror if you think you´re good enough to play for Alba Berlin great, then stop talking, stop posting and prove it!

I knew about guys like Terry Wynn and Phil Flowers. Was there any other player that made an impression on you?

Austin Parker impressed me the most. His Dunks, rebounding and blocks were magnificent. I can see him easily playing on the Pro A and Pro B Level I´ll also say this all of the players gave it 100% so I respect EVERYONE chasing the Pro Hoop Dream.

What was your personal highlight of the tour?

My highlight of the tour was to coach my Young Gun Giulio Sederino. I was his U18 Coach in Quackenbruck. I let him play free and wild and he was cooking for Coach Joe. It felt great to see him chasing his dream and also, to yell, scream and cuss at him and not have to bite my tongue like I did when I coached the Girls! LOL!

Will there be tours in the future and will you be a part of them?

The Agents and Coaches think our tour is a great idea so yeah me and “E” are full speed ahead

What is the future with you? You were in the Artland Dragons organization helping the boys and girls teams. Do you have s gig lined up already for 2026-2027?

My future is always bright, I´ll continue to help “Imports” chase the Pro Basketball Dream.I´ll continue to Scout for the Agents I work with and I´ll continue to LOVE Basketball. I always say it, I´m not a Good Coach, I´m a damn good hype man and a cheerleader, but if you want me to teach your kids how to get buckets, play free, play wild and have fun with basketball, I´m your type of COACH! If my ballaz don´t play defense, get ready for a Profanity laced rant. So no more Coaching Girls, thanks Ladies, I can´t do it, I´ll have to wear a muzzle to coach girls, it was FUN! LOL!

Thanks Joe for the chat.

Chris Widmer(Skyliners) Doesn’t Know Yet If A Professional Career Will Be In His Cards But He Will Do All Possible To Become The Best Player He Can

Pic credit: JHoffmann

Chris Widmer (198-F-2007) is a 19 year old 198cm forward playing for the Skyliners organization with their Pro B team Skyliners and NBBL team Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners. He has played most of his career with the Skyliners, but also played with TV Langen. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his career.

Thanks Chris for talking to germanhoops.com. You live in Germany, but play for the youth Dutch team. Talk about your childhood. You grew up in Germany, but have Dutch roots?

Yes for my whole life I have lived in Frankfurt. My mother is D utch and my father Swiss. I always went there when I was on vacation to visit family and friends. So I always had a connection to my home countries and I always enjoy being there. As for basketball I came across some coaches from Amsterdam last season at a pre season tournament. I connected myself and got integrated into Netherlands Basketball.

You played JBBL with Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners, but also played a season with TV Langen. What positives could you get from your Langen season?

I made first experiences outside of youth basketball having played a few games in 1. Regionalliga. I had good coaches like Niklas Pons and Tobias Jahn who were able to give me some Input and support me on my basketball journey. They also encouraged me to take the next steps in my career. Overall it was a good learning experience.

How valuable was a player like experienced Henk Droste? What could you learn from him?

Henk Droste was a great teammate and a fun guy to be around. He himself is a good all round player and also very physical. He showed me how important it is to be consistent in what you do. As a 16 year old back then he also taught me fundamental things about basketball that helped me become a better player.

Last season you played Regionalliga in Frankfurt and this season in the Pro B. How valuable was the pro B experience? How did your game grow there?

I earned my first minutes and also scored my first points at some point for which I am very grateful. I didn’t have a big role but I helped out the team when it was needed. I didn’t improve my game that much just by playing Pro b but still learned a few useful things under the coaching of Markus Klusemann.

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 198cm forward. If you had to compare your game to a NBA or Euroleague player who would best fit the description?

I don´t really know who I would compare to my game, a lot of the times the players are unique in their playing style.

Talk about your strenghs as a player. What kind of an offensive player are you? Are you a guy that also does things that aren´t always seen on the stat sheet?

Offenisvely I try to use my first step to attack the rim and use my body, when I get a good shot I also take 3s. If its needed I can also be used for screens and use my strength for pick and rolls and other situations. Other than that I am good on fast breaks and defense to offense runs.

How would you rate the development of your 3 point shooting this season? You shot 27% in the NBBL. Is it tough developing it when there are others taking the bulk of the shots?

It was better at the beginning of the season but overall I’d say I improved my shooting over the last years. When you have players like Jamie and Ivan but also the other guys like Lukas Smazak for example you have a limited amounts of shots per game. But that´s also how it should be and I have of course adapted to this.

What kind of a defender are you now and what kind of a defender do you still want to become?

In my opinion I can defend almost anybody, from guard to wing to big. I want to become even quicker on my feet and maybe be more solid when boxing out. I can anticipate steels of ball pretty well and want to use this when defending on ball.

On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can keep improving your game?

Definitely fundamental shooting, being able to knock down open 3s is very important for me. Over the summer I want to improve my handles and overall finishing.

You also have been a member of the Dutch U-18 team. How is the state of Dutch basketball? How good is Tayshawn Gipson? His dad played in the BBL around the time you were born?

Tayshawn Gipson is a very talanted player with crazy athleticism and ball handling. It was fun playing with him as it also was with my other teammates from nationals. I also met his family briefly, they all are very nice people, it is obvious that he got his talents from his dad and learned a lot from him. Dutch basketball is definitely evolving and starting to get more recognition. Especially with the new generation of players it will only get better from here.

You know players like Endurance Ayiamenkhue and Yanu Slingerland. How good are these 2 players and what do you like most about their games?

Both Endurance and Yanu proved that they are one of the best players in European competition. Yanu is a go to shooter with tough athleticism and Endurance a physicall center who can dominate around the rim. I believe in these boys and I’m sure they are going achieve great things.

You played at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division B in Romania -2025 playing 5 games. What kind of an experience was that? What was your fondest moment there?

To be honest it was more a lesson for me to deal with pressure and having to accept your coach not having trust in you anymore. I lost my rhythm starting the tournament and didn’t play much after that so I had chance to let it sink in and better myself mentally. But all in all I also had a lot of fun with my teammates and made some great connections.

What is your goal as a professional player? Is being a pro a goal? What would be your plan B?

I want to see how I evolve in the next years. If I see myself playing on professional level I will give everything to achieve that. My number 1 goal is to become the best player that I can be.

Who is the toughest player that you ever faced in your career that made NBA or Euroleague?

Untill now I’m not sure that I have actually played against Players that already made NBA or Euroleague but there are a number of guys where I’m sure that they will reach one of those two. Take Endurance as an example. Furthermore as I already mentioned I’m confident a few of my teammates will also reach that level.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Jamie Edoka, Ivan Crjnac, Konstantinos Kapetanakis, Julius Messer und Noah Koch.

Please list your personal NBA, Dutch and Euroleague Mount Rushmore of 4 best players of all-time?

Lebron James, Anthony Edwards, Worthy de Jong, Kendrick Nunn

Who is your GOAT?

Lebron James

Thanks Chris for the chat?

Marc Friederici Achieved 2 Promotions In A Row With Wolmirstedt And Essen But The Second Was Most Special Because He Achieved The Gold Medal

pic credit: Shot by Frogg

Marc Friederici (188-PG-2001) is a 25 year old 188cm guard that completed his first season with Pro B team ETB Miners Essen averaging 11.9ppg, 4.9rpg, 2.2apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 32.4%, FT: 74.7% and helped them move up to the Pro A. He played from 2023-2025 with the SBB Baskets Wolmirstedt (ProB) averaging 10.3ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.3spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 35.1%, FT: 82.5% and 7.1ppg, 2.4rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 56.1%, 3PT: 29.1%, FT: 76.6% helped them move up to the Pro A in 2025. He also has had further experience with WSG Koenigs Wusterhausen, Dresden Titans and Lok Bernau. He spoke to germanhoops.com about the Pro B season 2025-2026

Thanks Marc for talking to eurobasket.com. This was such a special season for the ETB Miners. Why was this team so special?
I think it started on the very first day, with the very first meeting we had as a team, where Rafi made it very clear how everything works and how things are supposed to function. And then all the people we are as individuals just fit together really well. A few who were already in Essen, Niklas, who brought a lot of experience as a veteran. And then, you really have to say, Rafi and Lars did an incredible job finding the right characters who fit together, while also bringing the motivation every single day in training to improve individually and as a team. I must say it was already special in Wolmirstedt, but Essen definitely topped it in that regard.

The team lost only 5 games during the regular season. Was their a game during the season where you then knew, we will win the whole thing?
I think there were only four losses during the regular season, and the fifth was the loss against Ulm. Setting that aside, I came from Wolmirstedt with the mindset of wanting to get promoted again this year and this time finishing the season with a gold medal around my neck. With that mindset, I went into every training session. I wouldn’t say I knew it from the very beginning, but I consciously told myself every single day that we were going to win.

