Ludvig Hakanson is a 28 year old 189cm guard from Sweden playing his season with Universidad Catolica de Murcia CB (Spain-Liga). He has played a total of 9 years in Europe´s top league ACB with clubs like Surne Bilbao Basket, Moviestar Estudiantes Madrid, Montakit Funelabrada, Baloncesto Sevillia and FC Barcelona where he began his professional career. He also played for teams like VEF Riga(Latvia) and  Stelmet Enea BC Zielona Gora (Poland). He spoke to germanhoops.com before game 2 of the quarterfinals of the Basketball Champions League competition.

Thanks Ludvig for talking to germanhoops.com. Your 28 years old, from Sweden and played parts of 9 seasons in the ACB Europe´s best league. How crazy is that? On a list of the most famous Swedish players you are 4^th behind Jerebko, Taylor and Eriksson. None of them have played longer in the ACB than you. How does a humble Swedish man like you understand this?

I have never thought of that way. I came to Spain as a 15 year old with the goal to play in the ACB. Everything happened so fast for me. I had my first opportunity with FC Barcelona and then my next chance with Sevilla. I had up and down times and never went straight up, but the ACB is where I want to be.

Only Jerebko and Taylor reached the NBA. Was the NBA ever there for you to take? Or was a guy with your game not suited for the athletic game and less team play?

As a young guy you always dream of the NBA. I honestly never felt like the NBA was in reach for me. I don´t think like I was ever close to reaching the NBA. The Euroleague was always my goal and still is.

You have been out of Swedish basketball wise since 2010. How has the basketball game changed in Europe since then?

I feel like play is always getting faster and more three´s are being taken. The pace is always very fast. Many of the successful teams in the ACB play fast. It continues to be very tactical and team orientated now.

Your playing this season with  Universidad Catolica de Murcia CB. How enjoyable has the season been? They are one of the top teams in the ACB?

It has been a great season for us. The club did a good job bringing in guys that were hungry. We have guys that work hard everyday and just enjoy the moment. We are trying to get in best position for the playoffs and final 4 of the BCL.

What has been the secret to the success? Dustin Sleva told me that you have a special coach with Sito Alonso? How has he helped the team most in finding success?

I had known coach a little bit, but the success has surprised me a bit, but he has done a great job where all 13 players feel important. Every player can step up on any night. Every player feels very involved. He has given every player a lot of confidence.

Your on a good way to reaching the Basketball Champions League semi finals. You easily beat the MHP Riesen in game 1. Will you expect a different game in Ludwigsburg?

Even if we beat them easily in game one, they are an extremely good and physical team. They are a very dangerous team that play at a very high pace. Game 2 is like a final for us.

How valuable has been your consistency to have stayed so long in the ACB? Is that the biggest reason for your longevity?

I think so. I have always been consistent with my daily and summer work. I always have prepared myself to present the best version of myself. Even if I´m 28, I still feel relatively young. I think I still have room to develop and I hope I can stay in the ACB and continue to get better.

You were always a guy that had to compete against the best players each season on your team and always found your role. What was your secret to always finding that role and never getting lost in the shuffle?

I think that I found my strengths at early age and always used them as much as possible. You can´t do everything on the court, but I try to show my best skills each game. I think having that mentality has helped me through out my career and coaches have always seen me as being useful.

You played 3 years in Bilbao averaging 8.3ppg, 2.0rpg, 3.3apg, FGP: 42.9%, 3PT: 37.5%, FT: 83.9%; 9.4ppg, 1.8rpg, 3.0apg, FGP: 52.6%, 3PT: 32.5%, FT: 85.9% and 12.1ppg, 2.3rpg, 4.4apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 47.5%, 3PT: 36.1%, FT: 90.8%;. You had so many teammates from other countries something very special that you see in the ACB. How would you rate your basketball IQ now in your career? Is it one of the better ones with Murcia?

Yes I think so. I think that overall with this team we have a lot of experience and guys that have high IQ´s. As the point guard I´m a close communicator with the coach on a daily basis. I see myself as always being the second hand of the coach on the court.

One could say this was your most productive time as a scorer. How did your game grow in Bilbao?

The Bilbao years were very important. My role grew each year in Bilbao. I began with a small role my first year. In my second year it was better and in my third year, I was a starter and had a big role. Scoring is my biggest strength, but as a point guard, I have to get trust from my teammates. I thank Bilbao for giving me this opportunity.

In between your ACB time you also spent a season with  Stelmet Enea BC Zielona Gora (Poland-EBA) averaging  11.1ppg, 2.2rpg, 5.6apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 60.9%, 3PT: 44.4%, FT-3(92.0%) and in the VTB United League averaging 11.5ppg, 2.6rpg, 5.2apg, FGP: 54.3%, 3PT: 35.9%, FT: 92.2%? You had fine teammates like Drew Gordon and George King and won the polish league title. What was special about this team?

We had great chemistry that season where every player wanted to prove something. We had a really good coach and it was really challenging to play in the VTB. The travel was crazy. I learned a lot from Drew Gordon especially how to play the pick and roll. It was a good opportunity to be important at that level.

