John Murry is a 24 year old 193cm guard from Indianapolis, Indiana with minimal professional season. Technically he is in his third professional season, but has only three professional games under his belt in the Canadian NBL league with the Kitchener-Waterloo Titans. This summer he signed his first professional contract with BSG Grevenbroich (Germany-Regionalliga). He spoke to germanhoops.com earlier in the summer about his basketball career.

John thanks for talking to germanhoops.com Where are you at the moment and how has your summer been?

No problem, thank you for choosing me for this interview. I am currently in Indianapolis, In training and working out every day for the upcoming season in Germany. This summer has been so productive and very well-orchestrated thanks to my trainers and other vets in my corner.

Congrats on signing with BSG Grevenbroich (Germany-Regionalliga). You signed very early at the end of April. How good did it feel signing your first overseas contract?
Man, the feeling that I got in my body was incomparable and almost impossible to put into words. I received a call at my place of employment at the time and seconds later the contract was in my email. There wasn’t a better feeling that I have had in my life more recently then to look in my email and see that all I had to do was sign my name and I was onto a better life. I wanted to shout, scream, jump, dance, call somebody. It was so many things going through my head at the time I couldn’t even think straight I was just so happy that the last few years of struggle and pain I had been through had finally paid off. 

How tough were the last two years for you? Technically you’re a third-year vet, but really you will be playing your first full season in Germany. You played three professional games in the last two years in Canada. How mind boggling is to you that a guy of your talent averaging 16,7 ppg in the NCAA not have a good steady professional basketball job?
These last two years where some of the hardest times I have ever had in my life. It was a point where everything in my life was messed up, I was so hurt mentally and emotionally my mind was on a rollercoaster every day. Dealing with the absence of basketball, personal life issues, and everyday priorities it was enough to try and break me, but one thing I NEVER stopped doing was working towards my goal. I was down bad to my last mentally and financially and invested everything I had left into myself and my workout plan. I refused to give up no matter what I went through. Coming from averaging almost 20ppg in college to sitting in games where I know I was better than the guys that played instead of me hurt me to my soul, then not being able to play at all professionally for some time killed me even more. Nevertheless I used that and everything ANYBODY had ever done wrong to me as fuel to my fire. I would literally be in workouts like, okay he/she lied to me lets kick it up two notches, I got cut let’s kick it up two notches, you think I’m not good enough lets kick it up two notches, I did everything in my power to grind my way out of the crap that I was in, the one thing that kept me going was my mom and her routine and every day when I was younger. I never seen her quit or give up. She was in a race that challenged her at her age not to long ago and something happened to her health and she couldn’t finish I went to check on her and the first things that came out of her mouth where ‘I’m going back next session to finish my race’ its that competitive, never quit no matter attitude that she passed on to me that kept me pushing past all negativity throughout those rough two years. 

You have a job, but in the fourth league in Germany. How big is the chip on your shoulder and what is it like starting over again and again like you did in the JUCO and doing now again at a lower level?

The chip is enormous but nevertheless something that I am used to at this point. I love it because I love to prove people wrong and I also am good at making something out of nothing like you seen coming from JUCO that’s something that I never see especially in the area where I am from. I do believe that this will be a great opportunity that I will take full advantage of and supersede all expectations of me and more. The fact that I’ve been waiting on this for so long will keep the fuel fired up in me and never let me take this chance for granted as well as soak up every piece of knowledge I can. Me and my guys guys back home call it ‘seize the moment’ I’ll show how good I am and where I deserve to be just like I did in the beginning of my career. 

How thankful are you for BSG Grevenbroich (Germany-Regionalliga) head coach Jason Price who knew about you? Was he a big reason why you decided to sign with them?
Words can’t describe how thankful I am for my guy Jason, we saw each other in Vegas and had a real connection after he saw me play and things took off from there. He is a real down to earth guy and definitely showed what a man of his word is all about. I feel like we are going to do really big things this upcoming season. 

How excited are you to join a league the Regionalliga that is dominated by guard scoring? How confident are you that you won’t only be an impact player, but a top player in the league?
Ecstatic is an understatement; I mark the days down on my calendar and watch the time like its just seconds away lol I can’t wait to board the plane and land there with a mind ready to enjoy the culture. I’m so confident in my ability and the work that I have put in to not only be a top player but THEE top player in the league. I love the game so much and am a student of the game to the point I never think I’m too good. I can always get better which keeps me going higher and higher to be the best player I can be and as I always tell myself one of THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD. 

What do you know in general about the country Germany and it’s basketball? Have you had any friends or ex teammates play in Germany before?
I do know a small amount about the culture but looking forward to learning so much more. I want to be bilingual and experienced with the different types of food they have to offer. I also heard good things about the October fest and the attraction it brings to people not only from Germany but all over the word. I also had a few friends of the family do time in the military over there and heard nothing but great things from them about the culture. 

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 193cm guard that can really fill up the stat sheet. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?
While working out and playing I’ve heard players such as Paul George, Dam Lillard, I’ve also watched myself and the moves I make some of them look close to Kyrie going downhill, my jump shot has its own type of style to where I feel I can revolutionize it. I personally think I’m a close comparison to Dam Lillard style of play and moves more like Paul George.

You really filled up the stat sheet in your two years at Owens CC (JUCO). Do you feel confident that you can do that again in your rookie season in a league that should be fitting for you to do that?
Yes sir, without a doubt I do believe that I am ready and capable to do ascendingly what I did in JUCO, my division 1 career and every day that I touch a basketball. My killer mentality is what gives me the edge and I look to take full advantage. I have a mindset that is based on being unstoppable. 

You can score the ball, rebound and can find your teammates well while also displaying a solid outside shot. What other strengths do you have that will be shown when you step on the court in Germany?
I feel like my athleticism will surprise a lot of people when they see me play. The fact that I can react to certain things so fast, get off the ground so quickly and have sneaky bounce off one foot or two feet going downhill may turn a lot of heads in an amazing way. 

You’re a guy that can really fill the stat sheet, but what do you feel is a hidden strength in your game that doesn’t always get noticed right away on the court?
Probably my ability to close out games and hit big shots, I love having the ball in my hands with seconds left to go in the game, down by whatever amount of points and sending guys home with a L. I also have a motor that I play with that doesn’t stop, I can keep going and going which would surprise a lot of people at the pace I can keep that up. 

On what area’s of your game will you be working on this summer most so you will be best prepared to make an impact as a rookie in Germany?
I really worked on passes and making decisions in tight spaces, I also worked on shooting the deep three consistently while being tired, so I have legs to still make shots late in games. I’ve been in the weight room diligently working on my weaknesses and taking care of my body as well. 

In the last two seasons you were with Saint John Riptide (Canada-NBL Canada) in pre season and played three games with the Kitchener-Waterloo Titans (Canada-NBL Canada). What is your summary of this time? Why didn’t your professional career take off in Canada?
Me looking back on those seasons, coaches really didn’t give me a clue as to what was going on, I feel like some wanted veteran experience and others just didn’t have an idea, I showed out as I do at every level I played at and just got better and took those as learning lessons. I became the best version and continued to get better every day. One thing I never did was let those experiences break me as a person. 

In the summer of 2018 you played at the Scorers 1st Showcase – Pro Basketball Exposure in Las Vegas, NV and also with Team Minnesota (Eurobasket Summer League in Las Vegas) playing 4 games avergaing 25.0ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.0apg. How important was this experience getting your name out in the German market? With Gerrit from Scorer’s First you had a very good contact for the German market?
It played a huge role in my career, me going out there experiencing real pro’s, being around professional coaches, and GM’s and just learning how the game goes. It was very important for me to go out there and put up those numbers so people could see who John Murry really is and what I’m about. 

This year you also had experience with the Fort Wayne Flite (CBA). What was the biggest benefit playing for this team in this league?
The biggest benefit for me was learning a different pace and tempo learning how to slow down and process the game at different speeds while scoring the ball efficiently and looking for different areas to accelerate my game. I played behind a coach that believed in me and a mentor on the side that kept me on my toes at all times. It opened my eyes up to what I can do at a high level going into this season. 

You began your basketball career at North Central High School. Your school had some well known basketball alumni like Eric Gordon, Jason Gardner and David Logan. The latter two had great careers in Europe. Are they like role models that will help you continue to work hard so you can make your own name overseas?
Yes, those guys definitely are like big brothers who helped pave the way for not only myself but many others who came up along with me. I Talked to David Lo right after I signed, and he also played in Germany and he congratulated me and gave me some strong words of wisdom and how to adapt to the European life. Also, a big brother in my corner who helped me tremendously was Greg Foster who was another European pro who won championships and made a name for himself. I played with Eric Gordon and his AAU team when I was in high school and that brought us closer together as well. All influences from these people helped me mentally in getting where I am because this is not an easy game to play and without head strength it will be hard for any person to last years in this profession. 

You played two seasons at Owens CC (JUCO) and put up great stats while reaching two district finals. What do you feel kept the team from not getting the titles?
Honestly nothing that we could control kept us from getting there. An interesting story is both years we lost to a buzzer beater in the final seconds. When you talk about pain, nothing in life hurts more than getting your dreams of championship crushed in the final seconds and you have nothing you can do about it, two back to back years. Both years my team was strong, smart, tough and came to compete every night, we lost a max of 6 or 7 games in 2 years. One of the best teams to go down in the history books, but those loses taught me a lot, I never look at things as losing I either win or I learn and that’s what got me past those memories to a higher level of competition. 

How do you feel did your game grow in the JUCO that allowed you to make a smooth transition into the NCAA?
My game definitely grew a lot and it made my transition to the NCAA very smooth so smooth I was ready for action the first day I stepped on campus. Our very first D-1 open gym I didn’t lose a game, I scored or assisted on almost every point and was playing a such a high level I had never played before. I got to my spots and got any shot or play that I wanted I was unstoppable, it really showed how much hard work I had put in over the summer. 

You then finished college ball at Austin Peay State (NCAA) playing 56 NCAA games from 2015-2017 You made a considerable jump in your stats averaging 5,7ppg as a junior to averaging 16,7ppg as a senior. What do you feel were the main reasons for being able to elevate your game so much?

The main reason was opportunity, in conference play I averaged 20ppg and was second in player of the year voting and it all came from confidence and being comfortable on the floor. It got to a point where it felt like everything I threw in the air was going to fall in the net, no rim!! There is nothing like being completely free on the court and that’s what happened to me. I was able to just play my game without having any restrictions and have fun, with those things in play the sky is the limit of how good I can really be. 

You won the OVC title in 2016 beating Belmont and Tennessee-Martin. Was this your fondest weekend of basketball at Austin Peay State?
Yes, the best weekend of my life in college. I hit a game winner against Tennessee State to play Belmont in the next round and that feeling was unbelievable (that video is on youtube under my highlights). A full weekend of games, no classes, on national TV with the entire fan section behind because we were the underdogs, we made history with that championship and it felt so good. I still talk about winning that ring till this day. There is almost nothing in this world that compares to being a champion coming from the bottom and everybody is voted against you. I love it and enjoyed every second of that weekend. 

You made the big dance in 2016 losing to powerhouse Kansas 105-79 and you steered 13 points in 18 minutes. What memories do you have of that game playing against future NBA players like Frank Mason, Wayne Seldon and Cheick Diallo. You held your own against players like these. Was there a big difference in skill level or knowing that there wasn’t continues to give you hope of going your way up the basketball ladder?
Those memories last a lifetime, from walking into the arena and people asking for autographs to the final buzzer sound. I have memories of me going against Wayne Seldon and me thinking in my head he can’t guard me. No matter who is in front of me I always think they have no chance of stopping me. I remember going against Cheick Diallo who was a rim protector and finishing over the top of him going towards the rim, that was a legendary moment for me because he was projected an early pick at that time and was one of the best shot blockers in that conference, for me to finish through him was a moment I will never forget. I believe I made a free throw in that game and my confidence was through the roof off of just one free throw. I remember guarding Wayne Seldom and frank mason and it put into my head I can play in the NBA if this is what the future players in the NBA look like, and I still believe I’ll get to the NBA. In fact, in those games I was actually more skilled then some of them but some of them had a weight advantage and mindset of pro that our team hadn’t tapped into collectively just yet. Playing those guys actually sparked the fire inside my head of ‘John you can get to the NBA’ AND since then that has been the end goal and I have put in overtime to get to that goal. After watching that game, I felt like I looked good and could easily make an NBA roster with a few polishes on my game and a strong agency behind my name coming from a mid-major d1 program. 

You had some great games in the NCAA, but was your 33-point explosion in your last game in the win against SE Missouri State your best? 

