Only a year before reaching the big dance, Diante Garrett was paying some serious dues in Croatia as a rookie and was as far away from the NBA as the next NBA player is from matching Jamal Murray´s incredible 50 points in a game without one single free throw attempt. A year later Diante Garrett entered the American Airlines arena in Miami and was about to set foot on the floor and see totally different type of players then what he had seen in Croatia. The comparison of saying players from a different universe could of fit perfectly. Garrett had made the Phoenix Suns and was able to call European stars Goran Dragic and Marcin Gortat teammates as well as talented and well known Americans like Michael Beasley, Wesley Johnson and Shannon Brown. But absolutely no disrespect to them, but these guys didn´t size up to the guys he would be battling as Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and Ray Allen were on the other side not about to give any freebees to the 24 year old kid. He also was able to witness the great Shane Battier and see an old foe from the NCAA with Mario Chalmers. The American who lists Mario Chalmers as one of his toughest covers in the NCAA when he won the NCAA title with Kansas was fortunate and got into the game even if he only breathed 2 minutes of NBA air. “I scored my first NBA basket against Miami. I remember just being on the court and seeing Lebron and D Wade and just thinking Oh my God. I was shocked to see them. I remember that the Heat was beating us badly. I remember coach Alvin Gentry saying DG go. Lebron wasn´t on the court. I just remember going baseline and getting a lay up over Ray Allen. I have a picture and will never forget it”, stressed Diante Garrett. Now more than 8 years later the basketball career of Diante Garrett is still active, but he has been in Europe since 2015. Like so many guys before him, he had his time in the NBA, but after 3 seasons, accepted that his career would continue in Europe. He has racked up an impressive career overseas where he has demonstrated his abilities and consistency in many different leagues and currently is in his 10^th professional season and giving his best to help the Jobstairs Giessen 46ers remain in the easyCredit BBL.

            He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on November 3^rd, 1988 and attended Harold S. Vincent High School where he averaged 15,2ppg and 5,3apg as a senior and was named Milwaukee player of the year and was named first team all state. In 2007 he made his way to the NCAA and decided to play for Iowa State where he remained 4 years playing a total of 128 NCAA games. He was a solid guard in his first 3 years where he averaged 9,0ppg and 5,0apg in his second and third years, but his game took a total transformation in his senior year where he exploded averaging 17.3ppg, 3.7rpg, 6.1apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 41.3%, 3PT: 31.9%, FT: 82.5%. A big reason for his massive strides as a player was head coach Fred Hoiberg who came on board in his senior year. “A big shout out to coach Fred. He gave me the awesome green light. He took a chance on me and gave me a lot of self-confidence. I remember him calling me in Milwaukee and telling me that he was the new head coach. He told me I will put the ball in your hands. He then asked me that he wanted to meet me so I drove to him. He told me that he would give me the keys to the team and let me go. He told me that I was a true point guard, but that after 3 years I could also be a scoring point guard. The next day we were in the gym and working on my jump shot. I remember thinking that this guy was a legend and he had the confidence in me. I went from 9,0ppg to 17ppg as a senior and that was because of him”, remembered Diante Garrett.  He never was able to reach the big dance with Iowa State, but he still remembers his 4 years with a lot of joy. “I have a lot of great memories. I remember beating Kansas State when they were top 3 in the country. I also remember scoring 27 points against Kansas that was on ESPN. I will never forget all the rival games against schools like Iowa, Drake and Northern Iowa. All the games were sold out and the excitement level was so high already 3 days before the game”, stated Diante Garrett. He also remembers beating his teammate Darion Anderson who all called Jake all day on one on one games, but also remembers his teammate German Lucca Staiger with a lot of elation. “I remember when I passed Lucca the ball, I could get 3,4,5,6 assists that game. No matter what I knew his shot would go in. He really shot the ball well and was a cool guy. I remember his little brother Jannick came to our practices. He wants to come to a Gießen game. I know Lucca is in Spain now. It would have been nice to see him again. He is a teammate and friend that I will always remember”, expressed Diante Garrett.

            After finishing at Iowa State in 2011, he took part at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (Pre-NBA Draft) playing 3 games averaging 10.7ppg, 2.3rpg, 3.0apg, 1.3spg. After not getting any NBA interest, he took his craft overseas starting in Croatia with KK Zagreb Croatia Osiguranje (Croatia-A1) playing 3 Euroleague games averaging  3.7ppg, 1.3rpg, 2.0apg; and played 3 Adriatic League games averaging 4.3ppg, 1.0rpg, 1.3apg. He then moved to JSF Nanterre (France-ProA) playing 25 games averaging 7.4ppg, 2.6rpg, 3.0apg, FGP: 63.0%, 3PT: 34.3%, FT: 81.5%. He got his first taste of the Euroleague playing against Bamberg where he scored 11 points in his debut, Panathinaikos and CSKA Moscow, but had little luck getting hammered in all 3 games and losing by 92 points combined. But he was fortunate in getting an early taste of the NBA as he battled against great names like Mike Bastiste, Dimitris Diamantidis, Brian Roberts, Casey Jacobsen, Andrei Kirilenko, Nenad Kristic and Milos Teodosic. His stay in Croatia was short, but he closed out his rookie season well in France. He will never forget how Croatia and France were like day and night off the court. “My wake up call occurred my first few weeks in Croatia. I had to live in a hotel the first weeks. I had no internet in my room and had to go to the lobby for that. I had to down load movies and do Skype in the lobby. I was in the lobby until 2,30 am some nights. I also had no car. I asked myself is this going to be the way it is the whole season? This just wasn´t normal. Sometimes I was late to practice, because I had no car. I had to rely on teammates and employees to drive me to practice. I then went to France. I had an apartment, car and internet right away. It was A-1. I was very happy. I saw the worst and then the best”, stressed Diante Garrett. When you have had hundreds and hundreds of teammates over a span of more than 10 years, it can become difficult to remember every player, but sometimes it helps when a guy had expressive tattoos. “That´s a great question. I´m trying to picture him in my mind. Yes I remember Mario Kasun. The guy with the Tattoos. You could tell right away that he was a real veteran in the Euro style of play. He had that special swagger that I will never forget”, said Diante Garrett.

            In his second professional season he made the jump to the NBA with the Phoenix Suns (NBA) playing 18 games averaging 2.2ppg, 1.7apg, and played 10 games with the Bakersfield Jam (D-League averaging 18.0ppg, 3.6rpg, 7.2apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 49.6%, 3PT: 48.4%, FT: 85.2%. In the D-League he scorched Santa Cruz for 32 points in a 106-105 win and in the NBA with the Suns his best results were 9 points against the Rockets and 8 points against the Jazz. In his third professional season he was able to play a full NBA season with the Utah Jazz playing 71 games averaging 3,5ppg, 1,4rpg and 1,7 apg. But getting to Utah wasn´t an easy one as he had a very crazy pre season with various stops. “My time in Phoenix prepared me for the NBA game. The NBA is very different from being overseas. It´s your dream to play in the NBA and you just try to soak in as much as you can. In my second season I played with the Suns Summer League team and I thought that I had played well enough to get a shot from another team. Then I got a shot from the Oklahoma Thunder. It was the year where Russell Westbrook was hurt. They had Reggie Jackson and Derek Fischer at the point. I wanted to be that third point guard. We went to Turkey and played some games and got some playing time. I then was briefly with Iowa in the D-League. Then I got the call from Utah. I knew that I had deserved an opportunity. It was definitely a crazy pre season”, remembered Diante Garrett. He scored in double figures in 5 NBA games and his most memorable game was hitting his ex team Phoenix Suns for 15 points. “That is a game that I remember most. I remember when I faced the Suns, I was playing against some ex teammates like PJ Tucker, the Morris twins and Archie Goodwin. I was happy to see the coaching staff and all, but when the game began, I knew that I had to give it to them on the court”, added Diante Garrett. He also was fortunate not only to square off against future NBA legends, but also had extraordinary teammates like Richard Jefferson who helped him along the ride. “ RJ did a lot of talking in the locker room and on the bench. He cracked a lot of jokes. What stuck with me most was that he told me that if you want to stay here you have to keep working and stay late. He told me and Ian Clark this. He also told us you have to be professional and not let the team think that you don´t want to get better. You have to show them that you want to keep getting better”, stated Diante Garrett.