You played 2 seasons with Movistar Estudiantes (Spain-Liga ACB) from 2017-2019 averaging 6.1ppg, 1.7rpg, 2.4apg, FGP: 47.4%, 3PT: 31.6%, FT: 78.0% and: 5.2ppg, 1.1rpg, 1.7apg, FGP: 45.9%, 3PT: 35.4%, FT: 76.1%. You played with so many incredible point guards but where does the great Omar Shariff-Cook rank?

He is top 3 in my career. He is one of the best players that I ever played with. We had different playing styles, but I learned so much from him. I learned to know your teammates and how to find your teammates better. He also taught me how you can get your teammates to like you. He had the best passing skills I ever saw.

You also played a season with  Montakit Fuenlabrada (Spain-Liga ACB) averaging  6.1ppg, 1.8rpg, 3.2apg, FGP: 40.2%, 3PT: 27.1%, FT: 92.0%; and in the Eurocup averaging 8.3ppg, 1.4rpg, 2.6apg, FGP: 47.8%, 3PT: 39.7%, FT: 50.0%. How was that season for you?

It was up and down. I came in mid season and there had been a lot of high expectations. It was a tough season for me. I still got pretty good playing time and had great teammates.

You were 0-5 against Luka Doncic in the ACB. You scored 26 points in your first game against him. Was that one of your best games in the ACB?

I remember that game. It wasn´ my best game ever in the ACB, but my first big game in the ACB. My time in Sevilla was great. Being able to finish the season with a game like that gave me a lot of self-confidence.

What memories do you have of these games. If someone had told you Luka Doncic would dominate the NBA like he did would you have believed it?

It is hard to say but probably yes. I had never seen something like him. A player that was so young and so mature. If not him then who would have been the star in the NBA? Everybody felt that he was something special.

You were with FC Barcelona from 2011-2015 starting as a youth player. Do you remember your first day in Barcelona? Was it a culture shock?

Yes it was. I went to Barcelona 2 times before I actually began. The first time was for my try-out and the second time was after I signed just to see everything. Back in 2010, basketball wasn´t big in Sweden. I came to Barcelona and everything was different. The level of practices, living conditions and how professional everything was was something to get used to. It was a wow moment. I was a crazy basketball kid. I had practiced like a professional since age 8 and coming to FC Barcelona was like a dream.

Did it help that guys like Swedish players Eriksson and Spires were with you? Are those guys like brothers to you today?

Yes they are like brothers for me. It is never easy to move abroad, but having those 2 there made it all easier. We lived together and we tried to help each other. We are still very good friends today.

You saw so many incredible players there in your 4 years with Navarro, Jasikevicius, Mickeal, Huertas, Nachbar, Lampe or Tomic just to name a few. Which player there had the biggest impact on you as a young player?

Who had the biggest impact is tough as there were so many great guys that I had as teammates. I learned a lot from Satoransky and Huertas. We practiced each day together. I also tried to soak up as much as possible form Navarro especially how to take advantage out of every screen and how to make the right passes. Navarro drove me to and from practice every day. I also learned a lot from Nachbar, His work ethic was incredible. He taught me how to relax and focus on the right things.

In your last season you played 7 ACB games and 6 Euroleague games. How fierce do you remember the day to day battles with Tomas Satoransky?

It was super tough to play against him. He defends and reads the game really well. He is super professional and I tried to take things form his game. He is probably one of the hardest workers I have ever played with. His work ethic is impressive.

How difficult in general is to remain with a top team like FC Barcelona? What was missing in your early age that kept you from possibly remaining longer there and furthering your development?

I pretty much knew from the start that I would be working hard every practice just to get in for a few minutes per game. I knew in my last year that I would have to go after my fourth year and go somewhere where I could prove myself at the ACB. I went to Sevilla and then showed that I could play at that level. I could have returned a few years later, but I´m happy now that I went to teams where I could have bigger roles.

You played at the 2013 Euro as a 17 year old playing 5 games and averaging 4,0ppg. What memories do you have of that championship? That team had Jerebko and Taylor but couldn´t get far

I have great memories. I had just played at the U-18 Euro and then the senior team called me up. I passed cut after cut and then suddenly I was on the roster for the 2013 Euro in Slovenia. Being able to start in the third game was a huge moment for me. Being 17 and getting minutes helped me see how the game works at the senior level. It gave me a lot of confidence. Even if we won only one game, it will always be a great memory.

Who is the toughest player that you have faced in your career that was in the NBA?

The toughest player that I ever faced was Shane Larkin when he was with Baskonia. It was super hard to defend him. He could hit the pull up jumper from anywhere. He is the fastest guy that I ever defended.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Marcelo Huertas, Bostjan Nachbar, Simon Birgandar, Dario Brizuela and Howard Sant-Roos

Please name your Euro Mount Rushmore?

Luka Doncic, Juan Carlos Navarro, Giannis, Dirk Nowitzki, Nikola Jokic

Who is your goat?

Michael Jordan

Thanks Ludvig for the chat.