That was definitely one of my best games, but I think the best one may have been a couple games before that when I had 35 against eastern Illinois at home. I was really in a zone the entire game. I loved both of those game because we were down for most of the game and came back to win both of them. 

Who won a one on one in practice you or Josh Robinson?
That was definitely a great battle, but I came out on top of that war. 

Who was the toughest opponent that you played in the NCAA that is in the NBA or in Europe now
The crazy thing is, it was some people right here in Indiana, surviving and being one the best in INDY is very tough and for me to be one of the best I had to out work and out play the best, so it would be the people that I play against every day in the summer while I’m home that give me the biggest challenge 

Please list your five best teammates of all-time?
Gary Harris 
David Logan 
Myles Turner 
Kenny Jones 
Greg Foster 

Please name your personal own NBA Rushmore. Which four heads would you pick past or present for your list?
Kobe Bryant 
Shaq 
Michael Jordan 
Tracy McGrady 

What is your personal opinion of the never ending debate of who is the greatest of all-time Michael Jordan or Lebron James?
Honestly in my opinion neither of them was the greatest I think Kobe Bryant was the greatest and the scariest killer mentality I’ve ever seen. When I’m locked in zone I like to compare my mentality to the will of Kobe and what he used to do to people. He showed no mercy what so ever 

What was the last movie that you saw?
The new Lion King and I loved it lol 

Thanks John for the chat.

Brandon Mcelvy is an American professional basketball player from Houston that recently took part at the Howard Hoops Tour in Germany. He played at Blue Ridge, Nolan Catholic High School, Fort Worth, Christian School and Impact Prep Academy in his young years. He then got further experience with Oklahoma State, Iowa Central Community College and the University of Houston. He has professional experience having played in the ABA with the Houston Red Storm. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball. 

Brandon thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how has your summer been?

Currently in Dallas and have been for the last days. I mainly stay in Houston but my parents stay in Dallas where I grew up after moving from Houston. Summer has been great. Finished my internship with the Houston Rockets and have been working on my game all summer.

You have some pretty good experience having played at some college and semi-pro ball. Why do you feel have had difficulty not being able to land a job overseas?

This is my first time actually trying to find an overseas job. I wanted to finish my college basketball career and get my degree in which I just graduated in May. I played semi-pro while I was still a full-time student this past year along with being an intern for the Rockets. So I was busy. I look forward to my first opportunity.

You played at three high schools and had a post grad year at Impact Prep Academy. How vital do you feel was having so much diverse experience as a young player?

I’ve bounced around a lot in my life and all of my experiences were God given. Wouldn’t take back any of it. Experiencing different places and different types of people have been key in my development on and off the court. I learned a lot every where I went.

Talk about your college experience that you had at Oklahoma State and Iowa Central Community College. What was the most positive things that you could get form these experiences?

Oklahoma State was a hard year but that was where I really got to see what Division 1 basketball was like even though I didn’t play. The atmosphere was amazing and unforgettable. I didn’t want to leave but ultimately did for Iowa Central. Iowa Central was a hard year as well. I got cut because I wasn’t a good fit according to the coach but it was a huge catalyst to me continuing to work hard and walk on at the University of Houston 9 months after being cut at Iowa Central.

How disappointing was it not being able to play at the University of Houston? Do you feel like if you would have had a shot there, that you might be elsewhere now in your basketball career?

The situation at the University of Houston is a complicated one and could’ve gone a lot differently. None of it was my fault. There was a miscommunication with the NCAA and athletic conference that Houston is in regarding a school I went to in high school that had saved my life. It’ll always be a huge ‘what if’. I think I’d be much farther in some ways but not as developed in others. Everything happens for a reason but I without a doubt thought I had a great chance to compete within the next two years after I first got there. Just unfortunate but God had other plans and I’m okay with that.

You have professional experience with the Houston Red Storm. What kind of experience was this and can a player significantly improve their game in semi-pro ball? I have heard stories about guys not always having the best experiences.

For me, playing professionally was just a huge blessing. There were many people who knew I could play but I hadn’t had any film since high school so this gave me what I needed which led to this tour and other possible opportunities. I definitely got better as the season went on. I hadn’t played a real game in two years before that. My last game was at Iowa Central so getting that game action was important. Anybody can improve. It’s putting in the work and letting it show up in games and that’s what I did for the most part.

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a pass first point guard and many compare you to Chris Paul. What other point guards do you try to take things from to improve your game?

Chris Paul has been my favorite point guard forever but I take something from everybody whether it’s Kyrie’s handles and finishing ability or Kemba Walker’s shiftiness. I’ve studied old school point guards like Magic and even Isiah Thomas. Always been a student of the game and especially great point guards.

Your not the best three pointer. Is your trey something that you continue to work on? Has there been any thing special you have done out of the ordinary to improve the shot besides the obvious of more reps and shot selection?

My main thing with shooting is keeping my mechanics sharp and keeping my confidence high. I’m a rhythm shooter so once I start feeling it or get hot, the other team is in trouble. It’s more about consistency from a mental aspect. Not the skill itself.

You’re a very pesky defender. Does your defense at times spark your offense when it isn’t flowing well?

My defense will definitely spark offense. I’ve always been a guy to get a few steals a game or disrupt passing lanes. Even just disrupting the offense. I just make sure you’re almost never comfortable.

Your like a second coach on the court which is always important as a point guard. What is a good example of how well your court awareness is on the court?

Court awareness is being aware of everything from the other teams plays, whose hot, what the coach wants, and overall communication, etc. I talk a lot so I’m always trying to keep everybody on the same page.

You are taking part at the 2019 Howard Hoops tour in Germany. How excited are you to be able to be in Europe? With what kind of expectations are you going to Germany with?

Being in Europe for the first time will be a crazy experience. I’ve always wanted to play basketball in other places even while dreaming about the NBA so making my pro basketball dream come true here is nothing short of a blessing. The only expectation I come with for myself is playing hard and be myself. Can’t let a new environment change who I am. I’m only looking to grow.

What do you know in general about the country Germany and it’s basketball? What are you looking forward to most with this experience?

I know the obvious history about Germany and the World War’s. My dad is real big on that stuff that’s most of my knowledge about Germany but in terms of basketball, I grew up in Dallas so I know Dirk. I met Dirk face to face as an intern for the Rockets when the Dallas Mavericks were in Houston. Had a cool moment with him so he definitely comes to mind. I’m just looking forward to experiencing a new culture and making my dreams come true.

How thankful are you of getting this experience from tour CEO Ronald Howard (181-PG-84, college: Mayville St.). How did the whole contact come about and what do you believed impressed him most from your game to invite you?

The fact that Ron is a former player is huge so I’m thankful that it is someone who knows their way around Europe and the overseas landscape. I believe my overall game impressed him and the fact that I play hard as you can tell in my highlight tape. He said I just need to showcase what I can do. I got connected to him through a mutual friend who is also from Dallas and has seen me put in work.

Ronald Howard has an amazing track record of helping guys like yourself land on his touring team. How confident are you that through his guidance you would be able to find a team?

I’m very confident. I believe if I just show up and show out to the best of my ability, he’ll get me where I need to be. There’s a heavy confidence in both sides I believe and I love it.

Ronald Howard is an amazing around the clock basketball junkie. What has impressed you most about his presence and just how much influence does he have in being able to get the best out of a player?

I haven’t been around him too much but I know he knows the game so I he’ll put us in the best position

Is your basketball dream big enough to earn somewhere between 300-500 euro to start?. That is a tough lifestyle and some guys can’t cope with it while others can. Are you aware how tough it will be once you get a shot?

I was the told lowest we’d probably get is 500 but whatever it is, I’ll more than likely take it. It’ll be tough but I want a good start to my career. The pay would only make me work harder.

Please explain in a few sentences as to why you could help any team despite the kind of resume that you have?

I’m a leader on and off the court. I’m going to give you everything I have and then some. I bring a wealth of experience from the highest level of basketball in the world, the NBA. That counts for something.

Please name your personal NBA Mount Rushmore. Which 4 heads old or present would you pick?

NBA Mount Rushmore: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Lebron, Magic. Those are my top 4 players all time in that order for many reasons. It’s hard leaving someone like Bill Russell out but his era isn’t that well respected despite him being a pioneer

What is your personal opinion of the never ending debate of who is the greatest of all-time Michael Jordan or Lebron James?

It’s not never ending to me. It’s not even close as far as Michael Jordan being the greatest of all time. I don’t even consider Lebron 2nd and I couldn’t make an argument is that he’s not even top 3 but I have him at top 3. The fact that Kobe gets left out of the conversation is ludicrous. I don’t care who calls me crazy or what not but the stuff this man used to do in arguably the hardest defensive era of any decade was nuts. He was dropping 40+ on zone defenses. Do you know how hard that is? LOL he had everything skill in the toolbox.

What was the last movie that you saw?

Avengers End Game for the 2nd time

Thanks Brandon for the chat.

When one witnesses that first pre season contest of the Fraport Skyliners one always sees new fresh faces with ample focus on making a rapid impression, but one thing hasn´t changed in the last 11 years and that is seeing an athletic energizer bunny sprinting up and down the court as if it´s his last game with Fraport Skyliner lifer Quantez Robertson. With the last dino´s of the BBL slowly departing as Derrick Allen retired and the BBL whereabouts of Julius Jenkins and Immanuel Mcelroy are still unclear, but it seems like they may be done, so there are only a few rare basketball species left with Mr Oldenburg Rickey Paulding who is turning 37 in October and Quantez Robertson who is known as Tez and turns 35 in December. Last season, Tez came to training a bit heavy to the disdain of then head coach Gordon Herbert, but in his first pre season test against Pro A club MLP Academics Heidelberg a few days ago, he looked and ran like a young buck and looked in top shape. Usually when you get older you loose a step or two and the skills deteriorate, but with the ex Auburn stand out that can name NBA legend Charles Barkley as a school alumnist was all over the court like usual making big defensive plays, hauling down two offensive rebounds against three opponents, running the break, making crisp passes and assists and just being that identity figure that he is on the court. Tez is a basketball junkie and the day this freak athlete retires will be the day that his basketball motor completely shuts down and that could take a while, if he doesn´t suffer an unfortunate tough injury. I see the Cincinnati native playing into his 40´s simply because basketball is seriously all he knows to do and making company with a Tom Brady. In the first test game against Heidelberg, Tez had his typical “I fill the stat sheet always” as he led all scorers with 17 points, had 3 rebounds, 3 dimes and a steal while shooting a very respectable 64% from the field and a lot of other things that wasn´t seen on the stat sheet. He will have another typical Tez season. He is the Tez of old as nothing has changed, but what about the rest of the bunch? What kind of team will the Fraport Skyliners be this season with the old and new players?

                Four other Fraport Skyliners from last season also saw action against the MLP Academics Heidelberg. Akkem Vargas that battled injuries last season playing only 24 BBL games had a good game. He scored 7 points in 20 minutes grabbed a rebound and handed out 2 dimes. He hit an open three, made all four free throws and played solid defense. If he stays healthy than he will be a key player for the club especially with his veteran role and role model qualities for the young bucks. Richard Freudenberg is in his third season and this will be a make or break season for him. Despite improving his stats. last season over his first season, it still seems he has enough critics and people who can´t get warm with his play. Last season he averaged 6,1ppg and 2,0rpg in 16 minutes per game while shooting a very respectable 38% from downtown. It just seems like after being so hyped as a kid with FC Bayern Munich, the expectations are so high for him that no matter what he does, it just isn´t good enough. He had a slow first half, but exploded in the second half ending with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals and shot a strong 50% from the field after missing his first couple shots. He still tends to bypass shots at times which is annoying. The kid should just shoot. shoot the ball, because he can shoot the ball. His drive continues to be his strong point as he scored a nice lay in from the base line. His role will continue to rise this year and the club will need solid consistent production from him. Leon Kratzer had his BBL break out season last season averaging 9,4ppg and 6,7rpg in 18 minutes per game with Frankfurt. In his first test game, he finished with 15/6 stats and shot a potent 7/8 from the field. He was denied well in the first half, but then got more touches in the second half and was his dominant self. When he is near the hole, then it´s mostly an instant bucket. He has more experience and is sprouting a lot of self confidence and will have another good season and possibly average double figures in scoring and possibly average 1-2 rebounds more. He could grow into on eof the best German centers in the BBL. Marco Voeller profited the most in the last weeks, but on account of Niklas Kiel. The club was going into the season confident with their young front court of Kratzer, Freudenberg and Kiel, but the club announced yesterday that the Paderborn native who came to Frankfurt in 2015 won´t be available at the moment. After suffering three concussions in 11 months, he came back at the end of last season and showed promise of slowly coming back and continuing his development. But apparently he has had health issues and the team don´t want to take any chances. Because Kiel is out, Marco Voeller who before was the odd man out is in and will take that Kiel role for now. He waisted no time being active at both ends registering a steal and block and on offense scored 10 points and hauled down 5 boards and dished out an assist while shooting 67% from the field. His free throw shooting of 2/6 and five turnovers are still a work in progress. I´m a big fan of Marco Voeller. He has an amazing character and a big heart  He may not be the most talented, but always gives 110% and works hard. He deserves this chance to shine with more minutes.