            In his fourth professional season and last at home, he had another whirlwind of a season, but this time he didn´t play another NBA game, but landed in the D-League as his NBA dream was halted as he learned exactly that the NBA is a business. “I learned that you have to be mentally prepared for the NBA. Sometimes you get traded or waived. Sometimes when your not a big name like myself you don´t hear the news until it´s too late. I felt that I played well at the end of the season for Utah. I really felt like they would give me another shot, but then I was traded to Toronto for Steve Novak. I thought I would play NBA Summer League for the Raptors, so I prepared for it. I thought this would be another opportunity for me to showcase my skills. Nobody called my from the Raptors organization about the Summer League. The next thing I knew I wasn´t on the roster and I was confused. Then I went to Portland to play in training camp. I jumped the gun to fast. I thought I would be on the team and everything would be ok. The only problem was that they were guard heavy with Lillard, Mccullum, Crabbe etc. I felt I didn´t get the chance I deserved. I found myself being in the NBA where you never know what will happen”, warned Diante Garrett. He split time with the Iowa Energy (D-League) playing 30 games averaging 14.7ppg, 4.8rpg, 4.5apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 42.2%, 3PT: 40.7%, FT: 75.0%,and with the Grand Rapids Drive (D-League) playing 14 games averaging 11.0ppg, 3.5rpg, 3.0apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 43.8%, 3PT: 39.6%, FT: 91.3%. He showed his consistency scoring in double figures in 31 of 44 games including 34 points against his ex team Iowa, nailed Delaware for 27 points and scored 25 points a piece against Sioux Falls and Oklahoma. One thing that will never change for any professional player is the self-confidence of their own abilities. They are always there and for Garrett, he still did have hope that he might get a NBA call up. “I didn´t feel like the NBA was drifting away from me. I continued to think that I had played well and that an organization would give me a shot. I remember seeing guys getting called up or getting deals, and I knew that I had played better than them. I always thought I would get a call, but I never got a call. After Grand Rapids, I felt it was time to take my talents overseas”, remembered Diante Garrett. He still believed in the NBA dream in the summer of 2015 as he was very convincing in his play at the NBA Pro Summer League in Orlando (Los Angeles Clippers) averaging 10.6ppg, 3.2rpg, 3.4apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 48.9% and with the Chicago Bulls averaging 9.3ppg, 1.8rpg, 4.5apg, FGP: 40.0%. Despite his solid play in Orlando and Las Vegas, he had to then accept that his basketball career would take a major turn and change. “There was no interest in the summer of 2015. After I played NBA Summer League, my agent and I sat down and we decided to make money overseas. If an NBA team really would have wanted to give me a shot then they would of. If I would have returned to the NBA, it would have had to make sense. I didn´t want to have that situation again like in Portland”, stressed Diante Garrett.

            The American who lists Jacob Pullen as his toughest cover in the NCAA took his game overseas again for the second time joining Maccabi Ashdod (Israel-Winner League) playing 33 games averaging 18.7ppg, 3.7rpg, Assists-3(6.2apg), 1.4spg, FGP: 49.7%, 3PT: 31.1%, FT: 83.1%. Israel is a place that always hits the hearts of Americans and it wasn´t any different for Garrett. “Israel and Japan have been the top 2 places where I have lived. Off the court it was great. I lived across the street from the beach. We had one practice a day for an hour at mid day. After that you had a nice day at the beach. It was a cool vibe. I liked the style on the court. It was like pick up basketball. It was up and down and who scored more won. Also there were no long road trips. The longest was 2 hours”, commented Diante Garrett. He scored in double figures in 32 of 33 games and hit Maccabi Rishon for 32 points, but beating top Euroleague team Maccabi Tel Aviv twice and exploding for 34 points in the first game was his fondest moment on the court in Israel. “I remember that they didn´t have us on their scouting report. They didn´t even practice or have a shoot around before the game. They weren´t thinking about us. That gave us the motivation to go out and give our all. I felt good that day and was just hooping. I didn´t even know I had had 34 points until I saw the stat sheet at the end of the game. I remember my teammate Isaiah Swann yelling at me “that´s how you do it boy”. Swann has been one of my favorite teammates in Europe. He could light it up at anytime and he was so much fun to watch”, stressed Diante Garrett. In his sixth professional season he made the trek to Japan and played with Toyota Alvark Tokyo (Japan-B League) playing 62 games averaging 18.3ppg, 4.7rpg, Assists-3(4.0apg), 1.5spg, FGP: 50.5%, 3PT: 32.3%, FT: 78.1%. He had to deal with a totally new way of life and back to back games, but his game never suffered, but it sparkled. “I actually liked the concept of back to back games. I wish that they would have squeezed one more game in during the week. The wait until the weekend was always so long. I didn´t like the American player rule. I couldn´t always play and that was frustrating and a big adjustment. I really loved the style of play. Everybody played hard and everyone knew their role. Fans showed up for each game. The fans were my favorite that I ever had. They showed so much love and always gave us presets and food. They also always waited for autographs. I almost felt like a rock star, because the fans made it alive”, stated Diante Garrett. His great consistency was seen in Japan as he scored in double figures in 61 of 62 games. He scored 20 points or more 26 times including 35 points and 28 points against the Chiba Jets.

            The American who lists his personal own NBA Mount Rushmore with legends Kobe, Jordan, Lebron, Iverson returned back to Europe and continued to play great basketball as he played with Fiat Torino (Italy-Serie A) playing 29 games averaging 13.6ppg, 3.1rpg, Assists-3(5.4apg), 1.3spg, FGP: 44.8%, 3PT: 33.0%, FT: 74.7%; and played 16 Eurocup games averaging 14.6ppg, 2.3rpg, 4.1apg, Steals-4(1.6spg), FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 46.8%, FT: 85.7%. The biggest moment for any player is winning that chip and so far he has only won 2 and getting that first professional title is always the greatest. “Winning the Italian cup was my fondest moment. I remember seeing this picture on Instagram of the team holding the cup. It brought back great memories. We played a crazy 3 games. I still can´t believe that we pulled it off”, said Diante Garrett. In the Italian Serie A he scored in double figures 23 times including 25 points against Umana Ve and 23 points against The Flexx PT. In Euro Cup play he scored in double figures 14 times and hit Levallois and Darussafaka for 22 points apiece. In the 2018-2019 season he strapped on the jersey for Tofas Bursa (Turkey-BSL) playing 20 games averaging 14.6ppg, 3.2rpg, Assists-2(6.3apg), 1.3spg, FGP: 58.2%, 3PT: 32.6%, FT: 70.6%; and played Eurocup: 10 games averaging 18.4ppg, 2.8rpg, 6.1apg, FGP: 57.4%, 3PT: 43.5%, FT: 75.8%. He led the Eurocup in scoring and was third in assists. It was definitely his best season as a professional and one could see that his game had matured a lot in that season. “I felt my game grew a lot in Turkey. I was scoring a lot and getting a lot of assists. I felt like I was in rhythm all year. There were some games where I scored only 12 points in the Turkish league. That gave me a lot of motivation to bounce back in Eurocup games. I saw it as an opportunity to showcase my abilities. The game slowed down for me and I found my spots. The club gave me the freedom I needed to be successful”, stressed Diante Garrett. He was also teammates with ex De Paul great Sammy Mejia and like so many talented guys in Europe, he was one of many to be lost in the shuffle of too many great players around the world and too little NBA spots available. “How couldn´t this guy be in the NBA? He was around 35 years old and I never noticed. I didn´t put 2 and 2 together until about 3 months into the season. I asked him after 3 months how old he was and he said 35. I couldn´t believe it. I remember talking to an old friend who had gone to De Paul. He asked me is Sammy still playing? .He didn´t play like a 35 year old, but played like someone my age. He could score and was so smart on the court. He was one of the top players in Turkey at that time. I always knew I could go to him for a bucket. Seeing him play well at his age gave me a lot of hope that I could still do it at his age. He took care of his body each day”, remembered Diante Garrett.

