It doesn’t really matter what league you observe, but there will always be those teams that have that incredible season out of the blue. In the German easyCredit BBL some teams that have shown that over time for example there was Ludwigsburg in 2006-2007 as they were the best team in the regular season only to lose against Bamberg or this season the Niners Chemnitz that momentarily have left the mighty FC Bayern Munich and always potent Alba Berlin in the dust. Last season it was the Telekom Baskets Bonn that set the German basketball scene on fire with incredible basketball and consistency to win the Basketball Champions League, but then surprisingly lose to another surprise team ratiopharm Ulm in the final. The Bonn season was magical and I was happy to see many games live. Of course the success was very much aided by the dominant play of diminutive guard TJ Shorts, but at the end of the day the 2 biggest strengths was head coach Tuomas Iisalo and the never break team chemistry that never stopped growing from day one. It didn’t really matter who it was from a Sebastian Herrera, Tyson Ward, Finn Delaney or a Jeremy Morgan, every player was equally as important and could decide a game on any night. Oh did I forget Collin Malcolm (201-SF-1997, college: WPU)? He was another vital player that gave 100% every night and was always playing with incredible energy and was dangerous from outside, a rebound terror and defensive impact player. One thing that was surprisingly totally off my radar was his past. My favorite players are those that came from the bottom from JUCO or the NAIA to reach the top. Collin Malcolm is exactly one of those guys that played in the NAIA (4th college division) and has reached a very high level. ‘I think about where I’ve come from all the time. Sometimes I go to read the scouting report about whatever team that we are playing and see someone that I was playing for my favorite NBA team (Portland Trailblazers) or someone that I was watching play at the D1 level. I feel extremely blessed to be where I am but I also know that with all the work that I have put in that I deserve it’, stressed Collin Malcolm. He had to pay his dues for 3 years before reaching the big time last season in the easyCredit BBL. His rise to the BBL last season wasn’t easy and Covid didn’t exactly make the path any smoother or easier. ‘The toughest challenge in my first three years was definitely being alone in a new place without having my wife with me. Also in my first year covid hit so I had to go home early and then in my second year in Finland I was in the small town of Kauhajoki without being able to be visited by anyone because of the Covid protocols. But basketball wise I always looked at it like a chance to prove and improve myself. When I was in college, I always believed that I could compete with D1 athletes, and Europe is full of them so I always attacked head on’, warned Collin Malcolm. He knows exactly where he came from and with continued hard work proves that a NAIA past can get you to a high level.

Collin Malcolm who lists Mike James and Payton Pritchard as his toughest opponents he has ever played against was born on July 2nd, 1997 in Ashland, Oregon and began his basketball career at Ashland high school. He then played at Warner Pacific high school (NAIA) from 2015-2019 playing a total of 121 games. He helped the school reach 2 Cascade finals and led them to 2 NAIA Sweet 16 runs. The only thing missing was a title, but he will always cherish his time there, because he experienced so much with very special teams and guys. ‘Anyone who went to Warner during those years knows that it was a brotherhood like no other. I loved just being around those guys. Most of them were older than me and really took me under their wing, setting a good example for me to follow. Out of those 4 years we had 5 Players go on to play professionally which is something I don’t think is too common for an NAIA school’, said Collin Malcolm. Individually he had an incredible career scoring in double figures in 82 games and averaged in double figures each season in scoring and in total in his 4 year career averaged 15,0ppg and 7,0rpg. His great career couldn’t have been mastered without the superior guidance of head coach Jared Valentine. ‘He had a lot of trust in me to do multiple things on the court. You could credit him with my defensive versatility today. In my senior year he put me on the opposing team’s best scorer no matter if it was a five man or a point guard. I think that versatility has helped me well in my pro career’, stressed Collin Malcolm. Even if he didn’t toast his senior year with a chip, he did end his NAIA career with a bang as he averaged an insane 26,0ppg in his last 8 games. ‘We weren’t having the best season so at that point the mentality was just to do anything to help the team make the conference tournament. I entered into a zone in those last 8 games ready to scrape and claw to get us there and we ended up reaching that goal. Also at that point I thought that it may be the last competitive basketball game that I would play in my life. I knew a little about overseas and that I might have a chance at it but it wasn’t guaranteed ‘, remembered Collin Malcolm who remembered never losing a 1-1 against teammate Dejon Bowman but remembers him being a key reason why the team reached the Sweet 16 in 20018 due to his high energy and long arms. Some of his best scoring games included 34 point explosions against Corbin, Northwest and E Oregon.