                There were of course many new faces on the court starting with new point guard Anthony Hickey. The 26 year old from Oklahoma State(NCAA) is known as a hard nosed defender that led the leagues in Cyprus and Poland in steals, but also knows how to score the ball as he led the league in Cyprus in scoring and was second in Poland. In his first test game, he produced 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. At first glance, he reminds one of ex Skyliner Aubrey Reese who led Frankfurt into the 2010 BBL final with his polished goatee and body build. He told me after the game that he takes what the defense gives him and one could see, he had good decision making, but one got the idea that he is more a pass first guard. He tended to look first for his teammates, but when nothing went, he tried to create his own shot. He shot a poor 5/13 from the field and 0/5 from outside as his trey is still a work in progress in his fifth season even though he did shot 37% from outside in Poland last season. He compares his basketball IQ to a Chris Paul and wasn´t only talkative after the win against Heidelberg, but one could sense that after only some days, he felt at home in the BCM in Frankfurt. “I always wanted to play in Germany. The play is a lot faster here than in Greece. The guys have welcomed me nicely. It is like a family here”, smiled Anthony Hickey. Hickey is a versatile offensive guard and even more positive a top defender. I think when all is said and done this season that he will surprise a lot of critics and play a strong season. Another new player is rookie Matthew Mcquaid. At first glance, you wonder if he took the wrong locker room door mistaking the BBL team´s door for the NBBL(U-19) locker room, because the 23 year old 193cm guard from Michigan State(NCAA) looks like a 17 year old kid that still hasn´t visited his high school prom yet. But when you see him play, you observe right away that the kid has game. His best scoring year at Michigan State was 9,9ppg in his senior year and he showed in his first game that he has scoring abilities. He finished with 6 points, 2 rebounds and a steal and shot 50% from the field. His has confidence in his outside shot, can drive with ease to the hoop and does possess that cross over and has a good basketball IQ. He looks a bit slender and it will be interesting to see how he will compete against the physical play of the BBL, but when you have the leagues best individual coach in Klaus Prewas, then you will develop further with body and play. The American will score and display some eye opening plays, but most importantly bring that team mentality from his Michigan State days. “He is a great shooter, has a high IQ, and is a very good defender. He shut down a lot of the top college guys during his 4 years at msu. His game fits Germany. Frankfurt will be a good place to adjust to the European game and lifestyle”, stressed ex BBL and Michigan State stand out Drew Neitzel.

                Daniel Schmidt has been around for ages having played 9 years in Bamberg including Euroleague and was a clever pick up from Frankfurt. He scored 5 points had 2 rebounds and had an assist in 16.51 minutes. He has a lot of experience and is the type of player where you know exactly what you will get and isn´t the player that will make those absurd experiments on the court, but bring solid play every time he is on the court. He will be an important force from the bench at the guard position and give the team continued aggressive on ball pressure as a Hickey or Jones are taking a breather. It´s always an honor to play for FC Bayern Munich, but for many German players it never becomes more than an honor. This summer FC Bayern Munich lost three big talents as Nelson Weidemann was loaned to Wurzburg, Killian Binapfel moved to Bonn and 2019 NBBL MVP Bruno Vrcic made the jump to Frankfurt. Vrcic is a 18 year old 197cm shooting guard that brings 31 pro B games experience to Frankfurt. Even though he possesses a double license with Frankfurt and is planned to be a vital impact player for the farm team, one noticed against Heidelberg that the club are also planning him to get BBL minutes. In his first test game, he came from the bench contributing 7 points and 4 rebounds showing nice range with his shot and not forcing anything and having good shot selection. He also showed real zeal in getting to the basket and getting rebounds. The German has a lot of potential and coupled with intense work ethic will make the next step this season and get more experience with BBL minutes. Shaquille Hines who came from Braunschweig and gives solid scoring qualities at the 3-4 position and takes a lot of pride on the defensive end sat out the game after getting hurt in practice, but it was nothing major as he should be back in the next days back to practice. A day after the win against Heidelberg, they made a big pick up with Lamont Jones. Five years ago they reeled in sniper Sean Armand who had played at Iona with Jones. With Lamont Jones they have acquired an even more deadly scorer. Jones is a scoring machine and could be the difference between making the playoffs and not. He has been a scoring ace where ever he has played. As a senior at Iona(NCAA), he was the leagues third best scorer, he led the Japanese NBL league in scoring, tore up the Montenegran league and two seasons ago was the fourth best scorer in the BBL with MBC averaging 17,2ppg. Last season he averaged only 12,5ppg with the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg and wasn´t content with his season. He is eager and hungry to have a great season in Frankfurt and lead them into the playoffs.

                This team can be a good offensive team, but it wants to get back to it´s successful defensive form which they had for many years under Gordon Herbert, but got away from as last season they gave up way to many points. That could change this season when you have a Hickey and Robertson duo pressuring the ball to death and not letting the opponents into their sets comfortably. I believe that they could be the best defensive duo in the league. Hickey also demonstrated a cool sense of humor when he was told that Tez Robertson is the BBL´s alltime steal leader. “It will be hard to break his record. I will have to play 11 seasons”, laughed Anthony Hickey. When Robertson learned that Hickey was on the team, he right away reached out to Hickey welcoming him with a text message. “Tez is a good guy and I will be able to learn so much from him”, warned Anthony Hickey. New Skyliner Shaquille Hines was able to observe the two defensive gems from the bench for 40 minutes and was sure about one thing. “Tez and Hickey have to be the best defensive duo in the league. We go as a team as they go”, warned Shaquille Hines. Overall the team has the potential to get back to their defensive ways. Hines is known as a good defensive player and Lamont Jones also defends with passion. Vargas may not be that top defender that he once was, but he still has the defensive principles and IQ that will give the team value. Up front, Frankfurt will be tough with shot blocker Leon Kratzer and big body Marco Voeller. A Richard Freudenberg has had his moments on defense, but overall still has potential to get better. 3-4 years ago the club was spot on with it´s rotations. If they can get back to that type of play coupled with everyone helping each other and Tez and Hickey being pests on ball, then Frankfurt will be a much improved defensive team from last season. Even though it is difficult to make smart predictions after only one test game, the Fraport Skyliners have the potential to be a good team. Sebastian Gleim may be young, but he is very fortunate that he has a great opportunity to make the most of his chance as a BBL head coach. He couldn´t have a better assistant than Klaus Perwas and will benefit with his presence. The club will have at least five players that can be consistent scorers and average double figures with Hickey, Jones, Robertson, Mcquaid and Kratzer. If Freudenberg can have his true break out year, then Frankfurt will be an even better offensive team with depth. They will be a better defensive team and be a solid offensive team and like so often annoy many teams that have bigger budgets and more talent. This is a team that will land somewhere between 6-13. No matter what kind of season it becomes, one thing is for sure, it will always be a pleasure coming to the Fraport arena and watching Quantez Robertson play his heart out.

More than three months have gone by since the last game of The Fraport Skyliners which they won in exciting fashion 82-81 against Hessen rival Giessen 46ers and with the club back in action in their first preseason game for the 2019-2010 season much has changed. Gordon Herbert wasn´t patrolling the side lines, but coaching former Skyliners Phil Scrubb and Brady Heslip for the Canadian national team, Jason Clark had moved to greener pastures to Varese, Italy and big man Jonas Wolfarth-Bottermann moved south to the MHP Riesen Ludwidsburg just to mention some of the changes. Only two players were on the court against Heidelberg from that Giessen game with Fraport Skyliner lifer Quantez Robertson who always comes back each season and pleasant surprise from last season Leon Kratzer who is planned as being an important performer at both ends of the court this season. New on the sideline is head coach Sebastian Gleim who brings a lot of experience with helping develop the young players and has nothing to lose as he fills the void for Herbert who will return after his Canada gig ends. The club also brought in four new players with ex Braunschweig American Shaquille Hines who comes in as a versatile player at both ends of the court, defensive specialist Anthony Hickey who will take over the reigns at the point and build a potent defensive duo with Robertson, rookie Matt Mcquaid who comes from the well known school Michigan State and veteran guard Daniel Schmidt who played for nine years with Brose Bamberg.  The Fraport Skyliners still aren´t complete and will most likely sign one more big before the start of the season came in against ambitious Pro A team MLP Academics who brought in some interesting new players with Adam Eberhardt, Stephon Jelks,Grant Teichman, and Joe Kilgore rounded out by two veterans top Pro A guard Shy Ely and German big man Philipp Heyden. One can´t expect too much in that first pre season game as it´s that first opportunity to show what they can do in game situations, but after a ok first half, the Fraport Skyliners shifted a few gears up in the second half and ran away with the contest easily burying Pro A team MLP Academics Heidelberg 84-62. After the seemingly routine victory, new Skyliner Anthony Hickey reflected on the performance of the team. “We rushed things a bit too much and were thinking too much. We stayed in the game and didn´t get down on ourselves and had a narrow lead at halftime. Coach got down on us a bit at the break. We began to pick up our defense more in the second half which allowed us to run the fast break. Our defense carried us to the win in the second half. I think if we can continue to pick up our defense, we will be ok”, warned ex Oklahoma State guard Anthony Hickey. The guests played a strong first half, but fell apart in the second half trailing by as much as 30 points. “It was a hard fought game. But we gave up too many offensive rebounds in the first half. We could have had the lead had we taken care of the little things better. Frankfurt picked up their defense in the second half and we lost momentum. It was mental lapses and attention to detail that hurt us in the second half”, stressed ex Carson-Newman(NCAA2) guard Grant Teichmann.

                The Fraport Skyliners were without ex Braunschweig forward Shaquille Hines who had hurt himself in practice, but nothing major a day to day thing. The MLP Academics stuck to Frankfurt early taking the slim lead, but controlling the first quarter getting Frankfurt in early foul trouble and doing a good job getting to the free throw line. On offense they did a fine job moving the ball and getting ex Skyliner Armin Trtovac involved with baskets inside while rookie Adam Eberhardt hit a three keeping Frankfurt at bay. Quantez Robertson as always was aggressive getting to the basket and scoring while new wing player rookie Matt Mcquaid out of Michigan State made use of his first touch making a pretty up fake and then barreling to the hole for an easy bucket. The MLP Academics Heidelberg did a great job totally denying ex Bamberg center Leon Kratzer the ball who is almost an automatic bucket when he is in the paint area. Because he was shut down, Frankfurt received vital contribution from German Marco Voeller who scored twice doing his role from the bench perfectly. However the MLP Academics Heidelberg led after 10 minutes 20-15. Frankfurt couldn´t hit the ocean as they were a miserable 0/8 from downtown.

                In the second quarter, the MLP Academics caught a taste of what kind of defender Anthony Hickey who led the leagues in Cyprus and Poland in steals can be as he stole the ball at center court and went in for the easy lay in as 9 seconds had been played  Then came the next hustle play as Fraport Skyliner lifer Quantez Robertson out jumped and out hustled three Heidelberg players and finally got the put back after three attempts cutting the Heidelberg advantage to 20-19. Frankfurt continued to gnaw at the Heidelberg lead and despite a Philipp Heyden hook shot, Frankfurt continued to get valuable input from their bench as young German Bruno Vrcic who was the 2019 NBBL MVP and came from FC Bayern Munich hit a jumper on the transition and Robertson made a lay in giving Frankfurt the lead back at 26-25. The game remained a dog fight now as no teams could breakaway quite yet. Kratzer and Trtovac traded baskets. But both teams made small runs at the end to bring some tilt into the game. Heidelberg started with a 6-0 run to gain the 38-35 advantage as ex Mercer(NCAA) guard Stephon Jelks hit a shot, German Niklas Wurzner scored on the shot clock buzzer and Eberhard made a offensive rebound and put back for the 38-35 lead. However the Fraport Skyliners closed out the second quarter in fine fashion as Anthony Hickey who compares his game to a Eric Bledsoe and sports that goatee as nicely as ex Skyliner Aubrey Reese did 10 years ago hit a jumper at the shot clock buzzer and after stopping Heidelberg on the next possession got a basket from Leon Kratzer as Frankfurt had the slight39-38 advantage. The Fraport Skyliners upped their rebounding snagging 7 offensive rebounds, but were still a pathetic lot from outside shooting 0/10.