            Garrett who lists his all-time favorite teammates with Craig Brackens, Ian Clark, Brandon Rush, Isaiah Swann, Charles Thomas, Kyle Weems, Ian Miller and Trevor Mbakwe was supposed to play the 2019-2020 season with ASP Promitheas Patras (Greece-A1), but a cruel achilles injury sidelined him the whole season and then COVID-19 hit the world. Sitting out that season wasn´t an easy one, but COVID-19 actually helped him get more time to get his body totally to 100% again. “It was a tricky situation for me, but also a blessing in disguise. I had had an achilles injury and usually your out 1-2 years when you have that. I had had a good rehab and been working out and found a groove. I was hoping to find a team to finish the 2019-2020 season, but then COVID-19 hit. Everything was shut down and that sat me down again. That was good because I got more rest, extra treatment and in better shape again. This time helped me a lot get ready for this season”, commented Diante Garrett. Having a brutal injury and experiencing COVID-19 definitely made him stronger as a man. “COVID-19 has made me mentally stronger and helped me become more patient. My injury and COVID-19 was tough, because I was out so long and teams started to question if I could still play. I just stayed patient and knew that my time would eventually come. I just kept working and stayed with it. My whole family stuck behind me and gave me positive energy which helped me mature”, warned Diante Garrett. He began the season with ASP Promitheas Patras (Greece-A1) playing 4 Eurocup games averaging 8.3ppg, 2.5rpg, 2.0apg; and 4 Greek league games averaging 4.8ppg, 1.8rpg, 1.5apg. It was tough coming back from being out for so long as his body all of a sudden had to endure a lot more than when he was at home rehabbing. “It was definitely difficult for me. Mentally and physically. During rehab I could rest more, but when I got to Greece I had to work out each day. My body was not used to it”, said Diante Garrett.

            Let´s fast forward to 2021 as Diante Garrett who last watched the flick The Owners has found a new challenge in Germany with the Jobstairs Giessen 46ers. He has played in so many warm places and witnessed an incredible culture like Japan so coming to the small city Giessen must have been like a culture shock? “It hasn´t been as cold as I thought it would be. I thought that there would be more snow and I would have to wear my big winter jacket. I also thought I would have to use my window scrapper. All in all Gießen has been nice”, stated Diante Garrett. He has gotten the reins of a 3-15 club that is anchored in 17^th place and deep in the cellar. He knows exactly what he has to do to help get his team back to winning ways. “I bring a winning attitude. I have been on many teams that were winning and were high in the standings. I hope I can help install my winning mind frame to my teammates. We still have a lot of games and I feel we can still win many. I am a player that loves to create for others and for myself”, warned Diante Garrett. He has a 1-2 record so far, but helped lead the team to a massive 97-93 win against top team EWE Baskets and currently is averaging 13,0ppg, 3,0rpg, 5,0apg and 1,3spg. He will definitely get even better as he gets more experience in the easyCredit BBL and when he has the daily opportunity to talk with ultimate veterans Brandon Bowman and Brandon Thomas who combined have 29 professional seasons and 13 seasons in Germany. “I haven´t had many times in my career where some of my teammates were so much older than me. Both have played in Germany for many years. I have been picking their brains about teams and players”, stressed Diante Garrett. The easyCredit BBL season still has a few more months and the American will surely help the club win some more games. He is fortunate that he has his family with him so being bored won´t be an option, but if he ever has a yearning to talk about the NBA, then he will be in good company with Brandon Bowman. Bowman is another one of those guys that definitely should have gotten a shot in the NBA, but alone with his good NBA contacts from back home in Los Angeles, Diante Garrett will never be bored in the locker room as these two will be able to give each other some NBA nostalgia stories.

Alexander Osipovich is a head coach from Belarus that has coached German teams TSVE Dolphins Bielefeld (1.Regionalliga) and Schalke 04. He had a long playing career starting with RUOR Minsk (1T). He also gained experience in the States playing at W.Carolina (NCAA) from 2001-2004 playing a total of 78 NCAA games. He then came back to Europe and had success with teams in his homeland with BK Minsk – BNTU Nd then closed out his career in Germany with TSVE Dolphins Bielefeld. He was named to 3 Belarusian League All-Star Games and won 2 titles in his home land. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his caree

Alexander thanks for talking togermanhoops.com germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you at the moment?

My pleasure, thank you for having me! I am in Essen right now and to be honest, basketball life has always treated me well, and it continues to treat me well even during this moment of being away from active coaching.

Your coaching career at FC Schalke turned 180 degrees in 2020. How difficult was it seeing the program go from the Pro A to the Oberliga?

Of course, it was a very difficult period for all the people who were involved in the process. I think we had a great group of enthusiasts and professionals, who really worked hard for Schalke 04 Basketball to be successful. At the end of the day, hard times came, difficult decisions were made, and we all had to accept that and move on. No matter in which league Schalke will ever play, I wish them only the absolute best. The club and the city of Gelsenkirchen will always have a special place in my heart.

How have you experienced COVID-19? The 2019-2020 season ended in March and there was no 2020-2021 season. How have you been passing the time with basketball?

Before anything, I think we all first had to get used to this absolutely new situation with the virus, lockdown, and completely different rhythm and way of living, at least for the most of us. I do not think any of us ever thought something like this would happen in our lifetime. I can send only the words of support and prayers to all the people affected by this virus around the world. Hopefully, the situation will improve soon. As for basketball, once ’20-’21 season did go under way, and I knew that most likely I will have to have a break from active coaching, it was basically the matter of following the games and results in different leagues, as well as keeping myself in shape physically and mentally for the next challenge.

How tough has it been for you not being able to coach competitive games? What aspect of coaching have you missed the most?

It was definitely pretty tough, and also very strange, especially at the beginning. It was the first time in my basketball life, that I had to make such a break. But it is a part of our profession, and every coach must be ready for such situation. At the end of the day, I had to adjust and regroup myself. As for the aspect that I miss the most, well, all of them , to be honest, but if I had to pick one, then it would be simply being around the players on a regular basis. That exchange of knowledge and energy you have while coaching actively is priceless.

With no games being played, in what ways have you been continuing to work on continuing to develop further as a coach? Have you been watching extra much film and reading books, or have you been doing other things?

The very first thing of course is watching and analyzing the games and statistics. There are also plenty of stuff you can find on the internet: reading materials, coaching clinics, YouTube channels that do game situation break downs and so on. I watch and work with those a lot. Also, I managed to do a Hospitation at FC Bayern Muenchen Basketball with coach Andrea Trinchieri. It was a great experience. It was actually the second time I was fortunate enough to see him at work. First one was back in 2015 when he was at Bamberg, so it was very interesting for me to compare what he did back then and is aiming to do right now, especially after gaining some valuable knowledge and experience myself in recent years.

You began your coaching career with TSVE Bielefeld in 2009. You coached there many years and helped the club move up to the Regionalliga in 2016. Talk a bit about your early development as a coach there?

First, I want to say that I will always be very thankful to TSVE Bielefeld as an organization in general, and especially to all the people who were involved in the decision-making process back then, for giving me my first coaching job. Even though I had a solid basketball background already at that time, and I thought about coaching for a while already, and somehow even prepared myself for that transition, still, as a coach I was a rookie. And the club gave me a chance and a platform to learn my craft and build myself as a coach. We had difficult times at the start, and of course I did make some rookie mistakes at the beginning, but the club always supported me and gave me the much-needed time to grow and gain experience. I believe I learned many important things quite fast; we managed to build a good team and went on an incredibly good run. At the end we ended up having some good success, but not just in men’s department, in youth one as well. So, all together it was a very important and valuable experience for me.

In Bielefeld you also worked in the youth department. What early memories do you have of helping develop young Germans?

I was fortunate enough to work with pretty much every age group of the boys’ teams that we had back then at the club, from U12 to U18. Just as working with men’s teams, working with youth was extremely important for me. My biggest memory from that time is that I quickly discovered that working with youth is by far not just the basketball side of the whole process. I realized how important it was to understand their characters, personalities, family and inside of school situations, their relationships within the team as well as outside of it, I mean pretty much everything that you could think of really. Because at that age, you are not just a basketball coach for them, you are their mentor, someone who can help them build their characters and personalities, so that they have their best chances to be successful and happy later on in their lives. Another especially important aspect for me was having the best possible balance between treating them as kids and finding the right moments to give them a feeling that they are on the way to being adults one day, and that they must learn how to take responsibility for their decisions and actions on and off the court.

You then made the next step to FC Schalke and was an assistant for German Raphael Wilder. How vital was he for your continued growth as a coach in Gelsenkirchen?

It was extremely important experience for me. I learned many, many new and different things while working as an assistant for coach Wilder. He helped me a lot on and off the court, and I will always be grateful for everything he has ever done for me.

You began your playing career in Belarus, but went to the States to play at Western Carolina from 2001-2004. That was a whole different time and very much different to the NCAA today. What memories do you have from this time and how do you feel did the whole NCAA experience help you become the player you did?