How vital was head coach Lars Wendt for the success? What was his biggest ability as a coach to be able to help bring success to the team?
I think he was a great help. Ultimately, he is our head coach and tells us what we should and shouldn’t do on the court. We all implemented that, and in the end, everyone contributed their part.

How special was it sharing the back court with Mychael Paulo? What part of his game will you always remember best?

The guy just has an incredible skill set – the way he gets his shot off is unbelievable. Even with a defender basically glued to his face, he can still create his shot and doesn’t get rattled by anything. I found that incredible

How valuable were bigs Ben Uzoma and Niclas Sperber? What was each player’s biggest attribute for the success?

Beno had a tough start to the season coming out of the summer with his injury, but once he found his rhythm, he was a key factor in every single one of our wins. The rebounds he grabbed and how strong he was under the basket – basically no one could guard or contain him down low. Niclas, especially at the beginning of the season, immediately made it clear where the journey was heading. He had two or three games with almost 30 points and consistently helped us throughout the season. Even when he didn’t have great shooting nights and only scored 2, 3, 4, or 5 points, his experience and the threat he poses on the floor alone created a lot of space and made us much harder to defend as a team.

Which player was the most improved during the season?

In my opinion, definitely Gabriel Jung. In every aspect
You averaged 11/4/2/1 stats and shot 32% from outside. How content were you with your season?

I came to Essen with three goals. The first one was clearly set by Rafi and was stats-related: to average an efficiency rating of over 10. My personal goals were to earn promotion with the team and win the gold medal. The third goal was to grow as a person and as a leader, regardless of statistics. I think I made huge strides in that area. I was able to help guide the team in a direction that made it possible for us to win the championship. Of course, that wasn’t my achievement alone, but I accomplished what I set out to do. So even though I believe there is always room for improvement when it comes to stats, I am more than satisfied with the season.

You upped your scoring again this season. What steps did you make as a player again this season?

As I briefly mentioned in the previous answer, one of my biggest goals was to grow as a leader of the team. I believe I achieved that, and I think that growth, combined with the trust of the coaching staff, put me in a position where I was able to play freely and embrace my role as one of the team’s leaders. That also allowed me to make a bigger impact on the court and help the team succeed.

On what areas of your game will you work on most this summer so you can continue to improve your game?

Ballhandling against pressure, scoring in the paint, Shooting

Are you ready for the Pro A in 26-27 or will you remain in the Pro B?

I’m ready for the Pro A.

Thanks Marc for the chat.

Marc Friederici Will Never Forget The Poster Dunk Of Leon Kalinic In The Pro B Final Against Orange Academy

pic credit: shot by frogg

Marc Friederici (188-PG-2001) is a 25 year old 188cm guard that completed his first season with Pro B team ETB Miners Essen averaging 11.9ppg, 4.9rpg, 2.2apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 32.4%, FT: 74.7% and helped them move up to the Pro A. He played from 2023-2025 with the SBB Baskets Wolmirstedt (ProB) averaging 10.3ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.3spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 35.1%, FT: 82.5% and 7.1ppg, 2.4rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 56.1%, 3PT: 29.1%, FT: 76.6% helped them move up to the Pro A in 2025. He also has had further experience with WSG Koenigs Wusterhausen, Dresden Titans and Lok Bernau. He spoke to eurobasket about the Pro B final games against Orange Academy.

Thanks Marc for talking to eurobasket.com. Your 2026 Pro B champion. How does this feel in comparison to winning it with Wolmirstedt last season?

Of course, it is something special on every level. I know that in Wolmirstedt we fulfilled a long-time dream of the club and everyone around it by earning promotion. But in the end, we didn’t leave the court as champions. We managed to do that here in Essen, and that makes it even more special in every way than finishing in second place. It feels amazing

You have helped reach 2 teams in a row reach the Pro A. Chris Carter helped teams move up 4 times. Do you feel like helping teams move up could continue to be your calling in the future?

I like the idea you mentioned of making it my mission to be the kind of player who helps teams earn promotion. But not right now. Right now, the next step is Pro A and finding my place and role there. I want to establish myself as a player in the next higher league.

Essen lost game 1 by 36 points and won game 2 by 41 points. Many are saying this is the greatest comeback in German basketball. How special do you rate this massive comeback?

I believe that coming back in a game like that against any team and under any circumstances is an almost impossible task. The fact that we managed to do it shows how strong our team was and how many different qualities you need in order to accomplish something like that. Right now, especially because it was also the championship final, I would say this is the most special moment of my career so far

What was the team feeling after the horrible 107-71 loss at Orange Academy? How much soul searching did the team do the days following?

To my surprise, much less than I initially expected. Already the very next day in practice, I felt like every single person on the team understood exactly what our situation was and what task was ahead of us. And that task was simple: somehow find a way, under all circumstances, to turn the game around and win by more than 36 points.

How key was head coach Lars Wendt? How did he help the team most in the days leading up to game 2?

He made it clear right from the very first second of our first practice that we had to trap and press full court throughout the entire game. And he communicated that with an energy that, at least for me, was contagious and immediately gave us a clear direction. It wasn’t something we only had to show during the game, but also in every practice we had between the two finals games. And in the end, it worked.

How quickly did the team know that game 2 would see only half of Orange Academy as all the talented youth players wouldn’t play because they were attending the NBBL Top 4 in Berlin?

There had already been speculation before the first game, but we only knew for sure one day before the final game.

Any other team could have underestimated Orange Academy. Why didn’t Essen?

That simply wasn’t in our nature. At no point during the regular season or the playoffs did we ever underestimate any team.

What was the focus of Essen going in? I mean did you have a plan how you would come back through out a 40 minute game so you would have more than 36 points?

The focus was clear from the very first second: we had to play with a lot of pace on both offense and defense and make Ulm run all over the court for the full 40 minutes. The math was simple for us. 4 times 10 is 40. A 40-point win and the championship.
The team began well and led 53-32 at the break. Essen was playing well offensively, but still had to do more on the defensive end. What wasn’t functioning as well so far on the defensive end through the first 20 minutes?

In my opinion, everything worked in the first half. We were leading by 21 points, which meant for us that we were still minus 15 points going into the second half. We knew before the game that we wouldn’t make up the entire deficit in one half, but that we had to stay at it for 40 minutes. So we went into the second half with the same mindset as we had at the start of the game.

What did head coach Lars Wendt give the team for advice at half-time?

It was short and simple: we had to keep going the way we had been, and we went into it with the same energy. Everybody was on the same page.

In the third quarter Orange Academy actually played well for the first few minutes outscoring Essen, but then came a 14-0 run by Essen which changed the game. You made drives and Ben Uzoma a big dunk. What was key in the run for Essen?

That’s true. We struggled to start the third quarter with the same energy we wanted. But we knew it wouldn’t last long, because we were deeper than Ulm, and it was only a matter of time before they would start to lose energy. So we just stayed with it, and the game naturally shifted in our favor through a few key plays, and we went on a run.

Essen was up with 32 points with 10 minutes to play. Essen was in the drivers seat. Which player at this moment was a big motivator with words?

I remember a timeout, when we had just crossed the 36-point mark and were tied game with the deficit from the first game. In that moment, I tried to tell the team that it wasn’t over yet, and that we had to keep going and, if necessary, win this game by 60 points. A lot of the other players bought into that as well and also tried to motivate everyone around us. So I would say it was the whole team, because every single player knew exactly what we needed at that moment.

Essen began with a 10-2 run to lead 86-46. Now all Essen had to do was manage the lead to the buzzer. Essen then held Orange Academy minutes without scoring. Did you want it more than Orange Academy?

I’m sure Ulm wanted the championship just as much as we did, but being down by 40 points makes it very difficult to turn a game around again. At that point, the momentum was on our side. We wanted it, no matter what

Essen outscored Orange Academy 41-21 in the last half. Was this the best defense the team played in the season?

I remember a few very, very strong defensive performances during the season, but of course that half also definitely counts among them. We simply needed a perfect game, both offensively and defensively, but especially on the defensive end.

Essen held their 2 best scorers Joel Cwik and Namouri Omog to 8/28 shooting and 25 points. How much of a focus was the defense on slowing them down?

Joel Cwik was one of the players we had to control from the start. He was also one of Ulm’s top scorers in the first game.

Quarshawn Lane had an incredible 28/11/10 game. Did you sense going into the game that he could have a type of game of his life?
The only thing I knew was that we needed everyone on the team today, each in their own role, and that obviously includes Q as well. I’m very happy and proud of him that he managed to get the triple-double in such a game. He had come close two or three times this season before.