                The Fraport Skyliners came out a lot stronger and through more aggressive defense and more pressure helped spur their offense they rolled out on a 8-2 run to extend their lead to 47-40. After a slow shooting first half, German Richard Freudenberg quickly scored inside and then the three ball finally began to shine as Robertson connected as did ex Alba Berlin guard Akeem Vargas. The spacing of Frankfurt improved and they suddenly discovered more open shots. The guests weren´t impressed by this rapid rise on offense by Frankfurt and kept grinding away as ex BBL player Philipp Heyden was a beast in the zone scoring twice. Voeller continued to play consistent ball as he scored off the pick and roll with Hickey. Mcquaid continued to shine as he came in and  did his job. On his next basket, the ex Michigan State captain delivered a pretty cross over and finished with the runner as the Fraport Skyliners led comfortably  51-44. Adam Eberhard who is a rookie out of Bellarmine(NCAA2) kept Heidelberg in the game with his fine display of shooting with two baskets. The guests would have been  a lot closer, but they had absolute no remedy of how to control Kratzer who got going scoring three baskets as Frankfurt led easily 59-49. The MLP Academics called a timeout at the 2.01 minute mark, but that did no good as Frankfurt closed out the third quarter in fine fashion going on a 6-0 run to lead 65-49. Ex Bamberg Euroleague player Daniel Schmidt scored on a lay in Bruno Vrcic made another trey. “We didn´t let our missed shots of the first half affect us and just kept shooting. Then we got going. Nobody got down, but we stuck together”, added Anthony Hickey. Frankfurt turned up the heat on offense and the pressure. We had some more turnovers, but we missed easy shots. We allowed them easy baskets and let them get back on defense”, added Grant Teichmann.

                Everything came together for the Fraport Skyliners in the fourth quarter as their defense lifted their game a few more notches as they ran away with a 13-0 run and made 11 consecutive stops on Heidelberg extending their lead to 78-49. In the run, Frankfurt received incredible support on the first three plays by Richard Freudenberg who made a deflection on the first Heidelberg turnover, then made a steal which led to an easy Robertson lay in and on the third play, the German made a beautiful lay in from the wing after getting an amazing bullet pass from Hickey. Frankfurt continued to ball with a lot of self confidence as Robertson went coast to coast for the easy left handed lay in, Kratzer made a thunderous two handed dunk on the pick and roll with Vargas and Hickey made a runner. At the 3,48 minute mark of the fourth quarter, the MLP Academics Heidelberg finally got their first field goal as ex BBL player of MBC Marc Liyanage scored. That was followed by a Robertson trey as the Fraport Skyliners had the huge 81-51 advantage. The game was over and everybody knew it and Frankfurt lost some intensity and allowed the guests to go on their best three minute stretch of the game closing out the contest on a 11-3 run. In the run, Heidelberg got important support from Eberhard who showed his coast to coast qualities scoring and making free throws and, Jelks converted a trey and turn around shot. The big run by Heidelberg was too late as they had to eat their post game pasta having the 84-62 loss in the backs of their minds. “Playing well starts with the point guard Daniel Schmidt and me. We are like the head of the snake and the rest follow us and are the tail. We set the tone”, warned Anthony Hickey.  “Our intensity went down, but we ended the game well. We didn´t panic at the end, but got in a groove and hit our shots. We can learn from this game and take the momentum of how we ended the game into our next game”, warned Grant Teichmann. The Fraport Skyliners had four players in double figures and were led by captain Quantez Robertson with 17 points. Leon Kratzer added 15 points and 6 boards while Anthony Hickey and Marco Voeller had 10 points a piece. The MLP Academics Heidelberg were led by Adam Eberhard with 16 points and Stephon Jelks added 10 points. The Fraport Skyliners shot 57% from the field and 22% from outside and grabbed 34 rebounds and coughed up the ball 14 times while the MLP Academics Heidelberg shot 43% form the field and 22% from the parking lot and hauled down 20 rebounds and suffered 18 turnovers.

With certain players one can think instantly of a word or phrase that defines that player best. For example for most Michael Jordan Is the GOAT, Lebron James the best all around player ever to play, Karl Malone the best who never won an NBA title while in the German BBL Derrick Allen had the greatest work ethic and passion that ever played the game in Germany. After 16 productive professional seasons as a player, the guy most everyone called D.A has decided to hang up his jersey and put his sneakers in the closet. I have covered him for 15 years and quite honestly thought this guy would never quit. He seemed to have the right genes to allow him to play forever and to possibly start a competition with Tom Brady to see who would go the longest. I honestly thought he could play into his 40´s. The guy just couldn´t slow down and still had those solid stats averaging 10,6ppg and 4,2rpg in the high level easyCredit BBL with Science City Jena last season. Ok so it wasn´t the overwhelming massive stats he put up in his first 9 seasons, but still good enough to help his teams be successful. The only guy that played as long as he did in his era was Chris Ensminger who also retired at age 39. The Bamberg legend like Allen probably could of kept playing as he was still able to compete with the top players in the BBL. In a way it is surprising that he retired, because he was still fit and could compete at a high level, but on the other hand, he also kept his family in his mind. There comes a time when the family finally takes center stage and the court takes a back seat reserved for the memories. His wife said it best on social media recounting how D.A jumped into a pool this summer with no mercy something he would never imaged doing while being a pro with the risk of getting injured and having to miss a single work out. She knew then that he was serious about retiring. Now it is only fitting to look back at the stellar career of Derrick Allen.

                Derrick Allen grew up in Gadsen, Alabama and got his first college ball experience in the late 90´s with Southern Union State CC and then was able to make the jump to the NCAA with Mississippi(NCAA) playing there from 2001-2003 amassing 59 games and as a senior averaged  8.2ppg, 4.9rpg, 15ast. He began his professional career in 2003 and like many talented guys had to prove himself in a lower league with Iprottabandalag Keflavikur (Iceland-Epson League) playing 8 FIBA Europe Cup games averaging 26.6ppg, 9.4rpg, 2.5apg, 1.8spg; and played 22 Icelandic League games averaging 23,4ppg, 10.5rpg. He then made the jump to Germany and would play there for the rest of his career except for one where he moonlighted in Belgium with Belgacom Spirou (Belgium-Ethias League). He would play 14 of his 16 professional seasons in Germany and at first had to continue to pay his dues playing for lower BBL teams BG Karlsruhe and the Bayer Giants Leverkusen before making another step going to the Deutsche Bank Skyliners where he played from 2007-2010.  He needed no adjustment period to the BBL and right away was a force at the forward position averaging 15,1ppg and 7,6rpg and in his second season improved the stats averaging 17,4ppg and 8,7rpg top 5 in the league. In his third season he led the BBL in scoring with Leverkusen averaging 16.5ppg, and 7.3rpg. In his three years with Frankfurt he continued to put up massive stats including averaging 18,1ppg second best in the BBL and averaged 19,9ppg third best in the ULEB cup competition. Even if Frankfurt was a club on the rise at that time, it wasn´t a top two team as Bamberg and Alba Berlin shared those spots. It took him 7 years to make to the top in Germany joining Alba Berlin in 2010. Despite having a lot more scoring options in Berlin, he still stayed consistent and averaged double figures in scoring in both Eurocup seasons. After a season in Belgium, he returned back to Germany and would continue to put up consistent stats averaging double figures in scoring in four of his last five BBL seasons with Bremerhaven, Braunschweig, Vechta and Science City Jena. He played one season in the Pro A with Vechta helping them get back to the BBL in 2016. At the end of 16 seasons, he won two titles in Iceland and a league title in Belgium. He reached the BBL final with Frankfurt in 2010 and 2011 with Alba Berlin. He played a total number of 477 BBL games and as a professional including his short stint with the Southern Crescent Lightning (WBA) in 2004 a total of 645 professional games.

            Obviously the work ethic and passion will always be synonymous with Derrick Allen, but also his game on the court is something that will always be remembered fondly by anyone who ever had the pleasure of observing his game. He was a scoring machine that also used his quickness and anticipation to get rebounds over bigger players and was a better than average passer out of the post. He had a very lethal mid distance/pull up jumper and such a quick release that defenders didn´t have enough time to be able to any way make it a contested shot. He belonged to the top 5 forwards for many years in the BBL and played at a high level in the BBL. But one has to wonder just how far he could have come had he incorporated a consistent three pointer and been able to be an above average defender. Even if his defense seemed to be his weak point, not everyone believed that. “Derrick is a great team defender. And with the way Frankfurt plays defense, there isn´t much one on one defense. He and Frankfurt locked me pretty good in two of the three games. But critics are going to be critics. Without them, what is there to talk about”, added 2009 BBL scoring leader Omari Westley. What I will always remember from him was his gracefulness in the paint area that reminded me of a ballerina dancer.  There were world class ballerinas like Mikhail Baryshnikov, Frederick Ashton and Erik Bruhn and then there was Derrick Allen. He often looked like an out of control energize bunny strutting in the post, but once he had his ballerina shoes going, there was no stopping him. Often he made his opponent who was trying to guard him look like a helpless puppy that had lost it´s mother. The secret to his success being able to out dance defenders down low came from watching different big men while he was growing up. Having to go up against guys who were 20-30 pounds heavier, he obviously had to use his quickness, but the special moves and fakes that he had incorporated into his game over the years to keep his defenders off balance made him even more dangerous and unstoppable. Then coupled with his work ethic and will to be better than the other, he was able to consistently out work his defenders while getting that rebound or loose ball. Back in 2010, his teammate Immanuel Mcelroy was content that he was a basketball player and not a ballerina. ““He will really help with his moves in the zone. I am positive that he will never be a ballerina. He will stick to basketball always”, joked Immanuel Mcelroy. It wasn´t only the ballerina moves that he exceled at, but was a flash on the track. I will never forget when he ran a 10,7 in the 100 meters in training camp in 2009 in Frankfurt. The comparisons to Usain Bolt quickly surfaced, but thank God that he never seriously looked into getting better at that as he stuck to basketball and his ballerina moves something people really wanted to watch.

            But what will forever be remembered about Derrick Allen the player was his amazing work ethic and his unending passion to win. It really doesn´t matter which opponent you ask or teammate, but usually the first response to him from the player is “He is the hardest working player that I ever played with/saw. The way that phrase is blurted out by just about every player who ever got the question is as self-evident as when Steve Urkel alias Jaleel White used to say his famous line of “Did I do that” after a mishap happened on the hit American TV show Family Matters. One has to remember that DA began at Community College, then was a rookie in Iceland and had to pay his dues for seven years before he reached the height of his career in 2010 with top European team Alba Berlin. I never asked him if he had played with a chip on his shoulder his whole career, but when you look at how well he took care of his body and how hard he worked to always get better and the never-ending hours in the gym after the rest of his teammates were at home playing play station, one sure got the idea that he had something to prove every single day. A good example of his dedication to always wanting to get better was when he was playing with the Deutsche Bank Skyliners in Frankfurt. Allen was always in the gym and because he was there after hours, his head coach at the time Murat Didin got problems at home. He wasn´t able to spend enough time with his son Ahmet, but the diplomatic Didin stated with humor that he couldn´t just abandon his star player, so he remained after hours to help him work diligently on his game. Allen had such an overwhelming impact on everybody from that young NBBL player to the fellow veteran player. Another prime example of his great impact on teammates was when Larry Gordon was his teammate for only a few months in 2017 with Rasta Vechta. Gordon had belonged to the BBL´s top forwards from 2012-2015 when he was with Phoenix Hagen and after a short stint in Korea came to Germany to finish out the season. He didn´t have a big role with Rasta Vechta, but enough time to soak up as much as possible from Allen´s immaculate work ethic. “What has amazed me the most about Derrick Allen is that he still finds the energy to get back on the court year after year. He gives me hope as a basketball player, that if I take care of my body and work hard, I can play for a very long time”, stressed Larry Gordon.