It was an amazing experience all together. Incredibly challenging, but extremely important at the end. I learned a much more physical style of play. I also learned to play a different position. Before coming to the States I was playing as a small forward, always on the perimeter. At Western they put me as a power forward underneath the basket, but also with an option of playing stretch four at times with a green light to shoot threes when I was open. Also, I learned new culture and new language, met many great people and made many great friends. Only the best memories of that experience I had there.

You played against many well known schools and future NBA players. Talk a little about your memories playing against young talented kids that later would become big NBA stars?

I think it not as much about particular players, and I was fortunate to play against many, many very good ones, as it was about participating in all those international tournaments. Those were such great times and experiences. Just the whole feel of atmosphere of those tournaments. Going to different countries with your youth National Team, playing against other National Teams, with different mentalities and styles of play. It was simply great.

You were teammates with future NBA player Kevin Martin (201-G/F-83, college: WCU) who would become a prolific scorer with the Sacramento Kings. Did you ever play with a more lethal scorer than him?

No. Kevin was great, both in college and later on in the NBA. He had such a good balance and feel for the basket. He was quick, he knew when and how to change the tempo in order to get himself a good shooting position, and he was pretty athletic as well. He also had NBA range already in college. I remember one summer we went on a tour to Canada, where we played some college teams, but the main event was playing against the Canadian National Team with Steve Nash being their point guard. We played them in at the Toronto Raptors practice gym inside of their arena. They had NBA 3pt line there of course, and Kevin had no problem knocking down some threes during the warmup and later in the game. We lost, of course, Steve Nash took us apart, but I think Kevin showed everyone over there that he was on his way to becoming NBA player one day.

You also was teammates with Canadian Ransford Brempong who broke the Southern Conference All-time block record. What do you remember with your battles with him during practice?

Those were great battles. Especially during so-called ‘Gladiator drill’. It was crazy. Coach would stand under the basket and role the ball down the floor. We would be in pairs starting on the baseline where the coach stood. We had to chase the ball, dive for it, and then whoever would get that ball, had to attack the same basket, from which the coach rolled the ball from. Doesn’t sound that bad, but there was one more condition, defensive player was allowed to stop the player with the ball any way he wanted, apart from punching him. And if an offensive player would lose the ball, then defensive one would play on offense and so on and so forth. If not to say more, it was an extremely demanding drill. But of to go back to a normal basketball, as I said, we had some great battles, and I believe we both learned a lot from each other. I think my constant use of a pump fake helped Rans to time his shot blocks better, and I learned how to play against such an aggressive and athletic defender. But trust me when I say that, he didn’t block me that many times during those years thanks to that pump fake

How did Western Carolina head coach Steve Shurina groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

He was strong technically and tactically when it came to a preparation for the practices and games. Apart from that ‘Gladiator drill’ and a couple of other ones, he always had some very good drills. I used some of them as a base in the development of my own practice routines. And even though I still question his man management methods even up to this day, he definitely played a significant role in my development as a person and a coach.

Which player in the NCAA do you remember being your most difficult opponent that later went on to play in the NBA?

Playing Kevin Martin at practices every day.

After the NCAA you played some years in your home country Belarus winning some titles. What memories do you have from that time and how was the whole basketball experience different then than now?

Those were some good years. Our league was on a rise back then before the financial crisis hit the world in 2008/2009. Competing at a professional level and winning titles was challenging and fun at the same time. Every club I played for had high goals for their respective seasons, and for me as a player, it was great to be able to be in such situations. As for the difference in basketball experience from back then to now, if we talk strictly about Belarus, it is hard for me to judge accurately, to be honest. I am in Germany for almost 11 years now, and was only following Belarussian basketball from a side, watching some games through out these years, talking to some friends and so on. One thing I find very positive though, is that we have a representation in both, VTB League and Champions League in a face of Tsmoki Minsk. Results are not always good and consistent, but I think it is good that we have a team that represents Belarus in those competitions. I actually have played for this club when it was just established. It was called Minsk-2006 back then.

You came to Germany in 2009 and played with Bielefeld. What were the main reasons you came to Germany and how thankful are you today that you made that decision?

There was a combination of several reasons, but the main one was the desire for a new challenge. I am coaching for many years here in Germany now. I met many great people who helped me develop and grow as a person and as a coach. I gained very important knowledge and experience, completed the A-License, learned a lot about myself and life in general. Therefore, I am very thankful I made that decision back then.

What memories do you have of closing out your playing career with Bielefeld? You played many years there and formed many special relationships? How important was the one with Emre Atsuer?

Emre played an extremely important role in my life. We were teammates and friends in college, he was the one who actually invited me to come to Germany, he was the one who helped me come to Germany and who helped me to adjust and to settle here. He always supported me through out my years in Bielefeld, and I will always be very thankful to him for doing all that for me.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Emre Atsuer
Kevin Martin
Rans Brempong
(all three Western Carolina University, NCAA Division 1)
Rostislav Vergun (Belarussian youth National Team)
Pavel Gabrusevich (Belarussian youth National Team and later several professional clubs in Belarus)

You have seen the rise of European players in the last 20 years. When all is said and done could Luka Doncic be the greatest European player of all-time?

Well, it depends on when exactly is the end of all time, but he definitely has the potential to be if not the greatest, but surely one of the greatest players that came out of Europe. And many people I think either never knew or perhaps forget, that he already achieved a lot at an incredibly young age with Real Madrid in Europe before even coming to NBA. But as for this moment, for me it is still the one and only, Dirk Nowitzki.

Please name your personal NBA Mount Rushmore American and European list of past and present players?

If you don’t mind, I just name my favorite starting fives of players who came out of USA and Europe.
Europe: Theodoros Papaloukas, Nando de Colo, Luca Doncic, Dirk Nowitzki, Daniel Theis.

USA: Anfernee Hardaway, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Robert Horry, Hakeem Olajuwon.

What is your personal opinion of the neverending debate of who is the greatest of all-time Michael Jordan or Lebron James?

Absolutely no doubt for me, Michael Jordan. And I might surprise some people here, but I would put Kobe Bryant as number two, and then LeBron James. And don’t get me wrong, LeBron is great, but that would be my list.

What was the last movie that you saw?

It was actually Netflix series called ‘Lupin’

Thanks Alexander for the chat.

In the 2016-2017 season the Fraport Skyliners made a huge steal signing rookie Shavon Shields out of Nebraska(NCAA) and he had a magnificent season which helped him become a very good Euroleague player. Four years later the 2016 FIBA Europe Cup winner Frankfur organization did it again hauling in Rasheed Moore who has evolved into one of the best Skyliner players this season despite still being totally off the BBL radar. But there is one massive difference between the Sheidls and Moore scenario´s. Ok So Shields wasn´t such a huge prospect coming out of college and he wasn´t able to reach a top level right away, but reached teh Euroleague in his third season while Rasheed Moore had to pay gigantic dues as he began at the bottom in the fourth German division and has had to climb the basketball ladder step by step and reached the top level in Germany in three years. He is one of only a few guys that have gone from the Regionalliga to the BBL as guys  Devin Uskoski and Steve Wachalski demonstrated in the last years.   The development and rise of Moore has been incredible this season as he swooped in like an aggressive eagle looking for it´s prey on every offensive possession and is after sniper Matt Mobley the second best player on the team. He also is without a doubt the best forward that Frankfurt has had on it´s roster since Shavon Shields. When Moore was a senior at east Stroudsberg(NCAA), he was still as far away from Germany and professional basketball as Golden State Warrior Eric Paschall is from being a bonafide NBA impact player. When he was a senior he actually knew who Shavon Shields was and sees his connection to Shields with his good play in Frankfurt and the possibility of reaching the Euroleague a good omen for the future. “I remember hearing of him when he was at the university of Nebraska but I wasn’t sure where he went after he left college. Yea I think it is a good omen for me but I also know I still have a lot of things I can improve on in order to get to that level”, stressed Rasheed Moore. Fraport Skyliner living legend and identity figure Quantez Robertson can only laud Rasheed Moore in the highest state and knows exactly where his place is already with the best forwards that he has played with in his 12 year career. “Shavon began at the four with us, but then played the three. They were complete opposites. Shavon was more of an outside player that can bang while Rasheed prefers to bang, but can also step out and shoot the three. I played with many great forwards like Roger Powell, Seth Doliboa and Jon Leuer, but Rasheed is up there with guys like them despite them all having more experience. I think it is very much possible that he can get to the Eurocup or Euroleague if he continues to improve and develop further. If he were to play in the Euroleague he would have to play the three. He would still be a match up problem at the three at that level. He has that big body frame and can post up”, warned Quantez Robertson.

