Nate Britt (185-PG-94, college: UNC) is a 27 year old 185cm guard from Washington DC that complated his 4th professional season with the wiha Panthers Villingen-Schwenningen (Germany-ProA) playing 29 games averaging 13.2ppg, 3.9rpg, 5.4apg, Steals-1 (2.2spg), FGP: 43.7%, 3PT: 35.1%, FT: 80.9%. Last season he played with Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus-OPAP Basket League) playing 21 games averaging 14.5ppg, 4.1rpg, 3.6apg, Steals-5 (1.8spg), FGP: 42.8%, 3PT: 25.4%, FT: 77.5%. He began his basketball career at Gonzaga College High School and also played a year at the very well known Oak Hill Academy. He then had a stellar NCAA career at North Carolina winning the 2017 NCAA title and reaching the final in 2016. After finishing at North Carolina, he played NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, NV (Atlanta Hawks) averaging 1.7ppg, 1.7apg. He then began his professional basketball career with the Glasgow Rocks (United Kingdom-BBL) playing 25 games averaging 11.7ppg, 3.7rpg, 3.6apg, Steals-5 (1.8spg), FGP: 41.2%, 3PT: 26.8%, FT: 81.5%. In 2018-2019 he began with Panionios ON Telecoms Athens (Greece-A1) and finished with the: Boca Juniors (Argentina-La Liga) playing 10 games averaging 3.7ppg, 1.9rpg, 1.2apg. He spoke to germanhoops.com after his season in Germany.

Nate thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is
COVID-19 life treating you?

I am currently still in Villingen-Schwenningen. Our team was infected with Covid-19 so I
just finished my quarantine and I’m looking to make my way back to the states soon. We
ended up missing our last two games of the playoffs. Can’t say Covid has been very kind to
me recently.

What a crazy year it has been with COVID-19. How tough was it for you personally in this
season dealing with the challenges of the pandemic and trying to live a normal life on and
off the court?

It has been crazy! As players we had to adapt and adjust in ways we never had to before.
This season we had a total of three games canceled that were not made up. We also had a
few games rescheduled. It can be tough to prepare for a team all week and one day before
the game, it gets rescheduled, and then the game is potentially replaced with another
opponent in short notice. Off the court was even harder. Our team did our best not to do
anything beyond what was needed to avoid any contact with the virus. This took away the
experience of being abroad and indulging in new culture and experiences. We spent the
majority of our free time in our apartments.

The Pro A season for the wiha Panthers ended abruptly on account of 8 people of the
organization testing positive for Corona. Did you ever have a feeling during the season that
something like this could happen?

I did believe that we may miss a game or two from someone in our organization catching
Covid-19 but never the way it happened. We went the entire regular season without testing
positive for Covid-19. It’s still unbelievable to me that we caught the virus right before our
last two playoff games.

How disappointed were you with how the season ended? What was your first feeling when
you heard 8 guys had been tested positive and the season was over?

I was very disappointed! I believe we would’ve won our last two games which would’ve
put us in a position to finish in the top two of our group.

How can one honestly rate a season like this where there were so many road blocks for
every team in the league?

It’s hard to give a completely fair rating. Some teams had back-to-back cases of covid,
which put all preparations on hold. The situation made it extremely hard for teams to build
momentum and sustain it. The season came down to which teams could do the best job
dealing with adversity and adjusting to the complications of Covid-19.

The club played a very solid season. Despite all the drama with COVID-19 how pleased
were you with the season the team played?

The is the first time this club has ever been to the play-offs at this level. No one predicted
us going that far. We played many games at a high level. We had players get hurt and miss
games but we still found a way to compete and win games. I’m extremely proud of my
team and our determination this season!

The club lost 3 of 4 games in the post season. Was the team physically a little tired at the
end in order to sustain more power to win games?

I don’t think tired is the proper term for the time. It’s the end of the season so every team is
tired and dealing with some nagging injuries. I think we were worn down. We had two of
our best players get hurt during the playoffs. Both injuries were too serious to play through.
We didn’t have the depth to afford that kind of loss, especially at their positions. I believe
that is what hurt us the most.

How correct was it releasing Shaun Willet and bringing in Courtney Stockard? Once again
head coach Alen Velcic had the right move up his sleeve.

It’s not my position to determine whether Coach Velcic’s decision was right or wrong. The
situation of Shaun leaving the team worked out for both parties. We picked up Courtney
and later clinched the playoffs. Shaun moved on to another club and won the
championship.

Despite all the problems COVID-19 brought to the team and how it finished what positives
can you take from this season?

The first positive is that we made it to the playoffs. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get to
finish because I still liked and was confident in our chances. Throughout the season we
improved tremendously. Towards the final games of the regular season I believe every
team knew we were the most dangerous team to face.

Let’s talk about your teammates. How much of a joy was it playing with Courtney
Stockard? Apparently he has numerous offers from BBL teams.

I really enjoyed playing with Courtney. He knows how to play the game. Courtney is a big
guard with the athleticism to get anywhere he wants on the court. He is a serious problem
in transition and he’s an outside threat. He understands what he does well and he executes
those things. That made my job a lot easier as a point guard. His talent level is well beyond
Pro A. We were very lucky to have landed him at all.