What was your fondest moment in the final in Essen against Orange Academy?

The poster dunk from Leon Kalinic. And than the final buzzer! 😉


Thanks Marc for the chat.

Roland Nyama Retires And Wants Fans To Remember Him As A Player That Did Nothing Half Way

Pic credit: Dieter Nuber

Back 10 years ago, it wasn´t sexy yet for Germans to play in the NCAA the way it is now in 2026 with NIL exploding with crazy salaries. Back then you had a little more than 2-3 handful of young Germans making the trek across the pond and playing in the NCAA as guys like Moritz Wagner, Maodo Lo, Christian Sengfelder and Gavin Schilling did. But there was also another young man from Frankfurt named Roland Nyama (198-PF-1993, college: Stony Brook) who wanted to experience the life in USA as he went to prep school at Holderness and then 4 years at Stony Brook. I remember learning about Nyama making the trip to March Madness after beating Vermont and Trae Bell-Haynes to get to the big dance. I just had to interview him and did before he drew Kentucky. “Reaching The NCAA tournament still feels like a big dream I have yet to wake up from. I’ve never witnessed a celebration like that and it was truly an incredible experience to be able to see something like that happen. That’s why I love college basketball“, stressed Roland Nyama in 2016. Stony Brook and him then played against Kentucky who were led by Jamaal Murray, Tyler Ulis and Isaiah Briscoe. Stony Brook lost by 28 points and Nyama only played 1 minute, but it was an experience that he will never forget and seeing a guy like Murray lead his team to victory was something that would motivate anyone.” It motivates me because those guys, those NBA guys are incredibly under control and very rarely get sped up by the defense. I’ve tried to add that to my game“, said Roland Nyama in 2016. The German returned to Germany in 2017 and began a 9 year pro career and recently retired at age 32. It was time to look back at a fruitful career that took him to 4 German Pro A teams. Hie memory for how many interviews we did in the last 10 years was exactly correct with 5. It was time for a 6th with a farewell interview.

Roland Nyama who lists Kris Dunn, TJ Williams and Maodo Lo as his toughest covers in the NCAA and Kevin Yebo, Victor Bailey, and Tyler Nelson as his toughest covers in the German Pro A was born on July 11, 1993 in Germany, but has Cameroonian roots. He began his basketball career in the Frankfurt Skyliners organization playing youth basketball as well as getting his first glimpse how it is with men playing for Regionalliga 2 team Eintracht Frankfurt and their Pro B squad Juniors. Those were some very formidable years in his development and did he have a special mentor then? “Actually, the entire Pro b team back then took great care of me. Starting with the import Willis Gardner to locals like Fabian Franke and Nico Anders. The guys on the first team like Titus Ivory or Derrick Allen were also great to be around as they were role models as to what a pro should look like on and off the court. I loved my time there because it gave me a little glimpse of what is to be expected as a pro and how much work was still needed to reach anything close to that level”, stated Roland Nyama. He had a very special memory with Mr infectious smile Justin Stallbohm who became a Limburg basketball lifer beating 2 future world champions. “Justin was a great teammate that always had his smile and swagger about him. My fondest memory was winning the U18 German cup against Dennis Schroeder and Daniel Theis with Justin guarding Theis in crucial moments of that game”, remembered Roland Nyama. He then crossed the pond and lived in USA for 6 years being at Holderness and Stony Brook. He went at a time when it wasn´t sexy yet really for an influx of Germans to do that. Now with Nil some Germans made millions. He went to Stony Brook and got an education and played basketball for no money and was simply a very enriching experience. “Playing at Stony Brook helped me become a little bit more mature and purposeful in the way I treat basketball, my body and the world outside of basketball”, said Roland Nyama. He made big strides in his game at Stony Brook and as a senior averaged 10.3ppg, 4.4rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 50.3%, 3PT: 27.5%, FT: 68.4%. 9 years ago Nyama said this about his coach then Jeff Boals. “He did a great job looking at places on the court where I’d be the most effective. The plays he ran created miss matches so I’d have match ups that I could exploit. Besides that he always encouraged me and believed in me which I think was then biggest factor to success”. Recently he said this about coach Boals. “I’ve had the privilege to have been coached by mostly great coaches but what stood out with Coach Boals was his infectious energy and enthusiasm. Coach is one of the best humans I know and his love and passion for the game but him caring about his players is what made him a great coach much more than X’s and O’s”, warned Roland Nyama. He battled future NBA player Jamaal Murray in the NCAA and had a great teammate in Jameel Warney, but what player then had the biggest impact on him? “Ahmad Walker. He beat my behind every day in practice and let me know about it then afterwards gave me pointers on how to become better on the court and mentally. His younger brother Jordan greatly benefitted from that as he is currently having a very successful career playing basketball”, remembered Roland Nyama. He had many great games in the NCAA like against Maine or against LIU in New York in Madison Square Garden. How thrilling was it playing in MSG and was that a top 5 basketball experience in his life? “Yes for sure MSG was phenomenal. I’d rank it maybe number 4 on my all time list of basketball experiences with playing in Riga for the Olympic qualifiers being number one”, added Roland Nyama.

The ex forward that lists Richie Williams Dupree Mcbrayer Elias Valtonen Orlando Parker and Benedikt Maukner as his 5 best teammates of all-time then returned back to Germany in 2017 to begin a fruitful professional career and played his first 2 pro seasons with PS Karlsruhe averaging 6.5ppg, 2.2rpg, FGP: 57.7%, 3PT: 37.3%, FT: 85.4% and 8.5ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 44.2%, 3PT: 36.9%, FT: 68.0%. He was fortunate to join a very special club that had moved up from the Pro B and even made the playoffs twice and were an underdog type of team. “Well to start I had been thrown into cold water as my coaches and my veteran teammates trusted me a lot more than I was ready for. Richie William and Orlando Parker were constantly in my ear about playing with confidence since I have the skills. Players like Cyrus Tate and later Dominique Johnson brought physicality and toughness that I tried to emulate to the best of my abilities”, expressed Roland Nyama. The team had many special players and it is not weird that guys like Richie Williams and Orlando Parker are in his best teammates ranking of all-time had chips on their shoulders. Did that help him have that chip on his shoulder? Absolutely. Hungry and devoted to the sport. Those two were the best role models a rookie from college could have”, warned Roland Nyama. Another great teammate of his was undersized center Noah Kamdem. He was like an offensive lineman in football. Was he one of the best undersized rebounders you ever played with? “Noah’s athleticism was off the charts and so was his physical gift. For best rebounders that are undersized I would have to give that award to Stephan Fundic though”, said Roland Nyama. He then played 2 seasons with the Tigers Tujebingen averaging 7.7ppg, 2.4rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 43.9%, 3PT: 27.4%, FT: 87.3% and 10.0ppg, 2.2rpg, 1.6apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 46.5%, 3PT: 39.5%, FT: 88.8%. This was during Covid. He became a very reliable scorer in his second season. “Well the key word in the second season was fun. The first season a lot of expectations were put on us to move up, we had internal turmoil and the coaching role after the unfortunate sacking of a great coach was inadequately managed. The second year with Danny Jannson and coach Husbo, we had a clear identity and fun in every practice session which paved the way for a lot of players from that year going on to have great international careers”, commented Roland Nyama. He also had great teammates there like Canadian Tanner Graham who played like Larry Bird and played for up and coming head coach Danny Jansson. Did some of Graham´s great IQ rub off on him and what did he appreciate most about Jansson´s coaching philosophy? “Of course Tanner was a very smart player but also very athletic which caught people by surprise. His very believable shot fake is something that I copied then later on. Jansson had a plan and a read for each situation and trusted players to execute said plan. When a coach gives you confidence and trust the game becomes a lot easier”, remembered Roland Nyama. He then gained further experience with another club and played a season with the Nuernberg Falcons BC (Germany-ProA) averaging 11.9ppg, 3.2rpg, 1.6apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 55.8%, 3PT: 44.8%, FT: 78.4%. Despite not making the playoffs, was this his best season as a player? “Stats don´t lie. Unfortunately we were sick with the COVID virus collectively during an important period of the season which derailed our season a bit. As a Player I didn’t feel like this was my best season as I could’ve played better. It was the year of my career where I enjoyed the best coaching I would say”, stated Roland Nyama.