                Rasheed Moore is a 25 year old 198cm forward from Philadelphia that is playing his fourth professional season and first with the Fraport Skyliners. He got his early basketball grooming at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (NCAA2) where he averaged in double figures in scoring each season and as a senior averaged 19.0ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.1apg, 1.0spg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 53.4%, 3PT: 48.0%, FT: 79.2%. It isn´t easy becoming a professional coming from NCAA 2 basketball and he learned the hard way having to play his rookie season in the German Regionalliga. He became an impact player right away averaging 21.4ppg, 7.4rpg, 1.7apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 56.2%, 3PT: 31.4%, FT: 75.5%. He helped theteam move up to the Pro B and his rise continued there as he averaged 20.8ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.7apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 52.6%, 3PT: 29.2%, FT: 76.4%. He once again helped the organization move up to the second league called Pro A and last season he had another impressive season averaging 15.6ppg, 4.7rpg, 2.1apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 51.2%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 73.0%. he continued to prove that he had game as he not only put up great stats, but showed this special consistency that isn´t self-evident for a player that had to adjust to a new style, and players each season. His consistency was incredible as in his three year wiha Panthers career, he played 86 games and scored in double figures in 78 games. He had already had that responsibility to have to score and be an impact player at at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, so he had experience and continued getting that special confidence form his ex head coach in Schwenningen with Alen Velcic. Velcic is a big reason for the rise and development of Moore into a very good BBL player. Getting that scoring responsibility role right from the start from Alen Velcic was vital for him continuing to impress at the BBL level. “I would say it was very important because it gave me a lot more confidence to just go out and play my game. Even on days where I wasn’t playing my best he still had the confidence in me to go and make a play that we would need at the end of the game. So with out him wanting me to be the go to guy I don’t know if I would have become the player that I am today”, warned Rasheed Moore. “In three years we made him from a Regionalliga player into a BBL player. He wasn´t a finished player when he came to us. We were lucky that he and I grew in this time. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn´t moved up a league each season. He learned to be diligent with us and to work hard and be a part of the team and be a leader. I remember how shy he was in 2017 as a 21 year old. He made great strides developing as a person and his game. We still have contact today”, stressed Alen Velcic.

                The Fraport Skyliners already wanted to sign Rasheed Moore for the BBL final tournament in Munich last summer, but he would have had to go into quarantine and he wouldn´t have been able to join the team during the tournament. But the Fraport Skyliners didn´t wait long to sign him as a few weeks after the 19-20 season had ended he was an official member of the Fraport Skyliners. It hasn´t been an easy season for the Fraport Skyliners who currently are in 10th place with a record of 7-12. They had the misfortune of playing top teams FC Bayern Munich, Alba Berlin and the EWE Baskets and prompt lost each game. Then came a better phase where they won five of eight games, but they were all opponents that they had to beat except for Ludwigsburg and Crailsheim. They lost a bitter 92-91 game to rival Giessen. As of late they have been struggling again losing six of eight games, but still are only two wins away from the last playoff spot. The biggest bright spot of this up and down season has been Rasheed Moore. He has been able to adjust to the up and down season mainly because he had seen that type of thing before in the past. “Coming from Schwenningen I also know what it is like to have a tough stretch and then bounce back. We went through a lot of tough stretches as a team. We still have a lot of time to turn this around and go on a run to fight for a playoff spot”, warned Rasheed Moore. One of the biggest problems for the club is their inability to put it all together for 40 minutes. They show great spurts in games, but then it all changes for the worse like night and day. Having bad phases isn´t always easy for the mental state. “I don’t know if it is a mental problem. We just have a tough time staying together as a team. We have to find a way to be much more consistent at playing together and then we will be able to keep our bad phases to a minimum”, stressed Rasheed Moore. With the stretch run of the season approaching fast, Rasheed Moore knows exactly what the team has to do to reach the post season. “We  have to be a lot better defensively and rebounding. The games where we have been really good are the games that we have been able to do these things very well. We have struggled the games where we give teams to many extra opportunities and to many easy looks”, warned Rasheed Moore.

                The American has played 19 BBL games and currently is averaging 11,3ppg, 3,9rpg and 1,4apg while shooting 37% from outside which is his highest percentage as a professional. When you watch him play at the BBL level, his aggressiveness quickly stands out. His secret for his success is simple. If you don´t invest time in the lab, then you can´t get better. “I just worked extremely hard on all of the aspects of my game that I struggled with last year. I am in much better shape than I have ever been in and that has also helped. I also have a lot of confidence in myself to be able to go out and perform no matter who we are playing. My teammates when I first got here told me I needed to be more aggressive and just play. So all of those are the reason I think I have been able to come out and perform the way I have”, expressed Rasheed Moore. He is like a swiss army knife in that he can do a little bit of everything and just focuses on doing little wrong on the court. “Growing up my coach always told me it was better to have a lot of tools in your bag than only having a couple. He always pushed me to just try and become the best version of my self and work on every part of my game so that I didn’t have many weaknesses. So with all of the habits I built throughout the years of practicing all of the little things that I do on the floor are just habits”, stated Rasheed Moore. Recently in a tough loss against Brose Bamberg, he finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 dimes and began the game like the mains coring option making the team´s first three shots. It is clear to see that his self-confidence grows with each game. “I would say my self-confidence plays a big role. You can´t play at this high of a level if you do not have a lot of confidence in yourself.  You have to believe in yourself and everything that you can bring to the floor”, warned Rasheed Moore. Just two seasons ago, his three pointer was a weakness and a big work in progress while today he is a very much better shooter. Once again grinding, grinding and grinding can really pay off in the long run. Captain Quantez Robertson observes him taking shots before and after practice. “I am always in the gym just trying to get better. One of my biggest weaknesses in my game was always that I wasn’t a consistent enough shooter. So now I am always just trying to perfect my shot and trying to shoot the ball the same way every time”, said Rasheed Moore. Head coach Sebastian Gleim is very proud of how he has developed and hasn´t ever coached a player like him before. “From day one Rasheed has been doing everything to improve and to help the team. He had to play for 2 people with the injury to Richard Freudenberg. He used his chance and his good play isn´´t a surprise anymore. Now we have to support him to help him to get even better with his game. He is one of the best guys that I have ever coached”, warned Fraport Skyliners head coach Sebastian Gleim. “It doesn´t surprise me at all that Rasheed has landed in the BBL. The most important thing for him to be able to stay is that he keeps a good head on his shoulder which he has. But he still isn´t at the end of his development. He still has much potential”, warned wiha Panthers Schwenningen head coach Alen Velcic.

                He is only 25 years old and no where near his prime yet. He understands that he still has a long road ahead of him to get to even higher levels, but with his rising self-confidence and track record of moving up levels with Schwenningen that anything is possible. He will continue to work his butt off. “I still need to keep becoming a much better shooter and more consistent rebounder. I think if I keep working on these two things especially I would be able to keep move up the ladder”, stressed Rasheed Moore. He is as humble as one can get, but deep down he has huge goals and knows what he is capable of and will do all he can to get to the Euroleague. “I believe it is definitely still realistic for me to shoot to make it to that level. I am only 25 so hopefully I still have a lot of basketball still ahead of me so I just have to keep working extremely hard if I want to make it to that level”, said Rasheed Moore. A big plus that Rasheed Moore has is his positive charisma and character. He tries to do everything for the team success and if someone had told him in training camp that in February 2021 he would belong to the best players on the team, he would have wished something different then having that distinction. “I would have said that is amazing but I would have been more worried about how the team is doing. I would much rather just be a role player on a very good winning team than worried about my own play and stats”, added Rasheed Moore.