Chris Frazier said this about you. ‘Nate is probably the best PG I’ve played with. He can do
a little bit of everything, wherever you need him he can fill that void. I didn’t ask for to many
NC stories because I’m sure he is tired of telling them over and over again’. What did you
learn to appreciate most about his game?

Chris can shoot the cover off the ball. He shoots it well in any situation: spot-up, on the
move and off the bounce. When you have a specialist like Chris on your team and he’s
given the opportunity to do what he does, he can be extremely hard to stop. Chris always
gave 100 percent on both ends of the court. That’s a skill not many players have. I
appreciate those parts of his game the most.

How did you see the development of German Jonas Niedermanner? He continued to make
new strides in the Pro A.

Jonas has a ton of potential. He has a strong build and he’s super athletic. He can be deadly
from 3 point and tough to contest when going downhill to the basket. He’s also very very
active on defense. I saw this in the first week of us practicing together. His ceiling is really
high. He made improvements throughout the season but I wasn’t surprised. It’s only a
matter of time before he really puts it together to be a really great player.

Of all your teammates who do you feel was the most improved?

In my opinion Felix Edwardson was the most improved guy on our team. He adjusted to what our
coaching staff asked of him and he learned what ways he could most affect the game. Once
he figured that out he consistently executed in those areas. It really hurt us when he got
injured late in the season.

Let’s talk about your game. You averaged 13,2 ppg, 3,9rpg, 5,4apg and 2,2apg while
shooting 35% from outside. How content were you with your own game?

I’ve never been too big on numbers. I know they are important for measuring output in
certain aspects of the game but I’m more concerned with the picture and my impact on
getting teams to reach its highest potential. I feel I got the most out of my teammates and I
led us to a winning season. I’m very proud of myself for those achievements, but I’m never
content!

You stated to me last summer that your game in the half court, enduring physicality and
rebounding improved in Cyprus. How do you feel did your game make new strides in
Germany?

Statistically, I shot a better percentage this season but I knew that was going to happen as
the comfortability of my shooting hand increased and I was able to take better quality
shots. I credit the latter to my teammates and their level of play.
More importantly, I was able to learn specifically where I can really affect the game and
find those opportunities within a system.

You made a massive jump with your outside shot. How do you believe did you profit most
from Alen Velcic’s system that allowed you shoot at a higher clip?

We had guys who know when to move the ball and are good at finding the open guy. That
allowed me to get more spot-up 3 point shots. Coach Velcic also valued my prowess in the
pick and roll so he gave me the opportunities to make plays that way. I was able to knock
down some 3’s there too…both situations gave me good quality 3 point looks.

You play defense with a lot of heart and passion and it showed it Germany. How do you
feel did your defensive game grow in the Pro A?

I take pride in all of my match-ups, which includes being able to contain and stop
whomever I’m guarding each game. This league has a lot of great competition. There were
no days off at the point guard position. The better competition helped me to grow even
more as a defensive player. I gained more experience picking up on individual and team
tendencies.

What is the next step for you? You won’t be returning to Schwenningen. Would you like to take a
new challenge in Germany or will you go elsewhere?

I‘m not sure. I’m open to everything. I did my work this season and now I’m just trusting the
process. I have the goal in mind of where I want to be a few steps down the line but the
route to getting there will happen as it should. This part of the career is out of my control.
Now is the time for off-season preparation.

Who was the toughest guard that you faced in the Pro A this season?

That’s a tough question. There are a lot of talented guards in the league. Much respect to all
the guards in the league. My favorite guard in the league is probably Haris Hujic from Leverkusen.
He is really poised, and affects the game in many different ways. He really picked us apart
at Leverkusen.

On what areas of your game will you be working on most this summer to continue to
improve your game?

I want to continue to work on the physicality aspect of my game. I was able to get a lot of
paint touches which allowed me to pick up fouls. Eventually I stopped getting those calls. I
want to be more creative adjusting to that situation. Shooting can always get better no
matter the percentage. I want to watch film and be more prepared for in-season
adjustments. I have a lot of tools in my bag and I want to be more comfortable applying
different ones at different times.

Chris Paul recently passed Magic Johnson for fifth all-time in assists. Where do you rank
him with the best point guards all-time despite never having won a ring?

I hate to include championships in these kind of arguments. I think CP3 is the best point
guard of this era without question. He performed well on different teams, in both
conferences. He’s been playing at a high level for a long time. All-time, I’d say he is
definitely behind Magic and maybe behind Stockton, but no further.

How have you seen the development of Boston Celtic Jayson Tatum? He has scored 50
plus points this season and recently 60. Where will his journey go as a player in the next
years?

I played against Tatum in college. He has the potential to be a superstar. That’s about all
you can get out of me about a Dukie. LOL!

Dino Radja recently said he couldn’t see Russell Westbrook leading a team in Europe to
success. Do you agree?

Russ would kill Europe! He might not fit in every Euro coaches ‘system’ but he’d dominate.
He plays with an extremely high motor and he’s athletically superior to most.

Draymond Green recently said he is the best defender of all-time. Do you agree?

NO. He’s a great defender. There just needs to be more longevity before I’d agree to him
being the best of all-time.

Have you seen the Coming to America sequel? It has had mixed reviews. Shouldn’t they
just have left it alone?

I have not seen it. I don’t want to ruin my image of the movie. It’s been too long since the
first movie. I honestly think they should’ve left it alone.

Thanks Nate for the chat.