Sasu Salin (190-SG-1991) is a 33 year old 191cm guard from Finland playing his 18th professional season and first with U-Banca Transilvania Cluj Napoca (Romania-Liga Nationala). He began his career in his homeland with Tapiolan Honka. He then played 5 seasons with Union Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia-Telemach League). He then played in the ACB in Spain from 2015-2024 playing 5 seasons with Lenovo Tenerife, 2 seasons with Unicaja Malaga and 2 seasons with Iberostar Tenerife CB Canarias He has played 58 Euroleague games. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a Eurocup game against Lietkabelis.

Your playing for U-Banca Transilvania Cluj Napoca (Romania-Liga Nationala) this season. After 9 years in the ACB, you have a new challenge in Romania. What kind of an experience has it been playing for this historic club?

Till now, It has been a very pleasant. I’ve felt very comfortable and my family as well spending our time in Cluj so we are very happy.

The club has won the last 4 league titles in a row and last 2 cups. You have won titles in various countries. How confident are you that you will win some more titles?

Of course this club has the reputance to be always fighting for the titles so that is the mindset that players have as well. We want to win.

After being a role player in the ACB, it seems like that is continuing this season again. What exactly is your role this season?

My profile thru out my career has been defense, shooter and that´s what I´m also doing here. Just doing my best to help the team to succeed.

This team has a lot of experience especially with guys like Richard, Seeley and Stephens. Can a guy of your age still learn new things from guys like these?

Of course. Its great to see experienced players and just to see the passion what they have for the game. Trying to take little things from each one of them.

You played the last 5 seasons with Lenovo Tenerife and averaged 40% from outside in your last 3 years. Was this some of the best basketball that you played in the ACB?

Probably, I had a very clear role and the system was well put together. Of course playing with marcelinho was one key to my success as well.

You were teammates in those years with guys like Aaron Doornekamp and Marcelino Huertas. Did guys like that become like brothers for you?

After spending so many years together yes, kind of. Families were having great time on and off the court.

You were teammates the whole time also with Giorgi Shermadini there and in Malaga. What is your coolest story with him over the years?

Yeah me and Gio go ways back. Actually already in Ljubljana we played 1season together. Me and many guys know him as a Khachapuri man. We had a rule in Tenerife that if you are a mvp of the round or competiotion, u have to bring food for everyone. So pretty often he brought that delicious Georgian food.

You played 2 seasons with Unicaja Malaga. You were teammates with Brian Roberts after he returned from the NBA back to Europe. How special of a point guard was he? Does one still see this type of point guards overseas?

He was really good obviously. Spending time in Nba and euroleague tell about his talent. Maybe Yago has some same kind of style in his game.

You played your first 2 seasons in the ACB with Herbalife Gran Canaria. You were teammates with Royce O´Neal who averaged 7/5 in that season. 2 years later he reached the NBA and is still there. What was so special about his game?

Royce was a great athlete and good defender. He also was a threat on offense. But I think for reaching the NBA level he understood that he wont be the main offensive guy and now we see, he is doing a great job.

In your first season you were coached by the legend Aito. How vital was it having a guy like that as coach in the ACB in your first year? How did he help your game most then?

Aito, great coach. Easy to approach and easy to talk about everything. He made you feel good of yourself and your role so your confidence was always high. He trusts his players a lot.

In 3 years in the ACB you played 6 times against Luka Doncic and lost each time. What memories do you have of him. Would you have thought from his game then, that he would become a top 3 player in the world?

Yeah, no surprise there Luka was awesome. Just watching him always first, you might get the idea that he is not the fastest, most athletic etc but when he started to play basketball, he was phenomenal.

Did you ever have to guard him? Do you remember him making a wow play in one of the games?

I guarded him yes, he had a size advantage so he took me to post couple of times. No, not one thing but he just made the game look easy.

After starting your pro career in your homeland, you were 5 years with Union Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia-Telemach League) from 2010-2015. How vital were these years for your basketball development. What kind of a player did you become there?

I feel like Ljubljana was the perfect place to start. A lot of work, practices etc but as a young guy that was exactly what I needed. There I realized that with defense I can make a difference. Shooting will always be there but I started to think more on my defense.

In your second season you had the luck to be teammates with the great NBA player Danny Green who was overseas because of the NBA lockout. What memories do you have of him?

Danny came because of the lockout in the NBA Great guy, I think everyone liked him a lot. He was a very talented basketball player. Wish he could have stayed the whole season.

How do you remember your time with fellow young shooting guard Klemin Prepelic and the battles you had? You guys must of really pushed each other to the limit?

Yeah since times in Slovenia already we played against each other. Amazing shooter, smart too. Happy for the career he has made.

In those first years in the Euroleague you played against so many legends like Holden and Langdon of CSKA or Rubio and Alan Anderson of Barca or Fotsis and Diamantidis of Panathinaikos and many more. Was there a player that you were most in awe then as a kid and then suddenly seeing him on the court?

Navarro was probably one of those, but of course all the ones you named too but Navarro was more special for me

You began your career with Honka Espoo Playboys (Korisliiga). What memories do you have of those early years? Was there a coach or mentor that was really vital for your very early basketball development?

In Honka I was lucky to have great coaches yes. Mihailo Pavicevic, helped me to understand already the Balkan basketball that helped me for sure in Ljubljana as well. Gordon Herbert, great coach and Jussi Syrjänen, who was with us in juniors and 2nd division in men.

You were teammates with a great player with Jukka Matinen who I covered early in my career in Frankfurt. What memories do you have of him? Was he like a mentor for you?

Jukka, great shooter and a hard working big guy. Helped me in my early years in Honka and national team. Good dude.

You played at the 2014 World Cup losing to USA 114-55. You played 18 minutes scoring 0 points. What memories do you have of that game. You played against Kyrie Irving, Steph Curry, James Harden, Anthony Davis just to name a few. What could you take from that experience?

Haha yeah, usa was tough but great experience. I remember I made a layup and hit the 24sec clock

You lost to Germany at the 2023 World Cup scoring 6 points. Do you see Germany being the favorite at the 2025 European Championships despite having a new coach?

Germany has a very good team. So for sure they will be high on the standings. But I wouldn´t say they are the favorite to win it all.

Who were some of the best players that you battled in the ACB that reached the NBA?

Doncic, easy answer.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Marcelinho Huertas, Luka Rupnik, Gio Shermadini, Anzejs Pasecniks, Teemu Rannikko and Emir Sulejmanovic

Please name your NBA Mount Rushmore?

Lebron, Kobe, MJ, KD, Shaq

Who is your GOAT?

My goat is Lebron.

Thanks Sasu for the chat.