            I have interviewed more than 1200 players in Germany since 2004 and of course Derrick Allen is included. I interviewed him numerous times in my radio show, after games and also for Eurobasket.com. I don´t remember exactly how often I interviewed him, but it is somewhere in the region of 20-30 times and every single interview was always a pleasure. The first time I interviewed him was in the 2005-2006 season when he was playing with BG Karlsruhe. I believe he was injured at that time and I had the opportunity to conduct a pre game interview with him in the Ballsporthalle in Frankfurt. Back then I did the interviews high above the court in the press boxes. In later years when he joined the Frankfurt team, I did all interviews at court side. He was always a good interview as he was a guy that was well spoken and always told the way it was. I loved watching his ballerina moves, but I never ever dreamed of trying it on the court. It was one of those things where you could truly say “Don´t try this at home”. There was only one Derrick “Mr ballerina” Allen. I obviously had consistent contact to him during his 2007-2010 stay in Frankfurt. The years after, I would only see him a few times a season, but I would always mark an X on the calendar at the day when Frankfurt was playing his team. The last two years were very exciting to follow him as he was teammates with two other BBL legends Julius Jenkins and Immanuel Mcelroy. I was hoping like so many other basketball freaks that it would never end and the trio would come back every year. The day had to come one day that he would retire. It is something that we all have to accept. Now fans will probably envision his ballerina moves every now and then and just reminisce about the good old days with him. In November 2012, I conducted an interview with him as he was playing in Belgium. I asked him then about his chances to return to Frankfurt and end his career and he said “ We did talk a little, but there was nothing serious. It depends where the Skyliners will be in two years. If the right chance comes, I would love to come back. Frankfurt has a special place in my heart“, warned Derrick Allen. And for numerous fans in Germany, Derrick Allen will have a special place in their hearts forever.

J’Quan Brown is a 23 year old guard that played at Emmanuel Christian High School. He never went to college, but has semi-pro basketball experience with two teams Glynn County Crusaders (2015-16) (Semi-Pro) averaging 13.3 PPG 5.3 APG 3.2 RPG 1.3 SPG and the T.R.U.E. Eagles (2016-17) (Semi-Pro) averaging 20 PPG 6.3 APG 4.4 APG 2.3 SPG. He is part of the Howard Hoops tour in Germany and spoke about his basketball career and the tour.

J’Quan thanks for talking to germanhoops.com Where are you at the moment and how has your summer been?

It’s a pleasure, thanks for having me. Right now, I’m currently in Orlando, Florida, preparing for my flight to Frankfurt tomorrow morning. My summer has been one of a kind. Late nights and early mornings, literally. But all in all, summer was really busy.

You’re a 23 year old guard from Georgia that has no college experience, but at least played for two semi-pro teams. How difficult is the whole process of mentally keeping that basketball dream alive when you realistically it is very difficult?

It’s extremely hard! Particularly not knowing when and where opportunity will arise. But the biggest thing for me is to stand on faith and just stay ready. I’d rather not have an opportunity and be ready for one than to have one and not be ready. It’s a motto that I live by.

You had a stellar high school career with Emmanuel Christian High School (2013-14) 25.4 PPG 4.1 APG 6.1 RPG 3.3 SPG 1.3 BPG There you were named Player of the Year. With a resume like that why didn’t you land at some college?

As a kid, I’d always wanted to go straight to the pros out of high school. But I didn’t necessarily have that luxury. Emmanuel was such a small school. Like, extremely small. It wasn’t a top high school where I’m from. And it wasn’t top notch competition neither. It was a small private institution, so the school would never get any recognition. I would make personal calls to college coaches about coming out to games and checking them out, but no one would acknowledge. So no, I wasn’t recruited coming out of high school. Very unfortunate, but you control what you can control.

You played with two semi pro teams where you registered pretty good stats. What kind of experience was that and can you get better at the semi pro level?

It was a different experience and also a very frustrating one. Where I played, sometimes you’d have a game scheduled and then it would get cancelled just hours before! Crazy! So there was a lot of inconsistency. As far as getting better at that level, yes you can. But I want to be one of the best players in the world! So I know in order for me to accomplish that, I must shoot for the highest level possible!

With the two semi pro teams Glynn County Crusaders (2015-16) (Semi-Pro) you averaged 13.3 PPG 5.3 APG 3.2 RPG 1.3 SPG T.R.U.E. Eagles (2016-17) (Semi-Pro) 20 PPG 6.3 APG 4.4 APG 2.3 SPG. What stands out right away that you are a scoring guard that also knows how to find your teammates. Talk a little about your game.

My game is pretty simple, for the most part. I don’t like my game to be labeled. Yes I can score, but I’m also a guy who loves to make plays for others and don’t need the ball in my hands to make an impact on the game. I also use my size to my advantage. Yes, I’m small, but I’m definitely strong enough to hold my own.

You get a lot of steals as well. Would you classify yourself as a passionate defender that always wants and can lock down his man? Talk a bit about how much pride you take on the defensive end?

I take a lot of pride in defense! I was told by my uncle as a youngster that I should always destroy whoever was guarding me, but never give up baskets! It’s kind of like being the head of a household and protecting your home and family. You wouldn’t allow anyone to run up in your house and bring harm to you and your family, right? That’s how I feel about playing defense.

You didn’t play last season. What job did you have and were you able to continue to stay in game and body shape? How difficult is it shuffling a job and that basketball dream?

One reason I didn’t play anywhere last year was because I was dealing with a fractured shoulder blade. I went to the Slammers Basketball Combine last summer. Felt I did pretty good, but received no offers. So I worked at a local gym in my hometown where I have access to a basketball court, weight room, swimming pool and all! So I took full advantage! It is hard to juggle working and also chasing the hoop dream. Working early mornings and late nights while also making sure that I’m working on my craft in between all of that. Not to mention the fact that I’m getting on average four hours of sleep/night! But that’s the sacrifice you make when chasing your dreams! It’ll all pay off, I’m sure of it!

You are taking part at the 2019 Howard Hoops tour in Germany. How excited are you to be able to be in Europe? With what kind of expectations are you going to Germany with?

I’m very excited, actually. But I’m not going get too high, nor too low. I have to stay even kill. I’ve been over in Europe one other time, last summer. Great experience! And this will just add on to that. My expectations are to come over, enjoy the experience, play hard, compete, be a sponge and soak up as much as possible, do my best, and let God do the rest!

What do you know in general about the country Germany and it’s basketball? What are you looking forward to most with this experience?

I don’t know a whole lot about the game over there. I do know that the country loves the sport! The thing that I’m most looking forward to, I’d say, is just the experience in general. Not everyone gets an opportunity like this, so I’m going make sure that I take full advantage. This is a blessing!

How thankful are you of getting this experience from tour CEO Ronald Howard (181-PG-84, college: Mayville St.). How did the whole contact come about and what do you believed impressed him most from your game to invite you?

Oh, I’m beyond thankful! Out of all the camps and showcases that I’ve been to, I can honestly and truly say that this is first legit one that I’ve gotten. So it’s only right that I give my all! Ron was actually recommended to me by a buddy of mine, Chris Miller. Like Ron himself, I’m an undersized guard. And with no college experience, he figured that this would be the best opportunity for me! Also, I think we kind of gravitated toward each other because we’re both HUGE fans of the late great rapper out of Los Angeles California, Nipsey Hussle. May God rest his soul.

Ronald Howard has an amazing trach record of helping guys like yourself land on a team. How confident are you that through his guidance you would be able to find a team?

His resume speaks for itself. He knows what he’s doing. He can get in contact with any team out there but he can’t go out and play for us. So it’s our job to go out and play to represent Howard Hoops Academy the best way possible. He’s going do his part, so it’s on us to do ours. Together, as a team!

Is your basketball dream big enough to earn somewhere between 300-500 euro to start?. That is a tough lifestyle and some guys can’t cope with it while others can. Are you aware how tough it will be once you get a shot?

Yes, my hoop dream is big enough for that. And yes, I am aware of how tough that could be. I can understand how some guys can’t cope with it. Especially those with a family. And some of those guys have jobs where they live where they make more money. I don’t have a family. I’m single with no kids, so I’m willing to take the risk! You got to start somewhere and I’m more than willing to work my way up. I’ve come too far to quit now!

Please explain in a few sentences as to why you could help any team despite the kind of resume that you have?

I bring good qualities to a club. Scoring, playmaking, energy, leadership, great work ethic, determination, and a passion that’s unmatched! And though my resume isn’t the best, I know for a fact that I can play at this level. And I’m going to prove it

Please name your personal NBA Mount Rushmore. Which 4 heads old or present would you pick?

This is a topic that’ll forever exist! I don’t typically get involved in topics like this, but my personal NBA Mount Rushmore would be: 1. Lebron James 2. Michael Jordan 3. Kobe Bryant 4. Magic Johnson

What is your personal opinion of the never ending debate of who is the greatest of all-time Michael Jordan or Lebron James?

Kobe Bryant is my all time favorite player! But I personally believe that Lebron is the greatest to ever do it! That’s no disrespect to MJ, he was great! But Lebron is a different animal. 6’8 260lbs and is able to do what he does at the highest level. It’s ridiculous! Everyone has their opinion on it. And there are even some who don’t believe that neither of the two are the greatest. But to each it’s own!

What was the last movie that you saw?

The very last movie I saw was the brand new Lion King, which is by far the greatest movie ever created! I love that movie to death and will watch it 100 times a day if I could!

Thanks J’Quan for the chat.

Derrick Allen amazed basketball fans in Europe for 16 years including 14 years in Germany. He gave fans in many cities many unforgettable nights as he played two seasons with BG Karlsruhe, one season for the Bayer Giants Leverkusen, three seasons for the Deutsche Bank Skyliners, two years with Alba Berlin and also wore the jersey for teams like the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven, Braunschweig, Rasta Vechta and Science City Jena. At the end of 16 seasons, he won two titles in Iceland and a league title in Belgium. He reached the BBL final with Frankfurt in 2010 and 2011 with Alba Berlin. He played a total number of 477 BBL games and as a professional including his short stint with the Southern Crescent Lightning (WBA) in 2004 a total of 642 professional games. He spoke to eurobasket about his 16 year professional career.

Derrick thanks for taking time to talk to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how has your summer been?

My summer has been great, I’ve just been working out and speaking time with family at our home in Cumming, Georgia.

I have been covering you for 15 years since your early time with BG Karlsruhe. I will always remember you as a role model for everyone. A guy who played the game with a passion and had those mind boggling and dizzy like moves in the paint. How will you always remember me?

I will remember you miles as a guy who changed the way journalism is done in Germany. It’s fun to read your columns, and you do a lot of great interviews. Something Americans need more of in Europe!

You have announced your retirement at the age of 39 years old. If someone had told you in the fall of 2003 as you were making first experiences as a professional player in Iceland with Iprottabandalag Keflavikur that you would be play 16 professional seasons how would you have responded then?

Man I wouldn’t have believed them. I told my self I wanted to play until I was 35. But when I got to that age, I felt so well physically that I just kept playing.

A day before you announced your retirement via the social media,your ex teammate with Science jena Dru Joyce did the same saying he had joined the Cleveland State coaching staff. Did you have a talk with him earlier in the summer about the possibility of retiring?

I saw Dru in Vegas this summer for NBA summer league. We talked more about family life & basketball more than anything .

How tough was your decision to make this step to hang up your jersey. It seemed lie your family had a big part of it? 

It wasn’t a tough decision at all. I could have continued to play the waiting game. Or go play in Asia for one more year, but I didn’t want to do that. My family always comes first, and I thought about what my next steps would be.

I always said you were like a 28 year old in body and mind instead of your actual age. How were you feeling this summer. How many more years could you still have played?

No my body feels great, I trained the whole summer like I was playing this upcoming season. My decision about retiring came about 2 weeks ago. I had my mind set on playing just one more year! I didn’t like the way we finished the season in Jena. Dropping out of the league, and then retiring was not what I wanted to do.

You know my interviews are unending so I will try to make it as short as possible and go back from the start to the present. You began your college career at Southern Union State CC in 1998 and played two seasons then. How important was it for your early development and mentally for going this route. Did having to start at the bottom give you a type of chip on your shoulder that helped shape your unbelievable work ethic that you would carry with you your whole career?

Absolutely, playing in junior college made me hungry until the last day I walked off the court. I wasn’t highly recruited in high school. So all my basketball career, I’ve had to prove myself.

You then finished at Mississippi (NCAA) averaging 9,2ppg and 8,2ppg in your last two seasons. How vital was head coach Rod Barnes for your development from a college player into a professional player? How did he groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

Playing in the SEC was great for me. Playing against some of the best in college basketball. Playing for Coach Barnes taught me about life, how to be a man, and don’t make excuses.

You played your rookie season with Iprottabandalag Keflavikur (Iceland-Epson League) putting up big time stats FIBA Europe Cup: 8 games: 26.6ppg, 9.4rpg, 2.5apg, 1.8spg; Icelandic League: 22 games: 23,4ppg, 10.5rpg. What memories do you have of your rookie season? You won your first two titles with them.

My memories from Iceland were. I just got cut from a team in France (Bolouzac), and I was ready to do damage in that league. I played with some wonderful guys there. Who made my 1st full season in Europe one to remember.