The Oregon native who loves the Portland Trailblazers and doesn’t shy from showing that love with his personal NBA Mount Rushmore with guys like Michael Jordan, Brandon Roy, Damian Lillard, and Lebron James began his professional career with with Basketball Club Batumi (Georgia-Superleague) averaging 19.0ppg, 8.3rpg, 2.3apg, 1.2spg, Blocks-2 (1.6bpg), FGP-2 (64.7%), 3PT: 38.9%, FT: 75.0%. Every American that comes overseas has that first wake up call to being away from home. For some it is an easier one than for others and sometimes can also be scary as he witnessed. ‘When I landed in Tbilisi, I was picked up by someone who had ties to the club and spoke very little english. Batumi was 4 hours away so I assumed that we would be riding together the whole way, but he stopped at a gas station, pointed at a minivan, and said ‘Car go Batumi’. Nervously, I got in the minivan and waited for what felt like hours for the driver to take myself and the other people in the van to Batumi .The whole ride I had no one who spoke English and no service for 70% of the ride. I was nervous the whole ride and thankful when I did finally arrive but that stood out as like a ‘you’re not home anymore’ moment’, explained Collin Malcolm. He scored in double figures in each game and registered 5 double doubles. He had a 37 point explosion against Tskhum-Abkhazeti. In his second season he made another leap up the basketball ladder playing for Karhu Kauhajoki (Finland-Korisliiga) averaging 18.1ppg, 6.0rpg, 3.2apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 61.8%, 3PT: 34.7%, FT: 79.8%. He was still searching for that first chip and had to endure a tough playoff series loss against Vilpas where he gave all he had in game 5 and 6 combining for 55 points. ‘That was a tough series, our team was very banged up from the first 2 rounds and Vilpas was on a roll. Plus they had Teemu Rannikko who not only hit big shots when they needed them, he also was able to lead the players on that team to perfect their game plan. But that’s what you would expect from an ex-euroleague player. I have nothing but respect for that Vilpas team’, commented Collin Malcolm. He scored in double figures 25 times in Finland.

The versatile player that names Tyson Ward, TJ Shorts, Xavier Cannefax, Earl Jones, Dre Burns as his best teammates of all-time came to Cyprus in 2021 and left in 2022 with 3 titles. He played with with Keravnos Strovolou (Cyprus-OPAP Basket League) averaging 17.5ppg, 9.5rpg, 2.8apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 62.4%, 3PT: 32.3%, FT: 74.2%. ‘This team enjoyed being around each other. We always were having great conversations in the locker room or just joking around. We never got down even though we had our struggles as a team. We went through 4 coaches and 4 different players went in and out. Our 3 veterans Nikos, Simon, and Chris kept our minds on winning the next game and that was able to carry us to 3 championships. The hiring of Coach Kakiouzis before the cup and playoff was a huge boost to our team right when we needed it’, added Collin Malcolm. He won 2 cups and defeated AEK Larnaca in a 5 game dog fight series where his team was always a game behind. He saved his best for last having a 16/12 performance in 45 minutes in game 5. ‘I remember fouling out in the last minute and having to watch from the bench as AEK took the final shot that would either win the game for them or result in a championship for us. It was like the ball was in the air for an eternity. Thankfully it missed long and we were crowned champions. For sure a moment I’ll never forget’, stressed Collin Malcom. He scored in double figures in 28 0f 30 games and was a double double monster with 17. He scored 29 points against Omonia and 28 points a piece against Apoel and Apop. He will always cherish his time in Cyprus as it laid the foundation for his winning. ‘These were my first championships in not only my professional career, but also the first I have ever won since starting playing basketball when I was 3. It felt incredible to finish a season as the best team and only fueled my hunger for more’, said Collin Malcolm. Last season with the Telekom Baskets Bonn he averaged 9.6ppg, 4.2rpg, 1.7apg, FGP: 68.1%, 3PT: 31.3%, FT: 62.9% in the BBL and in the BCL averaged 8.8ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 64.9%, 3PT: 32.6%, FT: 61.9%. He was an instrumental part of Bonn winning the BCL as they dominated posting a 13-2 record and beat Hapoel Jerusalem in the final. There was that turning point early in the BCL season where he knew the team was special and could possibly do something historical. ‘We won a game in the first half of the season by 20+ points. After the game everyone was in the locker room quiet and frustrated because we knew that we didn’t play our best basketball and it bothered everyone. I had never seen that from a team that I have ever played for and it spoke to how much all those guys cared about not just winning, but doing it the right way. That’s when I Personally knew that the team was special’, warned Collin Malcolm. The season wasn’t crowned with a BBL title, but that didn’t diminish what the club had achieved. ‘Obviously the season didn’t end how we wanted but in that moment of defeat I couldn’t help but to be thankful and proud of the journey that we had been through that year. It’s something that I will cherish for the rest of my life’, stressed Collin Malcolm.