The energetic player who names Dirk Nowitzki, Dennis Schroeder, Robin Benzing and Pascal Roller (Little biased but we move) on his personal German Mount Rushmore then closed out his pro career with the Giessen 46ers playing 4 seasons there. Did Giessen become like a second home to him? “As a Frankfurt kid you’re taught to not be particularly fond of Giessen but I started to love it here. The fans are great and my daughter and wife had a great time here. I wouldn’t go as far as calling it my second home but it’s definitely a city that will have a special place in my heart”, stressed Roland Nyama. In his first season Giessen beat Dresden in the playoffs, but lost to Vechta. It was tough losing to Vechta, because we knew we could’ve played a closer series if any of our starting big men were available. Enosch Wolf couldn’t play due to a clause in his contract and Stefan got hurt right before the playoffs”, added Roland Nyama. In his second season Giessen lost a tough series to his old team PS Karlsruhe. PS Karlsruhe had a very special team that season that went on to win the pro A title. Did they remind him a bit of the old teams that he was on? “They were gritty athletic and fearless. Karlsruhe usually recruits the underdogs and that mentality is what made Karlsruhe a tough opponent. They were well coached and had an answer to most problems that were put in front of them. Similar to when we swept a favorite to move up in Cologne back in 2018”, stated Roland Nyama. In his first 2 seasons in Giessen he averaged 21 and 20 minutes, but in his last 2 seasons averaged only 12 and 7 minutes. I finally was able to visit more games the last 2 seasons in hopes of seeing him play, but he hardly got minutes. It must have been tough accepting the dip in minutes which I never really comprehended. Did head coach Frenki lose faith in him? “At some point you need to put your ego to the side and try to help your team in practice, from the bench or even with the right fouls. It was a hard lesson but one that’ll definitely help moving forward. Well I didn’t either understand the less minutes, but looking back it makes somewhat sense. I’m a player that can give you 20 points and 5 assists on 7 shots but also 3 points on 15 shots with 3 turnovers. The ups and downs probably were too shaky for coach to play me as he was looking to move us up to the BBL with consistency. Consistency that he thought other players would deliver more than I do and I don’t fault him for that. Looking back it’s easier to say “well that didn’t work” but in those situations you have to make a decision and stand by it and that’s what he did. There aren’t any hard feelings, though”, stressed Roland Nyama.He also had experience playing for the Cameroonian National Team the last years. “My fondest memory was my first ever game vs DRC Congo and wearing the number 32 to honor my father who had died at age 32. As the national anthem was played I shed a tear knowing he’d be proud of me representing his country”, remembered Roland Nyama.

The ex Skyliner Junior who believes that Wemby if healthy could become a 7 foot something Kobe recently decided to retire at age 32 and played 9 pro seasons. This is a time where guys surely can retire, but others will play another 5 more years or longer. Did time fly by and could he still have continued playing? “Yes absolutely I still remember signing my first real contract in Karlsruhe like it was yesterday. It’s been a lot of fun so of course time flew bye. I thought I maybe had 4-6 more years in me physically, but the mental side and the business side of the sport that I once held so dear to me, kind of gave me a bad taste and therefore I decided to call it quits”, stated Roland Nyama. Did his less playing time the last 2 seasons play in your decision to retire now in 2026? “Absolutely. I thought I had much more in the tank but those aren’t decisions that are up to me. Maybe it was a sign to look at and for something else”, said Roland Nyama. What is the next step for him? Does he already have something lined up and will he stay connected to basketball in any way? “There are some things in the works that are more long term but short term I’m going to enjoy the odd weekend off and the ability to look at basketball from the view of a fan and I think that’s a beautiful thing”, commented Roland Nyama. He ended his pro career in Germany having played 285 Pro A games and 4 easyCredit BBL cup games. His favorite 3 Pro A games in his career were Artland against Tübingen in 2021, Karlsruhe against Hanau in 2018 and Nuremberg against Vechta in 2021. His answer to how he would like to fans remember him as a player were simple and direct. “As a player that did nothing halfway”, warned Roland Nyama. He was also very nice in leaving some farewell words for me and my work. “For one I have always appreciated the work you’ve put in to promote this sport in Germany. Secondly, I will always remember your tireless effort to not just make great stories but to have real relationships with the players. That humanity that you’ve shown is a fantastic trait”, warned Roland Nyama. Thanks Roland for the very kind words and it was a pleasure watching you play over the years. All the best for you in your life moving forward.

Ben Uzoma Knows That Being On The Same Page Was Instrumental For The ETB Miners Essen Winning The 2026 Pro B Title

Pic credit: shot by frogg

Ben Uzoma (210-C-1998) is a 27 year old 210cm center that recently completed his second season with the ETB Miners Essen (Pro B) averaging 7.8ppg, Reb-5 (8.6rpg), 1.4bpg, FGP: 55.8%, FT: 63.1%. He began his basketball career with Deutzer TV (Regionalliga). He then played 2 seasons and 37 games with the ART Giants Duesseldorf (ProB) averaging 2.8ppg, 3.1rpg and 2.4ppg, 2.4rpg. He then played 2 seasons with the Iserlohn Kangaroos (ProB) averaging 3.9ppg, 2.8rpg, 1.1bpg and 4.3ppg, 3.9rpg. He spoke to germanhoops.com after winning the 2026 Pro B title.

Thanks Ben for talking to germanhoops.com. Your 2026 Pro B champion. How good does it feel? Is this your personal biggest achievement as a player?

It feels very good. We worked very hard for it, so it makes it even more enjoyable knowing how much work we put in.

Essen lost game 1 by 36 points and won game 2 by 41 points. Many are saying this is the greatest comeback in German basketball. How special do you rate this massive comeback?

I don’t know about that, but for me personally it was special. You can’t write a better story than this.

You reached the Pro B final in 2022. Did you sometime have just a little doubt about when you would finally win that first chip?

Even back in 2022, I was enjoying the moment because it’s not something that happens every day to reach the finals. Of course I wanted to win at least once, but yes, there were definitely moments of doubt.

What was the team feeling after the horrible 107-71 loss at Orange Academy? How much soul searching did the team do the days following?

I think everyone dealt with it in their own way. But at the next practice everybody was locked in and I didn’t see anyone who had given up. Personally, I just focused on the next game. Not for a single second did I think there was no chance for us to win.

How key was head coach Lars Wendt? How did he help the team most in the days leading up to game 2?

Our coaches tried to keep us motivated, but I think we were all on the same page. We had our emotional high in the series against Coburg, so maybe we weren’t fully ready for Ulm. The coaches helped wake us up again.

How quickly did the team know that game 2 would see only half of Orange Academy as all the talented youth players wouldn´t play because they were attending the NBBL Top 4 in Berlin?

Personally, I didn’t care. It’s tough for them because they had some very talented guys missing who played really well in the first game. But it wasn’t in our hands. It’s unfortunate for Ulm because they deserved it as well. Still, I’m sure they’ll be fine and win trophies in the future, even on a higher level.

Any other team could have underestimated Orange Academy. Why didn´t Essen?

As I said before, they had a lot of talent, probably some of the best young players in Germany. Nobody should have underestimated them.

What was the focus of Essen going in? I mean did you have a plan how you would come back through out a 40 minute game so you would have more than 36 points?

Yes, the focus was to apply pressure and be as aggressive as possible. In the first game we played too slow and unfocused, so we wanted to do the complete opposite. It worked.

The team began well and led 53-32 at the break. Essen was playing well offensively, but still had to do more on the defensive end. What wasn´t functioning as well so far on the defensive end through the first 20 minutes?

When you pressure that much, you also risk giving up some easy baskets and that’s what happened. But that’s part of it. In the end, it was the right decision and it worked out.

What did head coach Lars Wendt give the team for advice at half-time?

Just keep going and don’t stop. We were either going to win with this game plan or lose with it.

In the third quarter Orange Academy actually played well for the first few minutes outscoring Essen, but then came a 14-0 run by Essen which changed the game.

Basketball is a game of runs. We had momentum and used it for as long as possible.

Essen was up with 32 points with 10 minutes to play. Essen was in the drivers seat. Which player at this moment was a big motivator with words?

To be honest, there wasn’t one specific player. From the players to the coaches to the staff, everybody was hyping each other up. As I said, we were all on the same page.

Essen began with a 10-2 run to lead 86-46. Now all Essen had to do was manage the lead to the buzzer. Essen then held Orange Academy minutes without scoring. Did you want it more than Orange Academy?

I wouldn’t say that because they gave everything they had and got good looks. In the end, they just couldn’t make them.

Essen outscored Orange Academy 41-21 in the last half. Was this the best defense the team played in the season?

Yes, I would say it was definitely up there.

Essen held their 2 best scorers Joel Cwik and Namouri Omog to 8/28 shooting and 25 points. How much of a focus was the defense on slowing them down?