                Even if Rasheed Moore´s game evolves mostly around his offensive qualities, he knows that he also has to play defense and also has been making positive strides in this area. In order to play at higher levels, you have to be a good defender. He is fortunate to have Quantez Robertson as a teammate who has belonged to the top defenders in the BBL for the last decade. He has the luxury to be able to soak up so much from Robertson and is very grateful of having a teammate of his caliber. “Tez has definitely helped a lot. I have learned just how to be a lot more physical especially defensively. Watching him play defense every day and how aggressive he is has taught me a lot. He is also a great leader and always has some advice to give me”, warned Rasheed Moore. Quantez Robertson is also very impressed of how the American has been able to adjust so quickly to the BBL and be so consistent. “Rasheed has developed into a key player for us. He is a heck of a match up problem for other teams. I really appreciate how aggressive he is and always plays hard and gives us all he has”, stressed Quantez Robertson. He hasn´t even completed his first full BBL season, but everything simply is perfect about his game. It is a real shame that nobody has really noticed him yet. He is absolutely non existent in the media something which is simply incomprehensible. The only thing he can do is to continue to sparkle with his game. He personally doesn´t need the attention, but his game should be on the radar of everyone in the BBL. For me Rasheed Moore is a player that could be the perfect candidate to replace Quantez Robertson as the organizations next identity figure whenever he retires. Robertson sees Moore as a perfect successor. “He has the potential to follow in my footsteps. I feel like the club would benefit very much. Fans haven´t seen him in person yet. I think that once fans are allowed back into the arena´s, it will make it a lot easier for him”, warned Quantez Robertson. Not only Quantez Robertson and I could imagine Rasheed Moore in Frankfurt for many years, but him also. “I could imagine it because it has been a lot of fun here this year even under the circumstances of COVID. The organization just made me feel like I was home as soon as I got here back in early September”, warned Rasheed Moore. “I know that many teams are annoyed now that they didn´t listen to me. The future will show where he belongs. The transfer from Schwenningen to Frankfurt was spot on”, warned Alen Velcic. It is just time that the German basketball community finally notices Rasheed Moore as a player who has landed in the BBL, because he has evolved into one of the best Fraport Skyliner players that still has a huge future ahead of him.

Josh Montgomery s a 29 year old 196cm forward from Georgia that is currently playing for GIE Maile Matrix (UBA. He turned professional in 2013 and played semi-pro ball in the States for teams like the Atlanta Show (NABL), Middle Georgia Pitts (ABA), Georgia Kingz (MLBA),Georgia Gwizzlies (ABA) and GIE Maile Matrix (UBA). He played at Savannah State University (NCAA) from 2010-2014 playing a total of 94 NCAA games and averaged double figures in scoring as a freshman averaging 10.3ppg, 5.5rpg, 1.1spg, FGP: 41.2%, 3PT: 31.6%, FT: 73.2% and as a senior averaged 8.7ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.0spg, FGP: 52.8%, 3PT: 25.4%, FT: 70.8%. Last summer he spoke to germanhoops.com about his basketball career.

Josh thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you and how has your summer been despite the COVID-19 having affected the world

No problem and I am here in Atlanta, Ga. My summer has been great, although I missed the AEBL. Even though I missed this ProAm, I was able to spend more time with my brothers and a few friends.

How did you experience the whole COVID-19 crisis at home in the States? How tough was it finding a way to stay in shape and be able to work on your basketball skills?

I was working remotely already when it got really big. Initially it was tough but then I got creative and worked out at the house or on my goal outside

How do you feel did you get stronger as a man during Covid-19 that has made you better as a person?

I feel great, I used this time to not only strengthen my body but also my mind as well. Building up my mind allowed me to become more disciplined in my work ethic.

I have interviewed many many guys with large chips on their shoulders, but I believe you must have the biggest chip? How can a guy with your NCAA experience averaging 10,0ppg and 8,0ppg in two seasons take you 6 years to land in Europe and then sign with an Oberliga team? For me it’s hard to believe that you didn’t get a job a lot sooner?

So Savannah State was an amazing experience and experience was a word I constantly heard once I graduated school. Almost every team said I did not have the experience needed to play. That stung but I kept believing that, in God’s time, everything will happen when it needed to!

Your ex teammate Louis Arnold put up the same kind of stats you did, but has played professional since leaving school and carved a nice career in South America. Is this a good example that there are simply too many good players on earth and not enough teams?

It may be that, I have no clue! I know there is tremendous talent out there. Right now I’m focusing on TLG, this championship, and performing at a high level so I can continue playing

After finishing at Savannah State University (NCAA) you didn’t turn pro until 2016 with the Atlanta Show (NABL). Were you undecided about turning pro and weren’t there any agents interested in representing you?

After taking a year to graduate, that left a hole in my resume. A few teams and agencies saw that as HUGE red flag. I was still in shape and ready to play but that deterred them from what I was told. My degree was a must, couldn’t pass that up

You have signed your first professional contract in Germany with the Troisdorfer Leichtathletik Gemeinschaft (Germany-Oberliga). How good of a feeling is it beginning your pro career overseas at age 29?

I am elated, excited, ecstatic, and any other ‘e-word’ you can find! It’s been a long time coming. They say good things come to those who wait, and boy have I waited.

You will be playing in Germany’s 6th division called Oberliga. This is a league that you will dominate in. If you don’t tell me after the season that you were a man among kids, then I’ll be dumfounded. With what kind of mindset are you going in? I can imagine to put up the best possible stats in combination with winning.

Definitely a balance of what you stated. I plan to dominate with my teammates! Averaging 50 points and losing is not a good recipe, I’ve always been one that prioritizes winning. Winners win, no matter the cost.

How excited will you be playing with A’Daeron Duncan a guy like you who played in the UBL and ABA? You guys could become the most potent American duo the Oberliga ever saw.

I really look forward to play with him and all of my new teammates. I know the hunger is there and the drive is there! So we are going to work hard and get it done.

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 196cm forward that can do a bit of everything. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player, who would best fit the description?

A player that best fits my game, well is a tough one. I feel like I can do whatever the team needs me to do, so I’ll say Jimmy Butler.

Talk a bit about your strengths on the court. What do you feel is your biggest asset on the court?

My strengths are I am very versatile and I play hard on both sides of the ball. My biggest asset, I believe, is that I do not quit. Hustle and hard work until the clock hits all zeroes.

How do you feel have you developed further as a player since 2014 when you finished at Savannah State University ? How do you feel did the semi-pro leagues in the States help you get better?

My game has changed a ton from my days in Savannah. I was utilized as a stretch 4, but now I am a 2/3/1. The ball is in my hands more and I have become more guard oriented. The leagues I’ve played in allowed me to find my rhythm and pace. They gave me an opportunity to showcase my skills and polish my game.

On what things are you working on this summer to improve your game so that you will be in the best situation to show your best game?

My ball handling, interior finishes, and my building up my body were my objectives this summer. These things will open a lot of opportunities to show my growth.

From 2016-2020 you played for various teams in various leagues like the Atlanta Show (NABL)
Middle Georgia Pitts (ABA), Georgia Kingz (MLBA), Georgia Gwizzlies (ABA) and GIE Maile Matrix (UBA). What kind of experience was this. What do you feel was the most positive thing that you got out of those years?

The experience was great, I love basketball. Being able to build friendships and be a unit is always amazing. Brotherhoods are formed and we played some great basketball.

I imagine you were working a full-time job and playing ball. What were you doing during the day and how difficult was it at times shuffling work and working out and trying to get better during the evenings?

If anyone says working out around a full-time job is easy, call them Pinocchio. It was rough to find a work/life balance. 6am workouts, work from 9-6pm, workouts following work. It had to be done, getting better is my job too. Discipline and focus is all it took.

You played against so many great basketball teams in the NCAA: Do you have a memory of playing against one school where there was so much talent? I can remember in your second season where you played Georgetown.

Georgetown was cool but Indiana was a tough team. Oladipo and Zeller were a handful. Oh yeah, Kansas State was a close second.

How did head coach Horace Broadnax groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

HRB prepared me for a lot things in life, let alone basketball. He taught life lessons through basketball. Preparing properly is key, hope is not a good strategy, play hard and be tenacious! That’s just the tip of the iceberg and I’m extremely grateful for him.

Who won a one on one in practice you or Louis Arnold?

Honestly, I can’t recall. Arny, was like my big brother, he did a lot of teaching and we hardly played any ones. He showed me a lot.

Who was the toughest player that you ever played against that was in the NBA?

The toughest player I personally had to guard was Tyreke Evans. I played 17U at 15 and we met them in the Wallace Prather AAU Tournament. He played with Team Final and lit us up. Anything he wanted, threes from the parking lot, lay ups, assists, dunks. Yeah, Tyreke was a problem.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

That’s tough but Cedric Smith, Jyles Smith, Darnel Jones, Antoine Hall, and Avery Stewart. No particular order but man I love all my teammates!

