Yanu Slingerland is a 16 year old 188cm guard playing his first season for the Baskets Juniors Oldenburg JBBL (U-16) team. He is originally from the Netherlands and helped his team win the JBBL title in Berlin. He was the most improved on the team and spoke to germanhoops.com after the 2024 JBBL title.

Congrats Yanu on winning the 2024 JBBL (U-16) title. How do you feel?

I feel great. Nobody thought that we could ever win this. We were always the underdog this season. But we showed that we could win the title.

If someone had told you in September 2023 that the Baskets junior Oldenburg would win the 2024 JBBL title what would you have thought?

I wouldn´t have believed it. Our coach thought that we could make the playoffs after the regulation. I never would have thought that we could reach the top 4.

I had the honor of taking the Oldenburg team bus to the arena on final day. I remember on the bus we are going to blow out Alba Berlin. Who said that?

I think that I said this. I always thought we could win. I had total faith in the team.

In the first half Oldenburg were the more energetic and awake team. Did Alba Berlin play scared?

I think that Alba may have thought coming in that we would be an easy match up and thus relaxed too much. I didn´t think though that we would play so well at the start.

Oldenburg had control of the game in the second half, but Alba Berlin came back. Did you get tired as a team?

Yes I think we were. I came out for 1 minute and then had to come in right away. We were tired as a team because we really played a lot of minutes.

Did Oldenburg want it more at the end?

Yes I think that we did. When they came back at the end we were able to stop their last run and close out the game.

Alba Berlin player Jona Drucker took the last shot. What was your feeling when he released it?

I had the perfect view and thought it would fall. We were lucky that it went in and out. But I think it would have only been a 2 anyway.

I think that Oldenburg wouldn´t have won without you. You were my MVP.

I come in and just try to do all I can for my team. I would have loved to have been MVP but Djordje deserved it. It´s ok.

What you do appreciate most about your teammate Djordje Klaric?

He is a very good player and very humble. He always knows when to score and when to pass. He always knows how to help the team.

You have made incredible massive strides in 1 year. How do you explain this rise?

At the start it was very difficult, because it was my first time playing and everything was so new to me. I had to change the mechanics on my shot and that was hard. I think that having very good court vision anyway has helped my game very much

How much does your ambition to continue to play basketball grow with this title?

This title gives the team and me a lot of confidence. I want to continue playing and hope I can play NBBL next season.

How will 14-16 year olds celebrate on the bus trip home?

We will listen to a lot of music and sing. Being together as a team after winning the title is the best.

Thanks Yanu for the chat.