You then came to Germany and played two seasons with BG Karlsruhe. You quickly became a top forward in the league. Here you began your long tour in your career playing with amazing teammates. How important was veteran Narcisse Ewodo for your first two seasons in Germany. What do you remember being able to soak up most from his presence on and off the court?

Narcisse was true Veteran player who just knew how to score. He did that in every league he played in. That’s what most I learned from Narcisse.

You then played with the Bayer Giants Leverkusen (Germany-1.Bundesliga) playing 38 games: Score-1 (16.5ppg), 7.3rpg, 1.2apg, 1.0spg, 2FGP: 50.6%, 3FGP: 32.3%, FT: 72.2%. You led the BBL in scoring. You had many great seasons as a professional, but in terms of your own play was this your best season concerning your game?

My year in Leverkusen was a good. We made the playoffs, and that help me kind of take another step in my career.

You were teammates with Nate Fox who passed away a few years ago. He was the type of player that the home fans loved and opponents fans hated. What will you remember most from his game and character?

Nate was one of the best teammates I ever had. It’s truly sad that he’s not here with us anymore.

You then played three years with the Frankfurt Skyliners.from 2007-2010. It was the longest stint that you had as a professional with one team. You had a very close relationship with the fans. Is it fair to say that your stay in Frankfurt was your most cherished in your professional career?

Frankfurt is like home for me! That’s where I grew the most as a player. The organization, fans, and my former coaches & teammates all have a special place in my heart.

On any normal day what phrase do you think did you hear more? D.A or Babbba (referring to head coach Murat Didin’s nickname?

DA I heard most from my teammates and the staff in Frankfurt. I only heard Bubba from Murat! He taught me how to look at the game differently, so I could become an elite player. I’m grateful for all the things I learned from Murat.

You made a slow progression as a professional in Germany making your way to the top. Finally in 2010 you signed with Alba Berlin six seasons since starting in Germany. Do feel like if you had come up later as a player that you may have made the jump to a top team quicker?

No, everything happens for reason! I’m very glad with how my career went. And the time it took me to play for a team like Alba.

You played two seasons with Alba Berlin from 2010-2012. You had so much talent around you. Was this when you were in your prime? How do you feel did your game grow in these two years?

Playing with great players makes the game, so easy for you. It makes you want to step up your game, and be ready for every practice or game.

You then played a season with Belgacom Spirou (Belgium-Ethias League) averaging 10.4ppg, 4.5rpg, FGP: 56.7%, FT: 65.1%; EuroCup: 5 games: 12.4ppg, 5.4rpg, FGP: 50.0%, FT: 76.9%. You won the Belgium title. What was so special about this team that gave you your last title as a professional?

Well we didn’t win the title that season. It’s a Eurobasket mistake! Lol, but guys on that team I still talk with this team. On that Charleroi team, we just had a lot of good genuine people on the team.

You returned to Germany and played with the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven. How tough was this season after playing many years of having success? What memories do you have of Bremerhaven and the sea from a guy coming from Alabama?

It wasn’t tough at all! You play with great teams, and you play with teams who play to stay in the league. I’ve done both in my career. My best memory of Bremerhaven, was finding out my wife was pregnant with our first child.

You then played a season with the Basketball Loewen Braunschweig (Germany-BBL) playing 34 games averaging 10.1ppg, 4.3rpg, FGP: 57.4%, FT: 60.2%. Here you were teammates for the first time with Dru Joyce. The second time came with Science City Jena. How special of a teammate was he and how much easier did he make your game?

Dru is just a great dude, and good family guy. My family and his family hung out a lot during our time in Braunschweig. Also he’s a great guy to play with on a team.

You then played two seasons with Rasta Vechta helping the club move up to the BBL in 2016. How special was this season moving up and was the fanatic atmosphere the best you ever witnessed with all the teams you played with?

Playing in Vechta was great! They probably have the best fans in the league.

You finished your career in Jena playing 65 BBL games with them. What did it mean to you finishing your career with BBL legends Immanuel Mcelroy and Julius Jenkins. You had played with both before in Berlin. What did they mean to you having them as teammates?

Playing with Mac & Julius meant everything. We are all like brothers, and it was so easy to play with them again in Jena. Playing together again was amazing.

You averaged double figures in scoring in 12 of 14 seasons in the BBL. Obviously your work ethic had much to do with your consistency. Was work ethic for you as normal as it is for a person riding a bike or driving a car? Where did you get this discipline from?

I got my work ethic from my mom. She showed me with discipline & hard work you can achieve anything.

You had an unforgettable 16 year professional career. What will you miss the most from being a professional 
player?


I miss the daily grind of getting ready for practice, being around the guys, and just playing the games on the weekends. I’m a basketball junkie, always have been.

The fans loved you in Germany. Please give a last parting message to the fans.

To the fans: Thank you for all of your support during these 14years in Germany. It’s been great to share many memories with you guys. Although I’m retiring from basketball. I will remain around the game, and I’m sure our paths will cross again. DA15

Thanks D.A for the great memories on the court!

 Devin Buckley is a 190cm guard from Brooklyn Park, MN that began his basketball career at Park Center High School. He then played at Wisc.-River Falls (NCAA3) from 2013-2018 playing a total of 93 games. In his freshman season he played 21 games averaging 7.5ppg, 2.0rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 41.8%, 3PT: 34.9%, FT: 70.2%. In his second season at Wisc.-River Falls (NCAA3) he played 18 games averaging 7.0ppg, 1.7rpg, FGP: 40.7%, 3PT: 49.2%, FT: 87.1%. In his junior season at Wisc.-River Falls (NCAA3) he played 29 games averaging 10.6ppg, 2.6rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 43.5%, 3PT: 33.0%, FT: 72.4%. In his senior year with Wisc.-River Falls (NCAA3) he played 25 games averaging 6.7ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 36.4%, 3PT: 32.9%, FT: 68.6%. He got his first professional experience in 2018 with Team Amsterdam (Eurobasket Summer League in Dallas) playing 2 games averaging 17.5ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.5apg, 1.0spg. The American is taking part at the Howard Hoops Tour in Germany this week and spoke to germanhoops.com about his career.

Devin thanks for talking to germanhoops.com Where are you at the moment and how has your summer been?
Thank you for featuring me on your website! I am currently in Brooklyn Park, MN and my summer has been great, just been working hard, training everyday getting ready for my opportunity to try and earn a contract to play professionally overseas.

You have been working out with player trainer Ron Howard and will be joining his Howard Hoops tour in next weeks in Germany. How did the contact come about to him?
I work out at a training facility called GameFace Training and Ron Howard used to do basketball training at the Facility. One day I worked out with him and I really enjoyed the session. He has a lot of knowledge for the game so after we worked out we had a conversation about my future and he told me that he has connections in Germany and that’s when he presented me with the opportunity to compete for a job in his Howard Hoops Tour.

You played your last NCAA 3 game in 2018. What have you been doing in the last year during your search for a professional team? Did you get that job at Target?
I’ve been training 5 days a week doing speed and agility, jump training, and strength training. Also I do some sort of basketball work out 6 days a week, such as basketball work out sessions, open gyms, and summer leagues. I actually did get the job at Target, but I turned it down to pursue my dream in playing professional basketball!

You have been struggling to find a professional fit since ending your NCAA 3 career at Wisc.-River Falls (NCAA3) in 2018. Your second summer is winding down and still no pro team. Despite knowing that how high is your self confidence that it might work this time now that you know Ron Howard?
I am very confident. I never get discouraged because I know that God’s plan for me is bigger than anything that I could ever imagine! I believe that God put Ron into my life for a reason, everything is going to work out this time and I will become a professional basketball.

What kind of training program have you had with Ron Howard? How has his program helped your fitness and game grow since you have known him?
Ron is very creative with his work out programs not only is he great at improving your fundamentals like dribbling, passing, and shooting, but he always develops advanced skills such as court vision, on and off ball screen work, and even conditioning. He makes sure that you are ready for any scenario and all aspects of the game!

What have been the biggest difficulties in finding a professional club? Has the addition of an agent or not been a factor that has hindered you to be able to play the game that you love?
I would say that there have been a couple things that have made it difficult to find a professional club to play for.
1, I feel like the majority of clubs overseas think that D3 players aren’t very skilled compared to D1 and D2 players, but that isn’t completely true. Throughout my college career I competed against a number of D2 schools and performed well and actually defeated most of the D2 schools I played against so I think that because they haven’t seen me play in person they feel that I’m not as good because I played D3 basketball.
2. The other thing is just finding an opportunity to be seen, but now that Ron is providing this opportunity to play in front of different coaches and clubs I can show them that D3 guys can play and that I could benefit a team and help them win this upcoming season!

You haven’t been totally without professional experience. In the summer of 2018, you had the opportunity to play with Team Amsterdam (Eurobasket Summer League in Dallas) playing 2 games averaging 17.5ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.5apg, 1.0spg. What kind of experience was this and what did you get out of it?
Yes, I did, it was a great experience I had the chance to compete against D2, D1, and even former pros that played overseas the year before! And I believe that my numbers showed from the 2 games that I performed very well and can compete at the next level as a pro ball player. The exposure camp with Eurobasket give me the confidence that professional basketball is obtainable and that I am good enough.

You will be a part of the Howard Hoops tour in August in Germany. How excited are you for this opportunity and what are you looking most forward to in this week when you come to Germany?
I am beyond excited! I’ve been waiting for this chance to show that I can play and now that it is finally almost here I’m ready to get there and prove myself! The thing I’m looking forward to most is playing against different pro teams in Germany it will be such an amazing experience!

Will you continue your special ritual of putting on your left sock and left shoe before your right sock and right shoe?
You’ve really done your research! It’s really cool that you know that, but of course I will. I’ve been doing it since I was a little kid and I don’t think that’s ever going to change.

What do you know in general about the country Germany and it’s basketball? Have you had any friends or ex teammates or opponents that have had a chance to ball professionally in Germany?
I don’t know a ton about Germany as a country. I know that it is a beautiful with great food and great people. As far as the basketball there I’ve heard that it is very physical so I will have to be aggressive and not be afraid of contact. I don’t have any friends/ex teammates that have played in Germany, but I do have some friends/ex teammates that have played in Europe such as Poland, France, and Hungary.
Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 190cm guard. So people can get a feel of what type of player you are to what NBA plyer could one describe your game best to?
If I had to choose one player in the NBA to describe me I would say Bradley Beal. I think my game is similar to Beal, he is a sharpshooter that is great from 3pt range, but he can also score in many other ways (cutting to the back, post up game as a big guard, and a good ball handler that can get to the basketball). Also I believe we both possess the ability to get our teammates involved through our play making abilities. So if I had to compare myself to an NBA guy it would definitely be Bradley Beal.

You scored only once in double figures in the NCAA 3 at 10,6ppg. What strengths does your game possess and what will you be showcasing in Germany most?
Although this is true I think that my stats from college aren’t a good representation of what I’m capable of doing if given the chance to play professionally. In college my Head Coach’s offensive philosophy was to get it into the post as much as possible. So I didn’t get to play completely the way I wanted to play and I didn’t get to shoot the ball very much, which explains why I’ve only averaged double figures once in college. But like I stated in my answer above, my game possesses not only the ability to be a knock down shooter, but also a guard that has a high basketball IQ, always makes the correct basketball play, and the ability to get my teammates open shots. 

How do you feel did your game grow at Wisc.-River Falls and on what parts of your game do you continue to work on to grow as a player as you go into the professional ranks?
I’d say my athleticism greatly improved throughout college I am now able to move a lot quicker laterally. Also I think my feel for the game improved, just being able to find my spots on the court making it was easier for me to score. My shot selection improved over the years, and being able to make the extra pass to get a great shot for my team. 

You played at Wisc-River Falls from 2013-2018 being a WIAC tournament finalist in 2016 and 2018 and won it in 2017. What were the highs of your college career and what was your most memorable moment?
Those tournament championship games were definitely highs during my college careers because the atmosphere and the intensity was so incredible in each of those games. And I’d say that playing in the NCAA tournament was the most memorable moment in my college career. But some of the best moments of my college basketball career were the rides home from long road trips and the trips out of State, being able to create chemistry with the guys, talk about things on the bus and in the hotel rooms, and just being together helped create memories that I will never forget.

Was your 29-point game against St Thomas one of your most memorable games in school?
It was an amazing game in my career! It was the first game of the season and we played such a successful program, so to beat them and to score the most points in the first game of the season in UW-River Falls history with 29 points it was a great night for sure!

How did head coach Jeff Berkhof groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?
The best thing that Coach Berkhof taught me is to never get too high or too low on myself and just to focus on being better than I was yesterday through hard work and dedication on my craft.