Please list your NBA Mount Rushmore of players past or present

Kobe, Mike, Shaq, and Kareem

What is your personal opinion of the neverending debate between who is the best between Michael Jordan and Lebron James?

Mike hands down. Respect LeBron’s game, I like Mike though.

What was the last movie that you saw?

The last movie that I saw was Tenet.

Thanks Josh for the chat.

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors continue to play their best basketball at home as all five of their victories have occurred in their own living room. 72 hours after German forward Maxi Begue hit a pretty game wining three pointer over the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors returned back into their living room and met the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer. They had very unfond memories of their first meeting as they were trounced on the road 96-72 as they had no clue how to slow down the German duo of Darian Cardenas and Eric Curth who combined for 47 points. The Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer came to Frankfurt with a lot of self-confidence in their heads as they had upset top team Dresden Titans on the road last weekend. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors played another spirited game and had to play catch up basketball for long phases of the game, but at the end the club witnessed their second game winning shot in a row as center Jordan Samare launched a trey that saw nothing but net. All in all the Fraport Skyliners Juniors continue to make a late season come back attempt in their quest to make the playoffs as they continue to win in exciting fashion. “We were weak at the start, but continued to play better in the second quarter and fought back. We were deeper than they were and that played a big role tonight. We have had problems against the zone in the past, but today we played well. We hit big three´s at the end which was key”, stated center Jordan Samare. The Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer controlled the game, but just couldn´t get a big lead to slam the door on Frankfurt. Instead they allowed them to come back an lost momentum in crunch-time. “I thought that we played a super game and played together. I felt we moved the ball well as well. When you lose the game to a guy that is a non shooter and wasn´t on the scouting report, it´s very bitter. But that is what makes the game so great. We lost the game on the boards”, said Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer forward Darian Cardenas Ruda.

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had a lightening start, but quickly lost control allowing the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer to go on a massive run and take control of the game.  The Fraport Skyliners Juniors came out very potent taking a quick 4-0 lead as ex undersized center Noah Kamdem scored in the paint and 2017 JBBL finalist Maxi Begue snuck under the basket and executed the inbounds pass of German Alvin Onyia for an easy basket. Then as is often the case, the game took a major turn as the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer rushed out on a devastating 14-0 run to take the overwhelming 14-4 advantage. The guests did a great job spreading the ball around and getting production from many. Sharp shooter Eric Curth helped with 5 points while 212cm center David Aichele scored on a baby hook shot, ex Alba Berlin guard Marc Liyanage hit a trey, Morris Hinz scored inside and ex Giessen 46er Tim Schwartz made a tip in. The biggest problem of the Fraport Skyliners Juniors in those few minutes was that not only had they lost their offensive rhythm, but they were way too hectic and had absolute no calmness in their sets which led to dumb turnovers and forced shots. Frankfurt slowly got out of their funk and began to execute better and crawl back into the game. Frankfurt received a floater and lay in from ex Nurnberg guard Matthew Meredith and a lay up from Jordan Samare. They also got to the free throw line, but their accuracy plagued them and would be a major problem the whole evening. Speyer held the good lead, because Frankfurt had no solution how to slow down top scorer Darian Cardenas Ruda who contributed 5 points. After 10 minutes the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer led 19-12. “We didn´t take good care of the ball, but we began to fight back and that held until the end”, stressed Jordan Samare.

In the second quarter the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer continued to control the game, but they could never completely shake the Fraport Skyliners  Juniors as they stayed close on the heels of the guests trailing only 35-32 at half time. Frankfurt had another good start going on a 6-2 run to cut the Speyer lead to 21-18. Frankfurt got free throws from Maxi Begue and a transition bucket while Jordan Samare displayed his athletic high flying colors making a alley-oop tap in from Matthew Meredith. Frankfurt increased their defensive intensity and got easy transition baskets something they were unable to do in the first quarter. Both teams were able to execute their offense well. Ex Hanau forward Calvin Schaum showed his scoring in bunches with two baskets while Speyer got production from Cardenas Ruda and Eric Curth to keep the 27-22 lead. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors kept the pressure on and kept fighting and got some big plays from 17 year old German Alexander Richardson. He began with a pretty back door pass to Len Schoormann who scored and then the big man scored on transition getting the touch down pass from Matthew Meredith. Meredith then added free throws as Frankfurt trailed only 30-28. Frankfurt was doing a better job getting out on transition and getting easy baskets and also went inside more as that was taken away better in the first quarter. The Frankfurt defense also forced Speyer to 6 turnovers in the second half after having none in the first quarter. Speyer held the lead at the break, because 19 year old German Valentin Rappold made a 10 footer while Darian Cardenas Ruda continued his hot shooting dropping a trey exhibiting his non stop calmness. “This wasn´t an easy game for me. I didn´t play in Dresden last weekend. I was up at 6 am today, had to work and played with my child, but I was 100% in the game. My calmness comes from my experience”, stressed Darian Cardenas Ruda. Frankfurt also got baskets from Meredith on transition and a Samare lay up. “We played better on transition and found open guys. We didn´t communicate well on Cardenas Ruda and he got us with his fakes”, added Jordan Samare. Both clubs continued to shoot bad as Frankfurt still hadn´t produced a three pointer. Frankfurt ruled the boards 24-16.

The third quarter was low scoring as the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer continued to control the game leading by as much as 8 points as Frankfurt couldn´t go on a run. Speyer began well going on a 7-2 run to extend their lead to 42-34. In the run they got good execution from Liyanage as he made a step back jumper over Schoormann, Curth made an off balance shot and Tim Schwartz connected for a trey. The run didn´t faze Frankfurt as they remained calm and countered with a 7-2 run to cut the Speyer lead down to 44-41. Frankfurt did a good job scoring in many different ways as Alvin Onyia tested his 29% three point percentage scoring, Samare scored on transition and Schaum was aggressive scoring on the drive. But the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were unable to keep consistency. Their offense begam to sputter and two back to back turnovers on transition attempts allowed Speyer to extend their lead to 48-41 as big man David Aichele continued to be efficient scoring and Cardenas Ruda scored on transition for the 48-41 Speyer lead. Frankfurt also continued to falter on the free throw line getting only 2 of 4 free throws from Philipp Hadenfeldt and Meredith. Eric Curth closed out the third quarter with free throws as Speyer led 50-43. “Offensive rebounds hurt us. We have to rebound together. We don´t have a player like Kamdem. We also lost many 50/50 balls”, commented Darian Cardenas Ruda. “We continued not making free throws and didn´t move the ball well”, stated Jordan Samare. Both teams continued to have problems shooting while Frankfurt continued to dominate the boards 37-20 with 11 offensive rebounds, but had 13 turnovers while Speyer had only 8 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter, the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer continued to control the game in the first 5 minutes and led by as much as 9 points, but Frankfurt never gave up and made their last move in crunch-time to turn the game around. Speyer got two lay ins form Cardenas Ruda and Aichele, but a clutch three pointer by Alvin Onyia kept Frankfurt´s hopes alive despite still trailing 55-46. Time was running out and the Fraport Skyliners Juniors knew that they had to finally make their move. Frankfurt made their move going on a massive 12-3 run to dead lock the contest at 58-58. The run started with a big Calvin Schaum trey and Kamdem then scored inside to cut the Speyer lead to 55-51. Schoormann finally gave the team some clutch production scoring 5 points. He had been controlled well in the first 30 minutes, but he now allowed his instincts to come into better play. He anticipated an Onyia air ball and made a reverse lay up and then drilled home a three pointer. “We continued to tell Len to keep shooting. He helped us with big shots at the end”, said Jordan Samare. Samare then tied the game at 58-58 with a lay in. Onyia made an incredible play driving and then some how making a pass through a 3 man wall finding the trailer Samare who scored with ease. “Alvin knows my cuts. That is my game. I called him shortly before he passed the ball. We work very well together”, stressed Jordan Samare. Speyer kept the pressure on taking the 60-58 lead with a Schwartz lay in, but that was quickly erased as Mr put back Jordan Samare hauled down an offensive rebound in traffic and tied the game at 60-60. Speyer kept the pressure on taking the 62-60 lead with a Curth jumper. Frankfurt then made 2 stops and took their first lead since they led 4-0 early as Schoormann made an unbelievable three point bank shot to lead 64-62 as somehow the basketball God was looking down from above. Cardenas Ruda then dead locked the game again at 64-64 with free throws with 46 seconds remaining. Both teams then suffered turnovers from Schoormann and Curth as Frankfurt got the ball back with 11 seconds to play. Frankfurt had the opportunity to win the game as Jordan Samare set up in the corner and saw nothing but net drilling home a trey as Frankfurt led 67-64 with 4 seconds remaining. “The play was set up for Len Schoormann but he was closed up. Alvin Onyia warned me to stay in the corner as I would get the ball. I had no idea it was going in. The corner isn´t so much my spot. I felt I had a 50/50 chance of making the shot”, smiled Jordan Samare. “We all collapsed on Kamdem and the pass went to Samare and he made the shot”, said Darian Cardenas Ruda. Tim Schwartz had one more chance, but missed. “He had an open look, but we didn´t lose the game there tonight”, commented Darian Cardenas Ruda. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Jordan Samare with 15 points and 7 boards and Len Schoormann added 11 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists while the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer were led by Darian Cardenas Ruda with 17 points while Eric curth added 15 points and David Aichele scored 13 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 39% from the field and 24% from outside and had 51 rebounds and 16 turnovers while the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer shot 35% from the field and 24% from outside and had 26 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

