Pic credit: Art Giants Duesseldorf

Alexander Moeller (208-C-1998) is a 27 year old 208cm center that is playing the 2025-2027 season with the EPG Guardians Koblenz. He began his basketball career with the Telekom Baskets Bonn organization playing mainly for Pro B team Dragons Rhondorf, but also played 2 easyCredit BBL games for Bonn. In the last years, he has been played for teams like Duesseldorf, Iserlohn Artland Dragons and BG Goettingen where he played 7 BBL games. He has over 100 Pro B games experience and spoke to eurobasket about basketball.

Thanks Alexander for talking to eurobasket.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you at the moment?

Thank you very much for the opportunity. I’m in my hometown Xanten visiting my parents right now. I am happy to wind down a little bit, after I had a quite turbulent last season. But I am really looking forward to starting a new season with a new club soon.

Congrats on signing with pro A team EPG Guardians Koblenz. Your 27 years old. This will be your 7th team as a pro. Do you feel like a German basketball-trotter? You know a guy who just enjoys playing for many teams?

“I’m passionate about playing basketball, and my career path has involved moving to different clubs to find the best opportunities for my growth and development.”

You have 80 Pro A game experience. How excited are you for this new challenge with the EPG Guardians Koblenz?

I am very excited and looking forward to the upcoming season, the fans, and the city. I believe that I can continue to develop there and that we will function very well as a team, ultimately having a successful season.

What was the selling point that made you want to sign with the EPG Guardians Koblenz?

First and foremost, it was definitely Stephan Dohrn and KJ Sherrill. I felt very comfortable in my conversations with Stephan. I believe we share a very similar basketball philosophy. I’m also really looking forward to working with KJ again, as we’ve always gotten along very well and I value him as a person. Secondly, the beautiful city and the club with its ‘team behind the team’ were certainly a major factor.

How did the talks go with head coach Stephan Dohrn? What do you appreciate most about his basketball philosophy?

Stephan has a very clear basketball vision. From the very beginning, he clearly communicated what he expects and demands from me and the team in general. Also, as already mentioned, several points of his basketball philosophy resonated with me and align with my own views on the game.

How excited are you to be working with KJ Sherril? How have you followed his career?

I’m happy to work with him again. I have definitely followed his career throughout the years. We’ve known each other for many years now and used to be teammates in Rhöndorf. I’m happy to see him transitioning into coaching. I think he has great potential as a team coach and leader.

You had solid pro A seasons with the ART Giants Duesseldorf, but still looking for your real Pro A breakthrough. How confident that you can achieve this in 2025-2026?

I’m very confident. I don’t think I’ve reached my full potential yet. I can still develop my game and help lead the team, both on and off the court.

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 208cm center. If you had to compare your game to a NBA or Euroleague player who would that be? “

To be honest, I’ve never really thought about that. I generally don’t compare myself to others and prefer to focus on my own game. But if I had to name someone, it would probably be players in the area of Ivica Zubac or Jakob Pöltl.

You’re a big man that can score and rebound very well. What other strengths does your game incorporate?

Usually, I perform best right under the basket when it gets physical. I also believe I’m a good passer, especially out of the pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop situations. And something I often hear about myself is, that people value my dedication to the sport and my understanding of the game.

On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can make an impact offensively in the Pro A?

I’m working on further refining my ability to read the game quickly and position myself more efficiently on the court. That helps me recognize scoring opportunities earlier and make better decisions, whether it’s finishing myself or setting up my teammates.

How have you seen your development as a defender in the last years. What kind of a defender do you still want to become?

A great deal of defense is simply based on experience. You have to be able to read the offensive player, and that’s an area where I’ve developed immensely in recent years. Overall, I’m satisfied with this development, but I want to become even better. Of course, this also involves improving my speed and athleticism, which I’m constantly working on, as it helps me defend certain situations more effectively.

Last season you split time with BG Goettingen and the Artland Dragons. How tough was this season with BG Goettingen? What did you learn about yourself as a player and person?

It was a very challenging situation for me personally. On one hand, I developed significantly during those six months in terms of my physical condition and speed. On the other hand, I didn’t really get the opportunity to show that progress on the court. As a person, I learned how to maintain my positive attitude. I just refocused on my own development, giving my all, and kept pushing forward.

You then finished the season with the Artland Dragons. How important was this time? You helped the team stay in the Pro A despite also going through tough periods with the team.

Even though I might not have been able to contribute on the basketball court as much as I had hoped, I believe I was able to help bring a sense of calmness to the team with my personality. I think that helped us work better together, especially towards the end of the season.

You played 2 seasons with the Art Giants Duesseldorf. How did your game develop in the Pro A and how vital were these 2 years for you?