The ex NAIA great who lists Michael Jordan as his personal GOAT moved on to France this season to Paris Basketball and isn’t lonely as something very unique happened as 5 of his teammates followed him and head coach Tuomas Iisalo from Bonn. The success has continued as Paris Basketball is in second place in the Pro A behind Euroleague club Monaco and first in Eurocup play. The bond is very unique with the whole team, but one can’t deny that the Bonn players make the chemistry even stronger. ‘I really view this as a whole new team. Even though some of the faces are the same, the questions and answers that we will have this season will be totally different from those in Bonn. This team has great chemistry on and off the court and I believe we can be playing for titles in the spring and summer. It’s a special bond that I don’t take for granted, we have a lot of on court chemistry that is invaluable when it comes to overcoming obstacles on the court. This year our schedule is crazy with playing 3-4 games a week but doing it with guys that you have a genuine brotherhood with makes it fun’, warned Collin Malcolm. His teammate TJ Shorts continues to display greatness as he is second in assists and fifth in steals in the Eurocup and third in scoring and second in assists in the Pro A. Nothing is stopping him in his route to the Euroleague. ‘The guy is special. Not only on the court, but off the court as a teammate and leader. I have no doubt that he will be one of the best players in the Euroleague in the next few years’, warned Collin Malcolm. When inspecting his stats in the last few years one does notice that he doesn’t have that big scoring role anymore as this season he is averaging 8,8ppg, 3,3rpg and 1,3apg in the Pro A and making that adjustment hasn’t been easy. ‘There was for sure an adjustment period in Bonn, because of how demanding Coach is to every tiny detail. I’ve never had this level of discipline from a coach and it was something I had to learn to adjust to. But it’s been huge for the growth of my personal game as I would say my basketball IQ has made the biggest jump’, said Collin Malcolm. But he has accepted the scoring role in the Eurocup, but is it a different role than in the Pro A? ‘I think that my role is the same in the two competitions. I never really thought about why there is a difference in numbers. I try to take the season one game at a time and give the same effort no matter who we are playing’, stressed Collin Malcolm. Who knows where his career had gone had he not attracted Tuomas Iisalo after his strong Cyprus season. It is fair to say that Iisalo has been a massive factor in his basketball development in the last 2 seasons. ‘Attention to detail and focus are the two things I would say I learned from Coach. I look at the game in a whole new way if I’m on the court, or even just at home watching a game. I never really knew how deep the game could get mentally and it has opened my eyes to see the game more for what it is’, warned Collin Malcolm. He has come a very long way from his Warner Pacific days and living in Portland. You can be more than sure that he is a guy that is waking up every morning in Paris with a smile on his face. ‘My wife and I are enjoying everything that Paris has to offer. Basketball life is always treating me well, it’s been my dream to be a professional since before I can remember so it can’t get much better than this’, warned Collin Malcolm. He has stayed on the ground and cherishes every moment simply because he knows exactly where he has come from.