Mike Nwabuzor (188-G, college: NMHU) is a 188cm guard from Lakewood, California that been a part of three professional season last playing briefly for Crailsheim Merlins 2 as Covid stopped his season in 2020. In 2019-2020 he played for Regionalliga team BG Dorsten playing 3 games averaging 21.3ppg, 7.0rpg, 6.0apg, 3.3spg As a rookie for BG Dorsten he put up massive stats averaging 22,2ppg, 8,2rpg, 5,6apg and 2,5spg. He scored 20 points or more 19 times and had an incredible 43 points against Hagen-Haspe. He also produced a triple double against Dortmund with 27 points, 12 boards and 10 assists as a rookie. He played at three schools with Central.Arizona JC (JUCO)UTRGV (NCAA) and finished at N.Mexico Highlands (NCAA2) playing 28 games averaging 12.7ppg, 4.4rpg, 3.5apg, FGP: 45.2%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 80.3%. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

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


I appreciate the interview. I am currently at home and the basketball is treating me well, I can’t complain.

The 2021-2022 Regionalliga season has started, but you haven’t surfaced anywhere. For me that is tough to believe. How tough is it at the moment not having a team?

It’s tough not having a home to start the season but I know that God has a bigger plan for me and I just have to stay the course and be ready when that time comes.

We spoke in April 2019 after your successful rookie season in Dorsten. If someone had told you then that you would play only 4 games in the next two seasons what would you have thought?

It’s crazy because in life you always have a plan of how things will go and you are hit with curveballs. You either adjust or get left behind. After having the season I had that year, I thought I would be in a much different position right now but because I’m not, I’m hungrier to get to where I belong.

The 2019-2020 season was already tough you didn’t sign until January 2020. Why didn’t you just resign with BG Dorsten in the summer of 2019?

I didn’t resign because I had a very successful season that year and I believed it was time for me to move up to Pro B. I was also promised different deals that never came through which ultimately led to me continuing to decline the Dorsten re-sign until it was my only option.

How have you experienced COVID in the last year and a half? What were the most challenging things that you had to deal with on and off the court?

Luckily , I haven’t experienced Covid and I have been blessed with good health. On the court, the toughest aspect is not having control over problems caused by Covid. Seasons getting cancelled, being sent home out of your control, etc. Off the court, the biggest challenge was continuing to keep going. It’s tough working out for months and not being able to display what you’ve worked hard to improve on because of things out of your control.

With everything that you dealt with off the court how did COVID make you stronger as a man?

This whole pandemic has built me up as a man mentally more than physically. I feel like it’s not much that can phase me in this life after what we have been through. I learned that regardless of circumstances, you have to keep going because when everything blows over, nobody will feel sorry for you. World just keeps going so you have to keep going.

Then you signed with Crailsheim 2 and played one game and then the season ended. How tough was life then mentally having to sit out the season?

It was tough because I felt like a I had a really good summer of improving on specifics that I needed to improve on and I didn’t get a chance to showcase it. Coming home and having to get right back into basically an off-season was tough but I’ve found a love and satisfaction on improving daily whether I’m working towards a season or not.

You were the leader on that Crailsheim 2 team and had many young Germans. How often did you think about where the journey of that team could have gone to?

We had a lot of young but talented guys that played hard. We were also very well coached and disciplined. We won our first game and we didn’t even play up to our potential so I believe we could’ve accomplished more than we even imagined.

Why didn’t you resign with Crailsheim 2? It seems like you have unfinished business there?

I didn’t resign because they went down a division and I want to continue to elevate divisions every year that I play.

Do you feel like your development suffered the last two years? What did you try to do best in the last two seasons to help your game progress despite not playing games?

If anything I feel like I developed even more than I would playing because I was able to be in the gym at home, have access to workout multiple times a day and work on all my weaknesses that I would continuously see on opposing team’s scouting reports. I have been able to play in multiple Pro-Ams and leagues while I have been home to keep me in good game shape.

On what area’s of your game did you work on most during COVID in hopes of continuing to improve your game?

My jump shot is something that will always be the focal point of my training so that’s a given. If you can’t shoot you can’t play this game at a high level. I made it a point to continue to watch film and work on mastering pick and roll reads as well.

You showed in the Regionalliga that you are a lethal scorer that can fill the stat sheet. You would love to give the Pro B level a shot. Please explain why you could help any team right now?

Man the things I can do for a team.. I believe that I can do pretty much everything at that guard spot, it’s shown and proven. Numbers don’t lie, I can score efficiently from all three levels, rebound , facilitate. My best attribute is I am a physical and athletic defender and the PG spot. I can pick up full court for a full game if need be.

Your itch to play again must be huge. What part of the game have you missed most?

HUGE. I’ve been working for so long and I’m ready to display a brand new arsenal. I just miss the setting of a team. The relationships you build in practice and team trips. The intensity and pressure of games that matter. The energy you get from the crowd. Everything that goes into a season , I miss it. I want to get back to it and I believe I deserve to get back to it at w high level. I have put the time and work in to back that statement.

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn’t they just have left it alone?

I didn’t watch it because the preview was pretty bad. There are some movies and shows that should for sure just be left as they are.

Thanks Mike for the chat.