Stephen Yamoah (198-G/F-1984, college: Shaw) is a 39 year old 198cm swing man with extensive pro experience in semi pro leagues in the United States. He has played in the APBL with teams like the Manhattan Pride and Capital City Express and Jamestown Jackals an din the PBL with the Carolina Pee Dee Vipers and TRBL with the Georgia Kings. He also got experience at University playing at Shaw (NCAA2)playing 41 games. He will play at the Howard Hoops Pro Combine in Italy and spoke to germanhoops.com.

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

I am currently in Houston, Texas. Basketball and life is great. A lot of blessings and I’m feeling great and I’ve been putting in a lot of work in the gym.

You will be taking part at the Howard Hoops Pro Combine in Italy. How excited are you to come overseas and show your skills?

Very excited and grateful for this opportunity. I’ve put in a lot of work and this will be a great opportunity to get seen.

How did you find the contact to Ron Howard? Was it more through guys you know of finding information online?

I was referred to him by Ronny Weihmann. Ronny spoke to him about me and told me to contact him because he could really help me.

How thankful are you of having found Ron Howard? He has been helping guys get jobs overseas for a decade.

I’m very thankful and grateful. I haven’t come across too many people that genuinely want to help players and give players an opportunity so I’m very grateful that he chose to give me this opportunity and saw me as someone worth giving an opportunity to.

What have you appreciated most about him? He is a guy that lives and breathes basketball and wants to give the underdog a shot:

I appreciate that he understands the viewpoint of being an underdog and willing to give us an opportunity. So many of us get written off for the wrong reasons but he has an eye for talent and a passion for giving guys that get overlooked the chance to prove themselves.

You have a unique story in that you have pro experience and are 38 years of age. Your passion to keep grinding and prove everyone wrong has to be massive.

I have a very deep passion and love for the game of basketball. I love everything about the game and I love everything about the grind. From the time I was young I’ve had people try to put me down, discourage and tell me I can’t do something but I never let it affect me. I have a strong belief in God and purpose which made me have a strong belief in myself. I don’t try to prove people wrong anymore because it’s not about them. As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that trying to prove people wrong gives them too much power. I’m playing this game for me and for the love I have for the game. You only fail when you stop trying to succeed and your dreams are only unrealistic when you stop believing in them. People will always say something can’t be done or it’s impossible until someone does it. It only takes one person to have the determination to say I won’t quit no matter what. Everything was once viewed as impossible until that one person that was viewed as crazy did it then it changed the perspective of others. Never allow someone to put their limitations on you.

Talk a little about your passion for the game. You have played your whole career in the semi pro leagues. I can imagine you have seen it all. How well is your body still holding up at age 38?

I have spent a great deal of time in minor leagues but there’s a lot I have learned about the business of basketball as well as things on the court. But it’s also given me a deeper appreciation for the game and the blessing and privilege it is to play and to not take basketball or time for granted. I know it sounds cliche but everytime we step on the court it’s something to be very grateful and thankful for because our time is limited so enjoy every moment. But body is holding up great. People never believe me when I tell me age because everyone says I look and move like I’m in my early 20s. I usually get asked to see ID when I tell my age because people think I’m lying.

What 9-5 job do you have? Have your co workers, friends and family supported your drive for the game in the last 15 years?

I have a side job. I’m an Uber driver. It gives me the flexibility to train like I need to and it’s pretty decent money to take care of everything I need. I haven’t got much support but I’m very grateful for the few people that have supported me.

Let’s talk a big about your game. If you had to describe your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?

When I was a kid I tried to model my game after Hakeem Olajuwon. But I would say my game now is more like Kawhi Leonard.

Talk a bit about your strengths on the court. What kind of an offensive player are you? You can score and are a very good rebounder for 198cm

I think I’m a well rounded offensive player. I can shoot the ball very well, I can post up and take guys to the basket. I’m a very physical player. I love to battle and do the little things. I think I’m a very good defender as well. I honestly like playing defense more than offense.

What is a hidden strength in your game that isn’t noticed right away on the court?

I think my IQ because people look at me physically and think I’m just going to be a player that uses brute strength all the time.

On what area’s of your game are you working on most at the moment so you can continue to grow as a player?

My ball handling to be able to run the PG as well as being able to play the SG/SF positions

You began your college career in 2003 at Shenandoah (NCAA3). That was 20 years ago. What memories do you have from that time. How has basketball changed in that time?

I remember my first practice just blowing guys away because I wasn’t intimidated and my teammates didn’t expect me to work as hard as I did. Basketball has changed drastically. The game was played in more of a halfcourt set and there were true big men and they were used a lot more. Today the game is more guard oriented, more 3s are taken and a higher volume of shooting.

You then played 41 games for Shaw (NCAA2) from 2004-2007. You never averaged more than 2,5ppg in a season. Do you feel like you got a fair chance there?

I don’t think I really did totally. I think there was a bit of a stigma of the walk on guy but I won some of my teammates over because I worked really hard. There was definitely favoritism but I just tried to focus on what I could control which was how hard I worked and played and making the most of every opportunity I got on the floor though the mins were very few.

How did head coach Robert Brickey groom and prepare you best for a professional career?

By not rolling out the red carpet for me and forcing me to grind and work for everything.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Brandon Greene?

Me haha

You have played in various semi pro leagues in the States. Talk a little about the grind. What continues to be the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenges are the pay, the stability and the recognition. Most of the time you’re not getting paid a lot or if at all and you can play really well but a lot of teams overseas won’t respect it so they tend to focus on the fact that you played in a minor league instead of seeing that you can really play.

You have seen so many guys over the years and battled so many guys. Do you remember having an experience playing against a guy that was unknown then but was able to move up the ladder to a high level?

Most of the guys I played that played at high level were already known to some degree.

In the 2015-2016 season you were teammates with American Chris Miller who has carved out a fine 8 year pro career overseas. What memories do you have of him?

Chris was great to be around. He was very determined, hard working and hungry. He played with a chip on his shoulder but was very inquisitive and wanted to learn so much about the game and was always trying to get better. I’m very proud of him, because he could of given up, but he kept fighting and kept pursuing his dream and it paid off-.

You had a work out with the Houston Rockets and John Lucas. What do you remember staying with you from that experience and what advice do you remember getting?

The detail of everything and paying attention to detail. My biggest take away was the minor things because those are the things that make the biggest impact. There are very small things that separate players at that level. The best advice I got was to stay in excellent shape and to learn the business so you don’t get taken advantage. And to learn how to invest wisely.

Who was the toughest player you ever faced in your life that reached the NBA?

I’ve played against a lot of former and current players. But I would have to say Kevin Durant was definitely the toughest and hardest to guard.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

In no particular order: John Kornegay, Cameron Butler, Robert Espinosa, Latrell Alford, Brandon Greene

What is your personal NBA Mount Rushmore of past or present heads?

Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Hakeem Olajuwon and Magic Johnson

Who is your GOAT and why?

Michael Jordan is the GOAT but my GOAT is Hakeem Olajuwon. He was extremely skilled had incredible footwork, could move like a guard and was a defensive presence. All time leader in blocks. And in a season lead the league in blocks and steals.

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

Coming to America is my favorite movie l. Yes I did. They definitely should’ve left it alone. You can’t mess with a classic

Thanks Stephen for the chat.