I think they weren’t used to us pressuring them that much. Compared to Game 1, they had a much harder time bringing the ball up the court. That also takes a lot of energy when you’re playing more than 30 minutes.

Quarshawn Lane had an incredible 28/11/10 game. Did you sense going into the game that he could have a type of game of his life?

Q was great all season. He was the MVP for a reason. Even after Game 1, I knew he was going to be ready. He performed and led us to this incredible comeback.

What was your fondest moment in the final in Essen against Orange Academy?

Probably when we got the game sealing steal and layup at the end.

Thanks Ben for the chat.

Gabriel Jung Knows That The Incredible Team Dedication And Chemistry Were Vital For The ETB Miners Essen Winning The 2026 Pro B Title

pic credit: Fabian Heyn

Gabriel Jung (185-PG-2001) is a 25 year old 186cm guard that played the 2025-2026 season with the ETB Miners Essen (ProB) averaging 6.6ppg, 1.7rpg, 2.4apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 41.3%, 3PT: 29.4%, FT: 86.8% and helping the team win the 2026 Pro B title. He began his basketball career in the Phoenix Hagen organization playing NBBL and also with Regionalliga team Hagen-Haspe. He got his first Pro B experience with the VfL SparkassenStars Bochum (ProB) and also played with Regionalliga team Herten. He played with Regionalliga team BSV Wulfen from 2022-2025 playing a total of 82 games and averaged 12/3/3 stats in the 3 seasons. He spoke to germanhoops.com about the Pro B title season.

Thanks Gabriel for talking to germanhoops.com. Your 2026 Pro B champion. How good does it feel? Is this your personal biggest achievement as a player?

Definitely my biggest achievement as a player. Last time I came come this far I had a very limited role so to reach this goal and having a real impact on the court makes it much more satisfying.

Essen lost game 1 by 36 points and won game 2 by 41 points. Many are saying this is the greatest comeback in German basketball. How special do you rate this massive comeback?

It was massive especially on the mental side to not give up after the first game. I think many people where already satisfied by just getting the promotion and would have been fine with 2nd place. But the way we played the whole season I knew that no one on the team would be fine with the second place.

What was the team feeling after the horrible 107-71 loss at Orange Academy? How much soul searching did the team do the days following?

It was definitely a tough feeling getting dominated in that first game but we knew what we were capable of and just like after any other loss we just kept on working

How key was head coach Lars Wendt? How did he help the team most in the days leading up to game 2?

Headcoach Lars Wendt came up with our gameplan and we worked on it during the days leading to game 2 which ended up being successful and got us mentally ready for probably one of our biggest game

How quickly did the team know that game 2 would see only half of Orange Academy as all the talented youth players wouldn´t play because they were attending the NBBL Top 4 in Berlin?

We knew that there was the possibility of them being compromised by the NBBL Top 4 but we really knew when they showed up to the gym on Sunday

Any other team could have underestimated Orange Academy. Why didn´t Essen?

I think you can´t6 underestimate any team when you go into a game being down 36 points, we knew whatever squad would show up, we needed to play at our highest level

What was the focus of Essen going in? I mean did you have a plan how you would come back through out a 40 minute game so you would have more than 36 points?

It was the plan to create kind of a wild game, press a lot, run a lot and just come back quarter by quarter

The team began well and led 53-32 at the break. Essen was playing well offensively, but still had to do more on the defensive end. What wasn´t functioning as well so far on the defensive end through the first 20 minutes?

We gave up a couple of open layups when they beat our press and also got beat backdoor for easy buckets since we but a lot of pressure on the ball as well as off the ball, except for that I think we had a good first half defensively

What did head coach Lars Wendt give the team for advice at half-time?

We needed to stay patient and dont try to rush it. We were almost there but we knew and also didnt really expect to erase the lead at the end of the 3rd quarter. So just continuing step by step.

In the third quarter Orange Academy actually played well for the first few minutes outscoring Essen, but then came a 14-0 run by Essen which changed the game. You made drives and Ben Uzoma a big dunk. What was key in the run for Essen?

We started the 3rd quarter slowly which happend to us a couple of times during the season. But I think just hitting the switch, being more aggressive to the basket not necessarily settling for threes is what brought back the energy to the team and also to the crowd

Essen was up with 32 points with 10 minutes to play. Essen was in the drivers seat. Which player at this moment was a big motivator with words?

I think Marc Friederici was the one who found the right words in these kinds of situation during the whole season. He already played in the final the season before and has the experience to help the team

Essen began with a 10-2 run to lead 86-46. Now all Essen had to do was manage the lead to the buzzer. Essen then held Orange Academy minutes without scoring. Did you want it more than Orange Academy?

At that point in the season, having played already a lot of games and reaching the final both teams leave everything on the floor. I think it was also experience and having the crowd pushing you to go one step further was decisive.

Essen outscored Orange Academy 41-21 in the last half. Was this the best defense the team played in the season?

Yes, probably. Not even because we held them to 21 points, but also fighting every possession through every screen and for every ball

Essen held their 2 best scorers Joel Cwik and Namouri Omog to 8/28 shooting and 25 points. How much of a focus was the defense on slowing them down?

We had more of a team focused defense. At times we tried to take Cwik out of the game which worked more or less but we generally just tried to give nobody the space to feel comfortable.

Quarshawn Lane had an incredible 28/11/10 game. Did you sense going into the game that he could have a type of game of his life?

While Q had a big season anyways it was insane to see how he could just switch in to another gear in big moments so it was no surprise and i had no doubt he would deliver the way he did.

What was your fondest moment in the final in Essen against Orange Academy?

I couldn´t point out one moment it was just the whole gameday from the point of entering the gym, seeing the gym getting packed with a big crowd and having an incredible energy as a team

This was such a special season for the ETB Miners. Why was this team so special?

I think it just starts with the dedication everyone put in every single practice. While we did not have a certain target in mind we just worked hard every day to get better. And we had a great team chemistry which is really important

The team lost only 5 games during the regular season. Was their a game during the season where you then knew, we will win the whole thing?

No not really. Obviously as the season progesses your thinking about scenarios that could end up happening. But especially in the playoffs anything can happen so you got to stay humble and focused which we did

How vital was head coach Lars Wendt for the success? What was his biggest ability as a coach to be able to help bring success to the team?

The headcoach is always setting the tone from preseason on when the players are still getting to know each other which Lars did. And from there on he found a good balance of giving us strict instructions and just giving us the tools and letting the team create something on our own.

How special was it sharing the back court with Mychael Paulo? What part of his game will you always remember best?

Mychael was very vital for our team because he could create something out of nothing. And even though in some games he didn´t find the target from the beginning on, he could get hot really quick and start a run on his own.

How valuable was sniper guard Marc Friederici? What besides his scoring helped the team be successful?

As I said before Marc was very vocal during the whole season which, besides his game, made him very important for the team

How valuable were bigs Ben Uzoma and Niclas Sperber? What was each player´s biggest attribute for the success?

I mean Niclas was our captain and could share a lot of his experience with the younger guys. He his probably one of the most versatile players I played with and that was probably his biggest attribute. Whatever we needed from him, he could deliver.

With Ben it was just his pure strength and energy which gave us a mismatch in a lot of games on the big man position.

Which player was the most improved during the season?

I think Ben is the most improved player for us. From not having the summer he wanted to have due to injury and maybe having kind of a slow start, from there on he delivered every game with pure dominance.

Thanks Gabriel for the chat.

