Thomas Laerke (194-G-1991) is a 33 year old 194cm guard from Denmark that played in Germany this season with the Telekom Baskets Bonn 2 (Regionalliga) team averaging 13,5ppg, 5,0rpg, 3,5apg and 1,3spg. He spent time in the United States as a teenager and played at Findlay Prep. He returned back to Europe and played his first 3 pro seasons in Spain. He then spent his most successful time with Danish top club Bakken Bears playing there 9 seasons and winning 9 titles. He also spent time in Finland and Portugal. He spoke to germanhoops.com during the season about basketball.

Thanks Thomas for talking to germanhoops.com The other day I was checking German Regionalliga box scores and I saw your name. I thought wait a minute, he is playing in Germany. I remember seeing you play a Eurochallenge game almost 10 years ago in Frankfurt with Bakken. Usually guys like to find a home later in their career like you did with Bakken but instead after 9 years at Bakken you go to Germany and Portugal last season and this season in Germany at age 32. I guess you want to experience new cultures after such a long time in Denmark?

Yeah well, you almost make it sound like 32 is old! I plan on playing until I´m 38-40 years old. No but seriously. I have been in Bakken for a long time and I think it´s important to keep evolving. Not only as basketball player but also as a person. If you stay at the same place for a long time there is a chance that you stop getting better in life. Also if I only have 6 more years left why not try as much as possible!

What kind of an experience has it been playing for Telekom Baskets Bonn 2? What is your role? The typical veteran guy that brings leadership?

I have been here for a week now. It is a top professionel club and i haven’t met anyone that haven’t been nice yet so I can’t complain! Again you mention i’m a veteran like I´m old, but I guess i am one of the older players. My job is to help. My job is to do you what i can do to help us win

In your first game 17 year old German Janne Muller exploded for 38 points. How good is this kid? He had a great way of finding solutions for hi sage. What have do you enjoy most about his game?

It was literally the first time I’ve seen Janne! 38 is a lot on any level so I’m just going keep passing him the ball

Last season you had a short stay in Germany with the Kirchheim Knights. What memories do you have of that and why was it so short?

Yeah Kirchheim was cool. Again good people all around. I guess Germans are just nice people huh? It was really only a one month contract since I was an injury replacement. But it was a good month! Thank you Kirchheim!

Last season was a real rollar coaster ride. After Germany you spent time with Esgueira/Aveiro/OLI (Portugal-Liga Betclic) averaging 7.4ppg, 1.8rpg, 1.3apg, 2FGP: 46.2%, 3FGP: 37.3%, FT: 30.0%, in Mar.’23 signed at Aceitunas Fragata Moron (Spain-LEB Silver). How was this time? I guess you couldn´t complain about the weather?

Yeah but back to my first answer. Let me try as much as possible. I really loved Portugal. I really think that Liga Betclic is a really underrated league. Very very competitive league so that was really fun to play there! And when you live basically on the beach and the whether is nice it´s hard to complain.

Your best times as a professional player came with the Bakken Bears winning a total of 9 titles with 6 league titles and 3 cup titles. Which league title was the sweetest for you?

The best title was the first no doubt. I’m going be very honest and just say that the more titles you win the less it means. I know its wrong to say but after 6 in row you are expected to win. Which means i´ts not impressive if you win, it´s just bad if your bad if you don’t win big enough

How thankful are you in general for having been able to play so long with the Bakken Bears? The organization has made big strides in the last years especially with well known players. What kind of a player did you become with them during all those years?

Aw playing in Bakken is the best. I miss Bakken sometimes. If any of you players are reading this and have a chance to go play there go. It´s a club who is always trying to get better and do better. There is a culture that was built by players before me. A culture that’s hard to explain. It helped me mature a lot when I needed it!!

When you play together with guys for long, bonds do arise. How was it with Nicolai Iversen who you played many years early in your time at Bakken? Are you guys like brothers?

Sometimes it’s almost like the players that you’ve gone through the most struggle with is the players you have the strongest bond with. Of course Iversen is one of my closest basketball friends. The longer we play the more players we meet and we can’t become best friends with all of them but I think we all have a few that really sticks.

Later you won many titles with Ryan Evans and Michel Diouf. What memories will you always have with them on and off the court?

I had great times with them! What a lot people don’t realize is that some players here in Europe could play on a much higher level, maybe even NBA. Ryan Evans is one those players. He can play anywhere. One of the toughest competitors I know. Michel is just different. Ask anyone who has played with Mich. They will tell you that he is the funniest player ever! Best locker room guy. You don’t always understand what he is saying but it sounds funny

You were teammates with Quentin Peterson. He has made huge strides. He played NBA Summer League last summer. What do you remember being a woow moment with him on the court?

Man every practice was a wow moment. Few players can score like him. A player when you contest his shot and hopes he misses. But again that´s the thing. There are so many players. So many good players. I can’t understate enough how much it is about situations in our profession. QJ can score with the very very best of them.

Please name your top 5 teammates at Bakken Bears?

Morten Sahlertz 2 Nicolai Iversen 3 Chris Christoffersen 4 Deshawn Stephens 5 Michel/Ryan/Tyler Ong

You played your first 3 seasons in Spain from 2010-2013. How important were these early years for your basketball development?

Honestly I was a little bit too young mentally to get the most out of the experience. I didn’t fully understand that it is more important to be a good guy and teammate and maybe less about stats. It was humbling. And of course Spain is always a good basketball country! We had a coach, Angel Navarro, who kept stressing that I should go out and have drinks and stuff with me teammates. I just wanted to practice and that was it. I later realized that a good mix of those two are the healthiest. Unless you are Kobe Bryant. But im not.

You played against a young Marcus Errickson when he was with FC Barcelona 2? What memories do you have playing against other young players that later would become well known players?

Yeah I remember that i didn’t think much of him back then. But man he is skilled. floaters, threes you name it. Respect

You played a season at the well known school Findlay prep and was teammates with Canadians and future NBA players Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson. What memories do you have of these guys. How did they treat you as a Danish kid on and off the court?

Of course they are great players. I would still say that i’ve played with and against better players but we know how it works with this job. Tristan understood the ways around professional basketball especially off the court at an early age. He understood the business side. He taught me about food. He taught me how to open a cup cake, put another cake and ice cream inside the cup cake and then put caramel on top. Great guy. Cory Joseph i just have one thing to say. He is a great, smart player but even a better person

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

No doubt at all. Kyrie Irving for sure. We played him in high school. He knew how to dribble back then as well

Please name your 5 favorite European players of all-time?

That changes from day to day because I like players for a lot of different reasons.. But right now. 1 Gabriel Iffe 2 Nando De Colo 3 Juan Carlos Navarro 4 Jokic 5 Vasilije Micic

Who is your GOAT?

My goat right now is Jokic. Mostly because of his off season work.

Thanks Thomas for the chat.