Who won a one on one in school you or Clay Seifert?
Oddly Clay and I never played a game of one on one against each other, He is a good player but if we did I think I would edge him out!

Who was the toughest opponent that you played in the NCAA that is in the NBA or in Europe now?
The toughest players that I have played that are in the NBA or Europe now would have to be Tyus Jones and Rashad Vaughn.

Please list your five best teammates of all-time?
1.Quinton Hooker
2.Alex Herink
3.Jon Christensen
4.Ollie White
5.Grant Erickson

Please name your personal own NBA Rushmore. Which four heads would you pick past or present for your list?
1.Michael Jordan
2.Kobe Bryant
3.Magic Johnson
4.Lebron James

What is your personal opinion of the never ending debate of who is the greatest of all-time Michael Jordan or Lebron James?
I think that these two players are the only players that can be debated on as the GOAT, and Lebron James is unbelievable with his ability be so versatile and to be a 6’9 point guard, but based on the eye test as a basketball player, all the accolades, records, and championship, the GOAT has always been and still is Michael Jordan! 

What was the last movie that you saw?
The last movie I watched is in my opinion the greatest movie ever, it takes you on an emotional roller coast, it is based on a true story, and is the greatest upset of all time, and that movie is Glory Road! 

Thanks Devin for the chat.

Ron Howard is an ex player that spent many years overseas and since retiring has focused his energy on helping unknown players get exposure by organizing games and in many cases helping them find professional jobs. He founded Howard Hoops in 2013 where he brought numerous players overseas to help them find jobs and since 2018 has started the Howard Hoops academy where he helps train unknown players and help find basketball jobs. germanhoops.com has been covering his work since years and have interviewed him again about the current 2019 Howard Hoops Tour in Germany.

Ron thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how has your summer been?

Right now I am currently getting on a plane to Frankfurt for the Howard Hoops Summer Exposure Tour. My summer has been UnReal!!

You have been in the States again for many months, but are returning back to Germany to run your well known Howard Hoops tour. What do you enjoy seeing most when you return back to Germany?

Although there are many things I enjoy seeing while coming back to Germany, but what excites me is knowing I have 9 Player’s from America ready to lay it out on the line to earn a roster spot this summer.

You have been running the Howard Hoops Tour now for 5-6 years. With so much experience now, how challenging is it for you with every new tour making it the best possible and most advantageous for hungry players looking for that professional job?

While this being the 6th year running H.H. Exposure Tour I wanted to make it a bit more competitive. This year bringing in 2 Regionalliga Teams Deutz & Olpe, because if my H.H. Team displays everything I believe they are capable of doing. It will be a great turn out for this group. 

In our last interview in November 2018, you stated that the Howard Hoops tour developed further with expanding a Basketball Academy in Santiago, Dominican Republic. How has that been coming along in the last 8-9 months?

‘Let’s not talk about the DR’

Talk a little about this summers Howard hoops Tour in Germany. Where will the games be and what can players expect from the 2019 edition?

This summer we will play a warm up game against EOSC Offenbach then over the weekend we will play in a 4 team tournament in Olpe.

You have to put in much preparation each year into arranging the Howard Hoops roster. Do the player applications grow each year and on what things do you look for most in giving players the chance to be a part of this tour?

Yes they grow each year but this year I really went after character and I feel like I have a great group of young men.

Give a little introduction about what players will be playing in this years tour? What guys do you believe to be able to make the biggest impact?

I think Dorea Wilson & Brandon McElvy & Devin Buckley stand out the most to me. 

Talk a little about some of your ex Howard Hoops Tour players. Which guys have you been following most and is a Chris Miller continuing to climb the basketball ladder?

Yes Denzel Brito is having a great summer of training and can’t wait to see him this season. Chris Miller will be headed to China for a Year of Coaching. 

How are guys like Ivan Vernon and Philipp Jenkins continue to move up the basketball ladder?

They are both doing well and having a great summer of training, I’m looking forward for them breaking that barrier this year and climbing the ladder.

In our last interview you listed some guys like Marquis Jones and Taylor Jordan. How have these guys developed further and did any get jobs?

Taylor Jordan now does skill training & Marquis Jones has a nice youth girls program he has developed and is taking off!!

A thing that I love about you is that you are never content and what to better yourself and help others achieve and get better. What future goals do you have. Are there any new ideas that you are working on to get realized down the road?

Yes I have recently opened up a Howard Hoops Training Facility in Saint Louis Park Minnesota. I am brining in 2 international German player’s/students and to come train their skills and develop their game with me and live in America for 4 weeks. They will understand how college works and go on college tours also have live scrimmages each week. I’m trying to bring the culture together through basketball. International German players coming August 18-September 18 are (Max Montag) and (Alexander Haritopoulos)

You also have been spending a lot of time in Minnesota with personal training of players. How has this task been occupied best in 2019 and what is your biggest goal with continuing to pursue this?

My biggest goal is to be a Collegiate Head Coach, but as for now my focus is to keep reaching kids and developing talent and teaching the game of basketball the correct way.

The 2019 World Cup is coming up and Team USA will be very young. The most experienced veterans will be Kemba Walker and PJ Tucker. How do you see this team doing against the European competition?

I think it’s going to be tough, but we are young and hungry. Team US all the way!!

What was the last movie that you saw?

Aladdin

Thanks Ron for the chat.

Derrick Allen has retired. He amazed basketball fans in Europe for 16 years including 14 years in Germany. He gave fans in many cities many unforgettable nights as he played two seasons with BG Karlsruhe, one season for the Bayer Giants Leverkusen, three seasons for the Deutsche Bank Skyliners, two years with Alba Berlin and also wore the jersey for teams like the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven, Braunschweig, Rasta Vechta and Science City Jena. At the end of 16 seasons, he won two titles in Iceland and a league title in Belgium. He reached the BBL final with Frankfurt in 2010 and 2011 with Alba Berlin. He played a total number of 474 BBL games and as a professional including his short stint with the Southern Crescent Lightning (WBA) in 2004 a total of 642 professional games.  I sampled tribute messages from teammates, opponents, team employees and fans. The peers of Derrick Allen will never forget him.

Dietmar Haubrich/Natascha Mnich( long time Derrick Allen fans and friends from Frankfurt)

DA is probably the only player that played for 10 teams in his career and stayed in the heart of every organization. He and his family were able to leave something unique in every place they were through their loving and open nature

Katja Von Der Beeck(Long time Alba Berlin fan)

When Alba Berlin announced that he was joining us, I was very happy. The name was already very well known then. I already liked his game style before he came to Alba. I was so happy to see him play every week. After he left Alba, we remained in contact and one was always happy to see the other. I don´t want to lose the contact to family Allen

Murat Didin(Ex coach Deutsche Bank Skyliners)

He ran the ship with pure heart. I remember his first practice. He was doing everthing perfect, but he had some disturbance in his knee. Doctors didn´t let him play the next day. DA was really upset. I then worked with him  a few days. Management said that if there was an injury that his contract would be cut. I told him that that wouldn´t happen. Nobody can stop you. His knee was never a subject again. Then he had some very nice years with Frankfurt. I always thought that if he had had a bit better shot then he would have been a Euroleague player. First he was an action player and then he became a team player where he saw everything. I was very proud to have been able to coach him. I wish him a lot of luck now. He can help young players because he has the experience and heart.

Ahmet Didin(Son of Murat Didin)

8 Years after we moved away from Frankfurt and my father wasn’t coaching him for a long time, but DA still wishes me happy birthday every day and asks how my siblings and parents are doing. This just showed how genuinely nice and caring he was. I always appreciated him, and I still wear my #15 Allen Skyliners jersey when I play basketball just because he was such a role model as an athlete. And every time when I see a big shot and a dribble pull up 15 foot jumper reminds me of him.

Achmadschah Zazai(Hamburg Towers)

A great player has retired. You could always rely on him on the court. He always gave 100%

Stefano Garris(Ex player)

Derrick was always very diligent and very professional. He always put in the extra work.

Eric Taylor (Ex player)

Derrick was a prolific scorer who was always ready to bring fire to the offense. He was a great teammate who supported what was best for the team. Derrick was a consistent, and reliable teammate who knew what was right to make the team succeed. Most importantly, Derrick was a really good person, he had a kind heart and always a beacon of positive energy, always bringing people together off the court.

Pascal Roller (Ex player Frankfurt Skyliners legend)

DA was a workaholic(gym rat) that had the fastest feet in the low post that I ever saw. Because he was always moving in the paint, he was impossible to defend and was always a go to option on offense. He was able to play at a high level for so long because of his role model like attitude and staying in shape so well. But more important was his character that made him such a popular figure. His leadership qualities with that lead by example attitude made him a very valuable building block for every team that he played with

Vincent Yarbrough(Ex NBA player ex Bamberg/Bonn)

“Derrick’s career is a testament to his work ethic. Self starter. Go getter. Look at those years. Look at those teams. Look at the success. I wish you all the success in the world on your next chapter”

Michael Umeh(Polski Cukier Torun (Poland-EBL)

Met DA first summer I got out. One of the guys any rookie would look up to in regards to professionalism and staying prepared. Just want to congratulate DA on a great career.

Helge Baues(WWU Baskets Muenster)

I played together with him for one season in Bremerhaven. He was a good captain even in bad times. I was a young player then and he was a super role model for me with his professional attitude and effort on the court.

Chris Ensminger(ex player)

He worked his way up the BBL ladder and had many outstanding years. First time I believe when I saw him was in Karlsruhe where Derrick played in the BBL with a young team. One thing that always amazed me was the amount of work he put into his pregame routine. He made me tired just watching. It was like he was playing a game before the game. Full energy bouncing around, same routine,spinning the ball for his mid range jump shot. Pump faking the air, up n unders, usw…… Undersisized 4/5 that competed hard and seemed to be a GREAT teammate from all of the things I heard from his former teammates. Leader by example, 100percent work ethic. Which explains why he played such a long career. Taking care of his body I’m sure in many different ways. DA as many know him definitely wasn’t the flashiest or most athletic with high flying dunks or Alley oops. Perhaps a PF playing below the rim like myself. but a winner, someone who competed every game and each possession. A teammate who had your back and would like on your team . DA will be successful in his next career after basketball because of this mindset. It is a shame we never had a chance to play with each other but I have many memories competing against him! Congratulations on a great BBl and European career! All the best and sure our paths will cross again somewhere!

Demond Mallet(ex player)

I played against DA on several occasions. He was a high energy guy that could do everything. You had to bring it every time you played against him. He just made his team better. Not only that, he is a great person off the court. I know his second chapter will be just as successful.

Braydon Hobbs(EWE Baskets)

Derrick had a great career. It was always nice to compete against him because you knew he was always going to give 100 percent. He was a super hard worker. He would be the first guy on the court, for a game, and get a full workout in. I have never seen someone workout so hard before a game and still have energy left to perform in the game. It was incredible. I wish him all the best for his future, and we need more people around the game like Derrick Allen.

Adam Waleskowski(MHP Riesen)

Derrick Allen was one of the hardest working, talented guys I have played against. From his intensity during his pre-game warm up until the final buzzer, DA was always working his ass off and playing at 100 percent. Taking pride in being a tough-nosed hard worker like him, every time I played against him I knew it was going be a dog fight. He always made his teammates better and was a great personality that I’m sure fans loved to support where ever he played. I want to congratulate DA on such a successful career and wish him all the best in his next step after retirement!

Velimir Radinovic(Ex player)

Terrific energy guy. You could never take any possessions off against him, otherwise he’d make you pay because he had such a great motor.

Jukka Matinen(Former player)

I played against him when he was In Karlsruhe.. He played really tough and effective every game. He has a way To find the simplest solutions on The court, which are the most effective. When you add really good basketball fundamentals and a tough mentality, it is no wonder he had an amazing career.

Jasmin Perkovic(U.M.F. Tindastoll Sauoarkrokur Iceland-Dominos League)

I don’t know what to say about Derrick, in last ten years I changed so many teammates. I always can say about them something but I really don’t know Derrick personally, only from scouting report. Honestly, I can only remember he was fast in transition and he had fast feet.

Lorenzo Williams(Neptunas Klaipeda Lithuania-LKL)

I played against Derrick Allen for the first time back in 2009-10 season when he was in Frankfurt. I played for Giessen so this was our rival. I didn’t know him but what stood out to me was how hard he worked every possession. He never took any plays off. But the biggest thing I took from him is how well he communicates with his teammates on the court. I could tell that he was a great leader and his guys had a lot of respect for him. Without him even knowing, he has helped me in my career a lot. I’m sure other players feel the same.