Versatile Jaedon LeDee Is A Rhythm Player That Should Continue His Explosive Game With The Kawasaki Brave Thunders

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Foto: Dmitrij Zibart | ZIBART.DE

That players get lost in the shuffle with a team isn´t any different for fans and others affiliated with basketball to lose track and memory of a player that once played for an organization. It wasn´t any different for Richard Williams who had a very short stay with the Frankfurt Skyliners in the 2014-2015 season. All in all he played only 9 games and stayed 5 months. His memory may be very minimal for people in Frankfurt, but not as a player overseas. He carved out a stellar and long career having played a total of 16 seasons including 9 seasons in Germany where he established himself as a top 3 point guard in the Pro A season in and season out. The 38 year old who had a great career at San Diego State University (NCAA) is still playing actively and played in Austria last season and currently was still content on continuing his overseas grind. The Frankfurt Skyliners hauled in American player Jaedon LeDee (206-F-1999, college: SDSU, agency: Slash Sports) for the 25-26 season who also had an incredible career like Williams at San Diego State University. Sometimes guys can remember guys who played at their school, but in the case of Ledee, he couldn´t remember about Williams´s history at his school. But then again, Ledee was only 6 years old when Williams was a freshman. It is somewhat unique that both have an association to each other. “I am not too familiar with that name, but once an Aztec always an Aztecs. It’s cool to have that connection. It sounds like he went to Germany and had an impact, which is what I am trying to do. I want to be able to put my imprint on things and be successful”, warned Jaedon LeDee during the summer of 2025. Ledee attempedt to carry the great SDSU tradition of players overseas with the Frankfurt Skyliners, but left during the season to play with the Liaoning Flying Leopards (China-CBA)

Jaedon LeDee who lists Michael Jordan as his GOAT was born on July 25th, 1999 in Houston. He began his basketball career at Kinkaid high school. He was an all-state selection from 2015-2019. He then began his NCAA career at Ohio State and played 26 games averaging 3.0ppg, 1.7rpg. He scored in double figures 3 times including 16 points against Purdue. Even if his NCAA career got off to a rocky start, he was able to gain positives from it. “You never forget your freshman year of college. I made friendships and bonds that will last me a lifetime. I didn’t play as much as I wanted to. There are certain things in life that you come across that can make you stronger, or you can fold. It is one of the experiences I have had that has helped strengthen my faith since I have already been through adversity. I try to find the positive in things. It helped make me stronger and helped me become a man”, warned Jaedon LeDee. His next stop was Texas Christian University in 2019 playing 2 seasons and a total of 53 games. He averaged 2.7ppg, 2.9rpg and 5.8ppg, 3.9rpg in his 2 seasons there. He had severe growing pains again there and just couldn´t find his game as he had to play center which wasn´t his natural position. “TCU was a unique spot as well. I was playing out of position with not as many minutes as I would have liked. It was another place I could have quit and thrown in the towel. I didn’t let it stop me, and I kept pushing. It was the second place I didn’t think I had the opportunity that I deserved. God is too good, and he put me there for a reason. A lot of things in life are mental, so I think those two experiences helped make me stronger”, stressed Jaedon LeDee who will never forget his 1-1 battles with teammate Nate Mansah. “Nate is my guy. I worked out with him this week in San Diego. We had two years of battling – my red-shirt year and the year we played together. I love him to death, and he is a great guy. Nate is a great defender. I like to pride myself on offensive scoring. I like to play defense as well, but Nate is a great defender. We both got better in our battles”, stressed Jaedon LeDee.

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The forward who lists Desmond Bane (TCU), Matthew Bradley (SDSU), Aguek Arop (SDSU), Kendrick Davis (AAU team in high school), and Nathan Mensah (SDSU) as his 5 best teammates of all-time then made another change and then finally 3 was a charm as he joined San Diego State University. His first season was like a Cinderella story as he helped the school reach the Final 4 and the final averaging 7.8ppg, 5.1rpg, FGP: 50.5%, FT: 71.9% in that season. The 2023 NCAA run was incredible. The back to back tight wins over Creighton and FAU were unforgettable. Did he know that Lamont Butler´s shot at the buzzer would go in and beat FAU? “The NCAA run was a great experience. We fought all the way back in that game. I made a few buckets prior to Lamont’s shot. It was one of those moments that was almost magical. Lamont came down and hit that shot. He had made that shot many times before in practice. It was an awesome feeling, and I’m glad we were able to experience that as a team. It’s once in a lifetime for a lot of people, so I am glad we all got to experience that together”, stated Jaedon LeDee. In his second season, he really propelled his game to a new level averaging 21.7ppg, 8.3rpg, 1.3apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 57.5%, 3PT: 43.2%, FT: 73.4%. Were these 2 years some of the best times in his life? “Reaching the NCAA finals was an amazing experience. It’s something most college players never get to, so I am very grateful for that. It was in Houston, where my family lives and where I grew up, which made it even more special. My last year at San Diego State was also great. It was the first time in college I felt I was able to showcase my game as a whole and be me. Basketball was going well, and I had a great season. I was happy with my role, and when basketball is going well, everything else seems to be good too”, remembered Jaedon LeDee. In his senior year he scored in double figures in all 35 games and had 11 double doubles. He scored 20 points or more in 23 games including great games against SJSU and Washington. Did he have a favorite game? “ I wouldn’t put any game over the next. I am a very nonchalant guy. I take the business approach to basketball – it’s just another day in the office. I try not to overthink or overanalyze what we do. I just know we have to perform and be professional”, warned Jaedon LeDee. His game made great strides in his 2 years in San Diego and is thankful for the instrumental support by head coach Brian Dutcher. “I think how we do things at SDSU is very professional. I’m not sure what things are like overseas yet, but Coach Dutch is huge on developing us as men. We will go in, but we won’t practice long. Everything is with intention. He believes that if you want to be great, you have to come in outside of practice and put in the hours. As a professional, you have all this time to do things outside of practice and in life. Success depends on whether you choose to come in and do your job outside of required practice times”, commented Jaedon LeDee. He picked up many awards his senior year including All-MWC First Team -2024, MWC All-Tournament Team -2024, NABC Division I All-Americans Second Team -2024, NABC Division I All-District 17 First Team -2024, Sporting News All-America Second Team -2024, USBWA All-America Honorable Mention -2024, ESPN.com All-America Breakout Star -2024, ESPN.com All-America Third Team -2024, Jersey Mike’s Naismith Player of the Year Semifinalist -2024, NCAA East Region All-Tournament Team -2024, and the John R. Wooden Award All-American Team -2024

The Texas native who lists his NBA Mount Rushmore with guys Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Kobe Bryant played NBA Summer League with the Minnesota Timberwolves averaging 2.6ppg, 2.0rpg and then split his rookie season with the Iowa Wolves (NBA G League) averaging 6.8ppg, 5.3rpg, FGP: 53.7%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 82.8%, in Feb.’25 signed at Salt Lake City Stars (NBA G League) averaging 4.1ppg, 5.4rpg. Every player has their rookie wake up call and it wasn´t any different for him either. “The wake-up call for me that I was not at San Diego State anymore on the basketball side was opportunity. At a certain point, everyone can play and everyone is good. The biggest thing is opportunity – who gets it? G-League teams have guys who they have already drafted and are paying a lot of money. It’s not always who is better than who. I think I woke up to the business side of things the most this year. I try to control what I can control, and when I am on the court, I try to let my game do the talking for me”, warned Jaedon LeDee. He played for head coach Ernst Scott with Iowa. With him he had another Germany connection as Scott played with Trier back in the day. “Coach E was a great guy. He was a straight shooter as well. He was always honest and helped us be the best players we could be. In Summer League and Iowa, he tried to help us become better men and better players. I have nothing but love for Coach E”, said Jaedon LeDee. He averaged 17 minutes with Iowa and 12 minutes with Salt Lake City per game. It is always tough having to compete with everyone else and the minutes What did he do mentally and physically to give himself the best NBA chance on a daily basis? “I tried to control what I can control. Some things are out of my control. I know the coaches and organization has certain things they have to do. The only thing I have to do is come in every day and work. When my opportunity did come, I was able to produce. I am pretty sure that when I got a lot of minutes and a bigger opportunity, I had a double-double or almost a double-double each game. The only thing I can control is my attitude, my effort, and how I perform in my minutes while staying professional”, expressed Jaedon LeDee. Is the NBA still a realistic goal for him? “Of course. I am going with the flow now. Europe is where I am going now. Life cannot be predicted as much as we may want to as human beings. God is in change. I am just going to be the best I can be every day, let my talent, God, and all the work I have put in take me where it needs to take me. I just try to be the best person I can be”, warned Jaedon LeDee.