The two seasons in Düsseldorf were incredibly beneficial for me. In the beginning, I had to adjust to the speed of the game and the tougher opponents. But from the midpoint of the first season, I was able to improve significantly. Specifically, my general athleticism and my ability to read game situations got much better during those two years. In general, I adjusted to the Pro A level quite well. Also, I learned to take on more responsibility, both on and off the court.

You witnessed the rise of Booker Colpin there. How special of a player is he and what was your nicest experience with him?

You could really see Booker’s development over that year. He was a very good player from the beginning on, but I believe he made huge strides mentally during that particular year, which ultimately helped him make it all the way to the BBL. It’s hard to name just one specific experience with him. He’s a great guy, a very kind person. We always had fun off the court, and it was always a pleasure to play with him because he was constantly willing to learn. That, I would say, made the experience of training with him very positive.

You played 2 seasons with Pro B team Iserlohn. How vital were these 2 years there for your development? Is it fair to say that you became a real pro player there?

Yes, you can definitely say that. Those two seasons in Iserlohn showed me the direction my career could take and also revealed how much fun the journey can be. I believe my development during that time clearly reflected that growth and showed what was possible for me as a professional.

How special was Toni Prostran? How much potential does he have as a head coach? Did you already see that coaching in him as a player?

Definitely. I spent a lot of time with Toni, just talking about basketball and understanding his perspective on the game. You could absolutely see his potential to become a coach even back then. I really enjoyed my time with him because he also made an effort to understand me, and you could tell he was genuinely trying to make other players better. That was a truly special experience for me.

You had your first tour of duty with Duesseldorf in 2019-2020. What do you remember about your battles in practice with Deion Giddens? How special of a player was he?

The practices and battles with Deion were always great. We immediately had a good connection and got along really well on a personal level. It was always fun, especially because he’s a completely different type of player than I am, which meant I learned a lot from him and how to play against different player types. On top of that, he has a really great personality. I believe that season was very formative for both of us, which inevitably led to the friendship we still have today.

You began your basketball career with Bonn/Rhondorf. How special was this time for you? Did you have a mentor in those early years?

The entire time in Bonn and Rhöndorf was the most formative period of my entire career. Being able to live that dream as a teenager, with the goal of one day becoming a professional basketball player and dedicating my whole life to it, shaped my personality and continues to influence me to this day. I am incredibly grateful that I got the chance back then to go to the Hagerhof school and play for the youth teams in both Rhöndorf and Bonn. That whole experience set the course for me and showed me that becoming a pro was a real possibility. When I then received a contract in Bonn and played in both the BBL and for Rhöndorf, it gave me that final push of motivation that has never left me since.

Regarding a mentor, in Christian Mehrens, I had truly the best mentor and one of the most influential people in my life. From the very beginning, he made it clear what I was getting into, he always worked hard with me, and he was there to catch me in difficult situations and build my confidence back up. I don’t think I would be where I am today without him.

How vital was German big man Florian Wendeler early in your career? What do you remember learning from him that helped you much as a teenager?

I was able to learn a lot from Flo, especially at the very beginning of my career. As a younger player, having to compete against a physically superior player every day in practice helped me immensely.

You had many great teammates with Bonn players like Gamble, Mayo or Polas. What Bonn player had the biggest impact on you in that time?

I would name three players. First, Julian Gamble, who significantly advanced my skills at my position. He showed me a lot about what I needed to do and was, of course, a great training partner. Second would be TJ DiLeo, who simply showed and explained a lot to me, specifically how I need to move as a big man to best support a guard. Third, to cover the mental and off-court components, was Tomislav Zubcic. He taught me so much about what it truly means to be a professional, how to interact with people, and he explained the business side of basketball and how to navigate it.

In the 2017-2018 season you were teammates with American Kam Taylor. If someone had told you in 2018 that in only a few short years that he would become a Euroleague player what would you have thought?

Yes, I would have believed it immediately. You could see right away with Kam that his basketball IQ was extremely high. The way he played with such intense effort, not just for himself but also for his teammates, made it clear that he was going to make it very far.

Who is the best player that you ever battled that reached the NBA?

I could name two, actually: Moritz Wagner and Isaiah Hartenstein. If I had to commit to one player, it would be Isaiah. The battles against him were always intense and we played against each other more frequently.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Benjamin Dizdar, Deion Giddens, Toni Prostran, Kameron Taylor, and Marijn Ververs.

Please name your personal NBA, Euro and German Mount Rushmore of your best 5 players of all-time?

That’s a tough one, but here are my picks:

• NBA: Derrick Rose, Kemba Walker, LeBron James, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Shaquille O’Neal.

• Euro: Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Nikola Jokic, Jonas Valanciunas, and Pau Gasol.

• German: Dirk Nowitzki, Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, Patrick Femerling, and Detlef Schrempf.

Who is your GOAT?

LeBron James.

Thanks Alexander for the Chat