Michael Hakim Jordan(ex Player assistant coach Colgate(NCAA)

I’ve always appreciated DA because of how hard he played. He was a guy I never had the chance to play with but always wanted to. Hated playing against him.. He was always a good dude

Steven Wriedt(assistant coach Giessen 46ers)

He was a great player and great guy. He was always one of the fastest players in the league even for his size and age. I would always tell our young players to watch how he would warm up full power the moment he went our on the court, always very professional and focused.

Quantez Robertson(Fraport Skyliners)

DA was always a hard worker and had a great sense of humor. He never made any excuses or complaints about anything. Everybody liked him and were still good friends to this day.

Gordon Herbert(head coach Fraport Skyliners/Team Canada)

DA is an awesome person, great family man and a tremendous professional and great teammate. He was a great example on and off the floor. It was an honor to coach Derrick.

Grayson Moyer(former player)

Derrick was one of the hardest working players I have ever played with. He led by example and never gave anything less than 100% at all times. He was a great friend and teammate.

Giordan Watson( CSM CSU Oradea Romania-Liga Nationala)

First thing I remember about Derrick was how active he was on the court. And then noticing, he can do this all game and never look tired. He had a great motor and I think it was infectious to his team. Best of luck in the after life DA!

Nik Caner Medley(Ibaraki R Japan)

I played against Derrick my 1st year as a pro in Germany when I played for the Artland Dragons. What stood out the most to me was his competitiveness and passion for the game. I have always said I am a fighter who plays basketball and he was one of the first guys I played against who had that same approach, it was inspiring to see! Congrats on a great career Derrick you inspired guys that you may not have even known and that is a sign of greatness.

Besnik Bekteshi(Tigers Tuebingen)

He is a fascinating player and a role model. Only a player like him who cares so much for his body can play as long as he did. He was a leader and was always prepared to help the young players. I´m glad that I was able to play with him for one season. I wish him all the best for the future.

Jakob Muziol(Former press speaker Bayer Giants Leverkusen)

I can only say what probably everyone else has said. DA was always nice and you could rely on him and without big stories off the court. As a press secretary you always want a player like that on the team.

Illian Evtimov(Chorale de Roanne Basket)

DA was the most professional player I have ever played with. On and off the court. He would always warm up 100%, then he would always stay in after practice. I have never seen anyone treat the practice the way he did. He sets the tone without even trying. When we played together, we combined on the post, and he played the 5. He was cooking every 5 man we played against even though he is undersized for a 5. Smart, hard working, coachable, and exemplary are the best words to describe him. He is a true example for every kid out there who is trying to make it as a professional.

Pete Strobl(Head Coach Basketball Lowen Braunschweig)

Derrick Allen was one of the most consistent players to ever play in Germany. His passion and professionalism should serve as a role-model for players of all ages. I’ll miss watching him compete and wish him success in the next stages of his career.

Mike Taylor(Head Coach Hamburg Towers/Poland national team)

He has just completed a legendary career. If there is a Bundesliga Hall of Fame, he needs to be in it. It´s not only about being a very good player on some very good teams, but the way he conducted himself. He was first class on and off the court. He was a role model for how you wanted your import big men to be like.  He was successful for several teams and had an impressive run. Now he can move on to the next chapter in his life and left a great lasting impression on the German Bundesliga and German basketball.

Wolfgang Heyder(Brose Bamberg legend)

I witnessed Derrick over 15 years not only as a great player or unbelievable energizer, but a player that always played hard, fought intensively for the win, but was always a fair and pleasant player and even after the toughest fight on the court wanted to have that friendly relationship. I wish him the best now after his playing career.

Jay Thomas(Ex player)

No matter which team he played on, no matter the record of his team or opposing team, no matter who his coach was, one thing was always certain – D.A. would bring it every night!

Rauol Korner(Head Coach medi Bayreuth)

DA is the prototype of a real professional. Someone you can show to the young players and say: „this is how you have to practice, how to be hungry but humble, how you take care of your body, how to be a leader and this is the energy you should bring every night!“ He was a role model to everyone around him and it was a real pleasure and honor coaching him.

Rickey Paulding(EWE Baskets)

DA is the ultimate competitor. I´ve never seen anyone outwork him. From the first time I played against him until now, I´ve always respected the way he played and how he approached the game. I will definitely miss competing against him and his presence in the league.

Skyler Bowlin(s.Oliver Wurzburg)

Man, DA was just a great teammate. He was a good leader, he outworked everyone, he was a great father and husband. He was the total package of how a person should be and I was very lucky to be a part of his journey.

Maurice Jeffers(Ex player)

First of all DA is just a good, high character person. Treats everyone with respect. Just a really solid dude! On the court he was the ultimate pro. I always enjoyed competing against DA because you knew he was going to do everything in his power to help his team win. I always respected how he went about his business. It was a pleasure to compete against him. He’s a real pro and I congratulate him on a great career!

Moses Ehambe(Vostok-65 (Russia-Superleague)

Derrick Allen was a leader beyond leaders. A true professional on and off the basketball court. His tireless work ethic is one I will never forget. Truly inspiring!

Ben Perkins(Ex player)

Derrick was a Pro’s Pro! During my years playing in Germany even though he is my age he had been in the League for a few years and I truly respected. There is no surprise he had such a long successful career, his approach to the game is a example all Americans should learn from! Huge congrats on a great career!

Jacob Burtschi(Ex player)

I do remember Derrick Allen. DA was the ultimate professional. From his pregame routine to how he competed on the floor. The guy never quit and he was relentless. Definitely one of my toughest battles during my time in the BBL. I’ve always had great respect for Derrick and cheers to a great career!

Deandre Lansdowne(Germani Brescia Leonessa (Italy-Serie A)

I heard about his career from many. He was such a competitor on the court, but a great leader and person off the court. He left a huge mark on the BBL, and his name will forever be in the history books.

John Bynum(Ex player)

Derrick was one of the hardest working players that I played against in Germany and it is one of the reasons why he lasted so long. He had an elite game and I always remember what a tough match up he was for other bigs around the league to defend. Off the floor he was a class act and many young players should look at his career and use that as a tool of motivation of what success is.

Stefan Letzelder(Former athletic coach Frankfurt Skyliners)

Where to start? Warrior on the court, gentleman off the court. Fun to be around. Hard worker and great overall athlete. I remember clocking him sub 11 in the 100m during a pratice at Nidda park.

Dan Oppland(Lok Bernau)

He was a great player and the ultimate competitor. He had a great career.

Dashaun Wood(Ex Alba Berlin/Frankfurt Skyliners)

He was a great professional and a great leader. He’s the kind of guy you want as a teammate He gave the game everything he had and you have to appreciate a guy like that.

He’s a great example of being a true pro.

Kevin Johnson Jr(Ex Giessen 46er)

I will always remember Derrick as a fighter on the court. He was always light on his feet and tough to guard. He always turned it up a notch for the Frankfurt vs Giessen derby games. Congrats to Derrick on a great and extremely long career!

Carlos Medlock(Trefl Sopot (Poland-EBL)

Man I wish I could’ve played with DA more than that one year in Vechta. He was a high class professional and a great captain for our team. Showed me how to lead a team the right way. A person who is willing to help out anyone still to this day I call and ask him for advice. He’s definitely going to be a good coach in his next chapter of his life.

Quentin Pryor(Ex player)

DA was the ultimate pro. His motor was unmatched. Probably the fastest big from end to end. Off the court, he was full of knowledge and advice that  younger players needed.

Jared Newson(Ex player)

Me and DA met in 2006 working out in Atlanta. He was my teammate for Bayer Giants Leverkusen my first professional year of basketball in 06-07.’ From day one I saw professionalism and work ethic. A person who worked on his craft and perfected it. DA was known for “putting people in the blender” with his spinning foot work in the post. DA was a bucket getter, a actions speak louder than words leader, and a model teammate off the court. Congratulations DA and best of luck to your next endeavors.

Jimmie Hunt(Luxuris Celje (Slovenia-2SKL)

Congrats to a great career. D.A. was a great player, tremendous competitor and even better friend. Much love and respect to you and your new chapter in life. God bless

Radenko Pilcevic(KK Lovcen Cetinje (Montenegro-Erste Liga)

Derrick is easy to describe, which is the hardest thing to do. I played against him when he was in his best basketball years and we played together when he was near the end of his career. Derrick is synonymous with professionalism. His attitude towards training at the age of 36 will remain in my memory for the rest of my life. It showed everyone what kind of relationship you have to do if you do something you love, if you want to do something at all. simply, Derick is a positive example!

Sotiris Gioulekas(SELLBYTEL Baskets Nuernberg)

I think that he played in Karlsrue when I played in Nurnberg. And we played together at the All star game in Koln. He had very good career and played with good teams. He was a very good scorer and was a strong and difficult player to play against. And he was a player that took the big shots.

Chris Carter(Ninners Chemnitz)

He was a fierce competitor and took his pregame routine very serious to make sure he was ready to play. A true testament of what being a professional is all about.

Igor Perovic(Head Coach ScanPlus Baskets)

Derick was a great player and he is even a greater person. I played for Wûrzburg and Tübingen when he was in Karlsruhe and I remember him very well. He was extremely active on the court. He always gave 100%. I have coached against him also when Derrick played for Frankfurt, Alba, Braunschweig and Vechta. He was a night mare for other players that have to play against him. He was an excellent fast break player, great mid range shooter, always went for offensive rebounds, very good low post game. Definitely he was one of the best 4 man in Germany in last 15 years. But he was always nice to other people. I remember his smile and friendly charachter. I wish him all the best in his new life without playing pro basketball.

Adrian Breitlauch(Eisbaeren Bremerhaven)

Derrick was a player that stood out. He was always the first one on the court when we faced him. Hours before the game, he was working on his shot, his post moves and other parts of his game to go and get ready for game time. A true professional. From his time with the Eisbären Bremerhaven, the team manager and physio still talk about him to this day and always point out, what a great guy he is. A true BBL-legend. I wish him all the best.

Elijah Allen(Tigers Tuebingen)

I scrimmaged Derrick Allen when I played for Lich in Pro B. At the time he was with Vechta Pro A. He was a player that I remember played with a great motor. I remember him being very vocal on offense and defense. I respect his game very much. He was the type of player that could impact the game without always having the ball in his hands. He made a great career here in Germany and I hope he enjoys his retirement.

Jannik Freese(Hamburg Towers)

Derrick seemed to always be ready 24/7. He was the first one to be on the court to get his shots up but always had a quick minute to chat it up before the game until he hustled back to his spots to shoot. He dominated the league with his hustle and persistence and had great stats up until his last year. That alone speaks for all the hard work he put in to get where he is and he deserved all of it!

Chris Oliver(Ex player)

First I want to just say congratulations to DA on a blessed and successful career. Playing against him was always a battle. We brought the best out of each other. I’m very happy for him as he embarks on this next chapter of his life. Blessings and happiness to him and his family.

Jahmar Thorpe(Earthfriends Tokyo Z (Japan-B2 League)

DA was a great player! Hard worker. And had tremendous energy! He was a leader on and off the court! A true professional!

Deandre Haynes(Ex player/ assistant coach Illinois State)

Derrick Allen was one of the toughest players I’ve played against overseas. I tell my players about him every year. He was a relentless rebounder and was always going to outwork you, and you couldn’t stop his jump hook. He had a successful career from being a great teammate and outworking everybody on the floor. He was a winner! He was the guy you wanted on your team, because that’s all he cared about was winning from what I seen and heard from coach Murat Didin. I wish him nothing but the best with his next career.

Reggie Redding(ex FC Bayern Muenchen (Germany-BBL)

Nothing but respect for DA and his career. Was always a cool dude to me and played the game with the live and passion it deserves!

Tory Walker(Ex player ex Giessen, Artland and Braunschweig)

My man DA was the hardworking energizer of his team. His Love and commitment to the game of basketball showed throughout his successful career. And his durability is something that we as athletes admire because we know the grind year after year can wear a body down. The Captain has cemented his name as one of the best Americans to play in the German League!

Tim Abromatis(Zenit Sankt Petersburg (Russia-VTB)

Derrick was obviously a great player, even late in his career when I played with him, or else he wouldn’t have had such a successful career. But I remember him more for being an incredible teammate and one of the hardest workers I’ve ever known. He went full speed 100% of the time in practice, and his pregame workouts were insane. He approached the game as a true professional and I am lucky to have had one year to learn from him.

Tyron Mccoy(Ex player EWE Baskets/Leverkusen)

I would like to say congrats to D. A. on an awesome career!! You will go down as one of the all time greats in the BBL. you were always a fierce competitor who led with hard work. Bro, I wish you nothing but blessings as you begin your new chapter in life and good things come to good people!