He began his second pro season and with German easyCredit BBL team Frankfurt Skyliners. Some players will stay in the G-League 2-3 years before heading overseas. But then some guys will come overseas quicker than others. “The main reason is opportunity. I gave it a year. It was my first year out of college. I am fortunate to have had many people who have played and continue to play professionally in the NBA and overseas in my life. I have been able to go off their guidance and listen to what they have said. I feel like going overseas presents a large opportunity for me. I didn’t have the biggest opportunity in the G-League, so I wanted to be somewhere where I could continue to develop, improve my game, and showcase my skills. I gave the NBA a year, and if it’s meant to be later, it’s meant to be”, added Jaedon LeDee. He was excited for a new challenge in Germany and heard only positive things. I’ve heard good things about Germany through my friends who have traveled there and a few people who have played basketball in Germany. I’ve heard great things, like how westernized it is and how it should be an easy transition from what I am used to in the US. With regards to basketball, I know there are a few German players in the NBA; they have had success in the Olympics as well. I’ve talked to a few guys who were on the Skyliners last year and others who have played in the BBL. Everyone says it’s a great league with good competition and a great place to be”, said Jaedon LeDee. He knew that the Skyliners would be an organization where he would know exactly what he could do to make an impact. “My agent brought the opportunity to me, and after I talked to the coach and another representative from the team, I felt I would have a chance to come and be me with minutes to play. I felt I would have the opportunity to come in and change things around. The role and opportunity were really important to me, especially coming from the G-League, where my opportunity was not consistent. I know the importance of opportunity, and if you get the opportunity, you have to make the best of it”, said Jaedon LeDee. He couldn´t of picked a better coach to work with than Klaus Perwas in his first season overseas. “The talks with the Coach went well. We had a great conversation about what my role would be and what I would bring to the team. He was very straightforward, and I really appreciated his honesty. I did not know he was a part of the German staff, which is pretty cool. I have only heard good things about him as a coach and I felt good about our conversation when we spoke”, added Jaedon LeDee,

So what kind of a player did the Frankfurt Skyliners get in Jaedon LeDee who didn´t watch Coming to America 2, because he didn´t like the age gap as Eddie Murphy was very young in the first Coming to America, so he thought it might be weird seeing him so much older in a similar role. One thing was for sure. He won´t be 1-dimensional, but moreover a guy like a Rasheed Moore who could have had versatility as his middle name. “I think my game is kind of unique. It’s one of the things I pride myself on. I am very versatile – I can dribble, I can shoot, I can pass, I can score, rebound, and defend – I can do it all. People I watched growing up were Julius Randal and Carmelo Anthony. I liked to watch them, because they were stronger and bigger guys who can do it all. They can score inside and outside and play make. My favorite player is Michael Jordan. I watched him a lot growing up too. I try to take pieces from each of their games and make it my own”, warned Jaedon LeDee. Coach Perwas described him as a physical player that has an unbelievable will to win. Was that will cultivated mostly at SDSU (NCAA) or did he already have that before that? “I have always been a competitor. The basis of any sport or anything in life is your will to compete and go hard. My family has instilled that in me at a young age. I played football growing up, and I hate losing. I never want to lose. I think that is where it comes from. I try to be the best I can be when I step foot on the court and be the best I can be off the court as well”, said Jaedon LeDee. His three pointer still seems to be a work in progress. He shot 43% in his last season at SDSU, but in the G-League under 30%. He went on to shoot 22% from outside with Frankfurt “My three-pointer is something I want to keep working on. I am a rhythm player – I score in bunches. I wouldn’t say I’m a straight-out three-point shooter. I like to mix it up. I drive, get to the rim, get offensive rebounds, and shoot the mid-range really well. Once I am in rhythm, that’s where, if I get a three, I’ll knock it down. When I was shooting in the high 40s at SDSU, my opportunity was so great that once I was in rhythm, I would knock them down. Any shot felt good. Once I get rolling, I will hit 7/10 threes once I get a feel for things. In the G-League, I was put in a role where I was not touching the ball much and playing off others. That was an adjustment. The teams I was on really only wanted three’s, which was a different role I had to adjust to. Going 5 minutes straight without touching the ball and then having to shoot a three is not the easiest job in the world”, stated Jaedon LeDee. But he planned not only making an impact on the offensive end, but also on the defensive end. “I always want to keep growing and getting better, but I think I am a very good defender. At SDSU, we switched 1 through 5. Pretty much every team I have been on has switched 1 through 5, keeping a body in front of a body, keeping a man in front of a man. If everyone can guard and guard every position, it makes a team every position. That is who I am on the defensive side – I can switch 1 through 5 and compete”, warned Jaedon LeDee. He continued to work very hard in the gym so he could be his best version when the season started. “My mindset is to leave no stone unturned. I like to work on everything in my game. There are things I put emphasis on, like getting a lot of reps on the three. I work on everything every day because you play different teams that have different scouts, and they give you different looks. If someone is one-dimensional, it’s easier to guard you. If you can do everything, how can they stop you? I work on post work, guard work, inside-outside – keeping everything tight”, stressed Jaedon LeDee. Unfortunately Ledee left the club for China instead of remaining with the Skyliners to finish the season. He averaged 17.8ppg, 9.5rpg, 1.0spg, FGP: 57.3%, 3PT: 22.2%, FT: 72.9% and won some games for Frankfurt with his individual class. One has to wonder if the Skyliners would have made the playoffs with his services. They surely would have had a good chance winning some of the close games they lost in the last month. It wasn´t a classy move from him to go, but basketball is a business and sometimes a club will get the short end of the rod. The Skyliners surely learned from this experience as did LeDee. It will be interesting to see how LeDee´s career continues. He may have gotten the big bucks in the far east now, but will surely be back in Europe again soon to display his versatile game.

Jonathan Almstedt Was Thrilled To Win His First Pro Title But Even More Grateful That He Is Allowed To Play The Game Professionally

pic credit: Lukas Steppkes(@n1cecontent

Jonathan Almstedt (208-C-1999) is a 26 year old 208cm center that completed the 2025-2026 season with the ETB Miners Essen (ProB) averaging 8.0ppg, 5.1rpg, FGP: 53.8%, 3PT: 38.2%, FT: 57.6% and helped the team win the Pro B title. He has previous Pro A experience having played 3 seasons with the ROMERSTROM Gladiators Trier (ProA) playing a total of 89 games. Previously he played 2 seasons with SG DJK Saarlouis-Roden/BBF Dillingen (Regionalliga). In the 2023-2024 season he played with the Iserlohn Kangaroos (ProB) averaging 6.0ppg, 4.5rpg, FGP: 52.0%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 84.2% and in the 2024-2025 season played with the EN Baskets Schwelm (ProB) averaging 12.0ppg, 6.0rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 68.8%, 3PT: 29.1%, FT: 57.9%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after helping win the Pro B title

Thanks Jonathan for talking to germanhoops.com. Your 2026 Pro B champion. How good does it feel? Is this your personal biggest achievement as a player?

Thank you for having me. It feels great obviously and yes basketball wise this is my biggest achievement so far.

Essen lost game 1 by 36 points and won game 2 by 41 points. Many are saying this is the greatest comeback in German basketball. How special do you rate this massive comeback?

It was definitely a very special game. Was it the greatest comeback in German Basketball history? I don’t know…it was definitely a big one and I´m happy that I was on the winning site on this one. Now when I think of it, we once came back from a 20 deficit in just one quarter when I was in Trier against Leverkusen and that was also a special one.

Did you ever have doubts the last years of ever winning a title in your career?

There were phases when thoughts like that came up, but there was never the ultimate goal to win a title. For sure I had the wish to play in a successful team and be a contender for the championship and promotion. But like I said I never pictured myself winning a title or something like that, I’m just grateful that I’m able and allowed to play professionally and that we won it all this season is even better.

What was the team feeling after the horrible 107-71 loss at Orange Academy? How much soul searching did the team do the days following?

Well, what can I say…of course it was pretty quiet on the 7 hour bus ride back to Essen and everybody needed some time to process what just happened. But from the next day on, we all knew that it’s not over until it’s over and if they can do that at home we can do the same in our gym. So, all in all there wasn’t that much “soul searching”. There was nothing we could have changed, that’s why we focused on what we could to better keep the title in our gym.

How key was head coach Lars Wendt? How did he help the team most in the days leading up to game 2?

I mean what do you want to do if you lose by 36 in the first game. All he could do was fix the strategy and find some solutions to what went wrong and how we can put them under so much pressure that they might struggle as well. Besides that, he gave his best to keep the moral up and make us believe that we can still do it and I would say the result speaks for itself.

How quickly did the team know that game 2 would see only half of Orange Academy as all the talented youth players wouldn´t play because they were attending the NBBL Top 4 in Berlin?

To be honest we knew before game 1 that there is a chance that half of the team would play the NBBL Top4 in Berlin that weekend, but of course we didn’t know rather they would make it to the final or not. So that’s why we needed to wait until they played their semifinal and after that we knew that they might not come with their full roster. However, that didn’t influence how we prepared for the second game.

Any other team could have underestimated Orange Academy. Why didn´t Essen?

We never underestimated any team during the whole season, and I think that’s already the answer. The coaches did a great job preparing us for our opponents, it didn’t matter rather they were lower or higher placed in the table.

What was the focus of Essen going in? I mean did you have a plan how you would come back through out a 40 minute game so you would have more than 36 points?

Keep the pressure up, Fight and All Out until we have those 40 points. There is really nothing else you can do when you go into a Game with a 36 points deficit.

The team began well and led 53-32 at the break. Essen was playing well offensively, but still had to do more on the defensive end. What wasn´t functioning as well so far on the defensive end through the first 20 minutes?

Leading by twenty at halftime. That’s pretty much what you want if you must make up 40 points. Of course, we could have been a bit more consequent in defense and be up by a little more, but if you go all out for twenty minutes its normal that you have some minutes where the opponents get a little momentum.

What did head coach Lars Wendt give the team for advice at half-time?

To be honest I can´t say much about that, because our doc and I changed my cast (I had to wear one because I got myself a lymphangitis in between the two games) during the halftime (haha)

In the third quarter Orange Academy actually played well for the first few minutes outscoring Essen, but then came a 14-0 run by Essen which changed the game. You made drives and Ben Uzoma a big dunk. What was key in the run for Essen?

I can´t say much to that either. Because, like I said, I did not play due to my injury.
It just took us a couple minutes to get back to that intensity especially in defense. But after this short low I think the guys did a tremendous job by not letting them score in the paint and collect the rebounds to go and score quick on the other side of the court.

Essen was up with 32 points with 10 minutes to play. Essen was in the drivers seat. Which player at this moment was a big motivator with words?

I think Marc Friederici is our guy in those moments to speak up and make sure that we really keep going until the last second is played. He was our emotional Leader and on the other hand we have Nic Sperber with all of his experience and calmness, who knows how to stay cool in those situations to make the right decisions. Those two, that’s why they are our captains, are probably the perfect combination for those kinds of games.

Essen began with a 10-2 run to lead 86-46. Now all Essen had to do was manage the lead to the buzzer. Essen then held Orange Academy minutes without scoring. Did you want it more than Orange Academy?

I´m sure Ulm wanted it as much as we wanted it. But I think they were just out of gas at this point and kind of stunned by how we played them. Furthermore we didn’t want them now to take what we worked so hard for the last 35 minutes of this game and the whole season before that, as well at home in our gym and in front of our fans and families. We worked too hard to lose at that point.

Essen outscored Orange Academy 41-21 in the last half. Was this the best defense the team played in the season?

I don’t know if this was our best defense we played in the whole season, but it was a really good one and probably the most important one.

Essen held their 2 best scorers Joel Cwik and Namouri Omog to 8/28 shooting and 25 points. How much of a focus was the defense on slowing them down?

I´m not a big analyst of games I have to say, but yes in the end it was probably one of those keys to success to slow those two guys down and maybe let others create, who are not used to create for the team.

Quashawn Lane saved his best for last with a 28/11/10 game. Where would the Miners have been without him?

I don’t want to imagine that and the good thing it and I don’t have to. Q played a hell of a season and is/was the ultimate Teammate. Words can´t tell how much I and the team appreciated what he has done for us. That’s why he is the MVP and he deserves it. But I also have to tell that we had an amazing group this year all the way from the starting 5 to the bench and beyond. Everybody gave his all into the Team so that we were able to reach the ultimate goal. Nobody could have done that alone.

What was your fondest moment in Essen against Orange Academy?

Probably the celebrations on court after the game, when we all realized that we really did it.

Thanks Jonathan for the chat.

Mychael Paulo Believes That The ETB Miners Essen Were So Special Because Nobody Cared Who Shined But All Were Happy Seeing The Other Eat

pic credit: N1cecontent

Mychael Paulo (193-G-1998, college: McMaster, agency: 011 Sports) is a 28 year old 193cm guard from Canada that also has the Portuguese citizenship. He helped the ETB Miners Essen (Germany-ProB) win the pro B title averaging 12,8ppg, 4,4rpg, 2,6apg and 1,3spg. He began his basketball career at Father Henry Carr Secondary School and then played 2 seasons with Williston State College (JUCO) averaging 15.4ppg, 3.4rpg, 1.9apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 38.1%, FT: 75.9% and 11.4ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.2apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 40.6%, 3PT: 28.1%, FT: 69.4%. he then played a season at Montana State University (NCAA) averaging 6.2ppg, 1.9rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 46.3%, 3PT: 32.9%, FT: 60.0%. He then played at McMaster University (U Sports) averaging 13.3ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.4apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 51.9%, 3PT: 31.2%, FT: 75.0% and 13.1ppg, 3.5rpg, 3.3apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 55.5%, 3PT: 29.3%, FT: 65.0%. He then began his pro career with the Telekom Baskets Bonn 2 team (Germany-Regionalliga) averaging 24.6ppg, 4.2rpg, APG-4 (5.1), 2.5spg, FGP: 50.8%, 3PT: 36.0%, FT: 75.5%. In the 2024-2025, he played with BG Hagen (Germany-Regionalliga) averaging 19.0ppg, 3.7rpg, 3.3apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 59.2%, 3PT: 36.6%, FT: 81.8%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after helping win the 2026 Pro B title.

Thanks Mychael for talking to germanhoops.com. Your 2026 Pro B champion. How good does it feel? Is this your personal biggest achievement as a player?

It was a surreal feeling, words couldn’t describe how I felt during the moment. During my 3 year professional career this was definitely my biggest achievement as a player

Essen lost game 1 by 36 points and won game 2 by 41 points. Many are saying this is the greatest comeback in German basketball. How special do you rate this massive comeback?

I don’t know much about previous Pro B final games, but me personally I think it’s the greatest comeback ever. This game will be talked about for years to come and motivate teams.

What was the team feeling after the horrible 107-71 loss at Orange Academy? How much soul searching did the team do the days following?

A lot of soul searching was had in between game 1 & 2. We know we didn’t play our best game and got embarrassed and knew that couldn’t happen again.

How key was head coach Lars Wendt? How did he help the team most in the days leading up to game 2?

He helped keep us level headed and reassured us we can still win the championship, it won’t be easy but we can do it.

How quickly did the team know that game 2 would see only half of Orange Academy as all the talented youth players wouldn´t play because they were attending the NBBL Top 4 in Berlin?

We didn’t know until minutes leading up to the game, but our mindset/game plan was still the same no matter who was out there on the court playing

Any other team could have underestimated Orange Academy. Why didn´t Essen?

We understood that they were a really good team regardless of who was playing for them or they wouldn’t have been in the finals.

What was the focus of Essen going in? I mean did you have a plan how you would come back through out a 40 minute game so you would have more than 36 points?

The focus going into game 2 was try to win each quarter by 10 points. We also wanted to muck the game up by blitzing ball screens, full court pressing and trapping whenever we saw fit. Giving us as much possessions as possible

The team began well and led 53-32 at the break. Essen was playing well offensively, but still had to do more on the defensive end. What wasn´t functioning as well so far on the defensive end through the first 20 minutes?

In the first half we had a couple errors on our transition defense and not getting back plus we gave them some easy points at the free throw line not being disciplined.

What did head coach Lars Wendt give the team for advice at half-time?

He said we’re right where we need to be heading into the second. We just need to stop fouling which is giving them easy points at the free throw line and we need to do a better job getting back on defense because that was the only way they were scoring on us that game.

In the third quarter Orange Academy actually played well for the first few minutes outscoring Essen, but then came a 14-0 run by Essen which changed the game. You made drives and Ben Uzoma a big dunk. What was key in the run for Essen?

Just keeping our composure and understanding that basketball is a game of runs and that was theirs.

Essen was up with 32 points with 10 minutes to play. Essen was in the drivers seat. Which player at this moment was a big motivator with words?

Both our team captains, Marc Friederici and Niclas Sperber. They told us not to let up and keep our foots on their necks.

Essen began with a 10-2 run to lead 86-46. Now all Essen had to do was manage the lead to the buzzer. Essen then held Orange Academy minutes without scoring. Did you want it more than Orange Academy?

I believe we wanted it more than Orange Academy, during the game we sensed that they were just not trying to lose by more than 36 and we took advantage of that.

Essen outscored Orange Academy 41-21 in the last half. Was this the best defense the team played in the season?

This was one of the better defensive games we played together as a team but we had a couple of defensive outputs like this throughout the season.

Essen held their 2 best scorers Joel Cwik and Namouri Omogto 8/28 shooting and 25 points. How much of a focus was the defense on slowing them down?

Our defensive game plan is always to try and neutralize the opposing team’s best scorer or playmaker. So during the game 2 of the finals it was no different because we know if we minimize their touch’s it’s going to very hard for any team to beat us.

Quarshawn Lane had an incredible 28/11/10 game. Did you sense going into the game that he could have a type of game of his life?

The MVP did MVP things. Q has been giving us big games like this all season long.

What was your fondest moment in the final in Essen against Orange Academy?

The sounding buzzer after the game and celebrating the victory with my teammates and our amazing fans who showed up to support us.

This was such a special season for the ETB Miners. Why was this team so special?

I believe this team was so special because we didn’t care who shined, we were all happy to see the other person eat and enjoyed playing and hanging out with one another

Thanks Mychael for the chat.