In the NBA you have always had those amazing 1-1 battles . Who could forget the amazing duel in 1988 in the playoffs between Larry Bird and Domingue Wilkins or even more recent Lebron James against Kevin Durant or Vince Carter against Allen Iverson or back in the day Wilt Chamberlain against Bill Russell, but probably the most fierce and competitive battles were between Bird and Magic in the 80´s. No interview in my book can ever not have who won a one on one in practice or my famous what was the last movie that you saw? I usually ask the one on one practices at the end of my college ball questions and usually take a guy that was the same height as the player I´m interviewing and then hoping that they played. I can´t say accurately, but I will predict that most of the time I´m about70/30 right that the opponent I picked had played against my interview partner. Sometimes the reactions are hilarious especially on the phone interviews. How often do I get this loud roar of a laugh from the player I´m interviewing when they hear the guy I picked. Sometimes I will pick a guy that had great stats, and sometimes it may be a guy that hardly played. 98% of the time the player that I interview always takes himself. Very seldom do I get a guy that will outright say that he lost the battles. Sometimes a player will be fair and say that they split the one on one battles. At the beginning of 2020, I interviewed ex California(NCAA) forward Richard Solomon and when I asked him about how he had done against his ex team David Kravish, he didn´t have to pause long to proclaim who was best. “I did every time. David was my guy. Honestly I don’t think that we ever played. But I would take myself each time. He was a great teammate. He was fun to be around. When we were on the court together, we were always locked in. We always wanted to block every shot and get every rebound”, warned Richard Solomon. When I asked David Kravish the same question, he was a lot more diplomatic and didn´t follow his ego at all. “We didn’t play a lot of one on one, but when the situation came to me vs him I think we probably split pretty evenly. I’d love to play with or face him again someday just to see how much we’ve both grown as players.”, remembered David Kravish. The great thing though what I have observed in so many of my one on one questions, is that no matter how competitive the players are and how sure they are about themselves, almost every guy always has something good to say about their ex teammates. Their battles are more than 5 years old, but for David Kravish, he can reminisce all he wants about the good old days at California(NCAA), but at the end of the day all he cares about now on the court is becoming an even better defender so he can continue to move up the basketball ladder and to do the best he possibly can to always get his team in the best position to win ball games.

Kravish was born on July 12, 1992 in Joliet, Illinois. He began his basketball career at Lee’s Summit North high school and averaged 13.0ppg, 9.1rpg in his senior year. On account of his stellar play, the big man picked up HS Suburban Big-6 All-League honors -in 2010, and 2011 and made the HS Missouri All-State team in 2011. He then began his NCAA career with the University of California at Berkley where he played from 2011-2015 amassing a total of 136 games. In his freshman year he played 34 games and started 24 games and averaged 6.9ppg, 5.6rpg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 59.4%, FT: 69.1%. He showed his quality early on the defensive end blocking 41 balls. He was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team and was a  Pac-12 Regular Season Co-Runner-Up  and Pac-12 Tournament Semifinalist. Asa freshman he scored in double figures in 9 games including a 17 point, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in a 77-63 win over Oregon State. In his sophomore season he played 34 games averaging  7.9ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.0apg, 1.7bpg, FGP: 49.6%, FT: 69.0%. He scored in double figures in 9 games and registered 3 double doubles. He scored 18 points and grabbed 13 boards in a 77-63 win over UCLA and had 14 points and 11 rebounds in a 62-46 win over Colorado. In his junior season he played 35 games averaging  11.4ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.1apg, 2.1bpg, FGP: 54.3%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 74.1%. When I covered Justin Cobbs in his rookie season in Frankfurt in the 2014-2015 season, I remember him telling me of his fondest moment when he defeated Arizona with a buzzer beater  where he hit a classic fade away ffalling into his own team bench and it wasn´t any different with Kravish. “My fondest memory from college was when we played Arizona in Berkeley when they were ranked 1 in the country, and we won at the buzzer. The fans rushing the floor was crazy. I’ve watched that game back several times as a pro”, remembered David Kravish. He played 3 seasons with Cobbs in the NCAA and knows too well that he could play in the NBA, but as so often is the case, there are simply too many talented guards in the world and too little jobs. “Justin is an amazing player with many great traits. I think that is a good way of putting it in terms of too few jobs, but I think you could take many of the top players over here and exchange them with some guys in the NBA and they wouldn’t miss a beat. I’m not talking about the superstars in the NBA obviously”, warned David Kravish.

In his senior year, the American played 33 games averaging 11.3ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.2apg, 1.5bpg, FGP: 48.6%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 72.6%. He scored in double figures in 19 games and had 5 double doubles. Some of his best games in his last year included a 25 point, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks in a 84-59 win over Washington State and he hit Washington for 21 points in a 81-75 victory. It is no surprise that one of these two games belonged to his most memorable personal games in the NCAA. “I remember the second to last game of my career was against Washington State. One of my favorite people and coaches of all time had moved from Cal to Washington State, Scott Thom, and I just remember really wanting to beat him. I had an incredible game that put us over the top. I still travel basically every summer to workout with him and improve as a player on the court and in the weight room. He has had the biggest impact on my career since I’ve left college”, stated David Kravish. He made huge steps in his game and it wasn´t just the fierce one on one battles against Richard Solomon that helped raise his game, but just the daily presence of his teammate on the floor. “Rich was always pushing me in practice. He is such a skilled player, while also being the most athletic person I’ve ever played against. Having to go up against him every day absolutely  raised my level of play”, stressed David Kravish. Not only Solomon was huge in his development, but also head coach Mike Montgomery. If it hadn´t been for Montgomery´s words of wisdom, Kravish may have landed in a hospital. “Coach Montgomery and his staff were essential in my growth as a player. He is the one who really convinced me that I had a chance to play the game professionally. I had gone to school with the intention of being a doctor, but I sat down with him after practice one day, and he asked me what I wanted out of basketball, and went on to tell me I should really consider pursuing basketball as a career.  Coach Montgomery also is an incredible coach, so he taught me a lot about the game and how to play as a big even if I wasn’t the biggest guy. I’m incredibly grateful for his coaching. I really wish he had been able to stick around for my senior year, but he’s gone on to be a great commentator”, expressed David Kravish.

Before turning professional, the big man got some valuable experience playing NBA Pro Summer League in Las Vegas with the Golden State Warriors playing 4 games: averaging 3.3ppg, 2.5rpg. He had mixed feelings about the whole NBA experience in Las Vegas. “I learned that 10 days in Las Vegas is way too long. I don’t think summer league is a good representation of the NBA, but I am very appreciative for the opportunity they gave me to be on the team”, said David Kravish. He then went overseas for the 2015-2016 season joining  BC Nokia (Finland-Korisliiga) playing 46 games averaging 13.7ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.3apg, Blocks-5(1.2bpg), FGP: 61.1%, FT: 80.5%. Playing in a league like Finland was important for him, because he could gain confidence quickly showing he was able to play well at his first station. He scored in double figures in 34 games and had 6 double doubles. Some of his best games that season occured against the Salon Vilpas where he netted 26 points and 21 points in a win over Lapua. Despite having little problems on the court, he did remember having a wake up call that he was far from home that not everything was easy at the start off the court. “I think it was before my wife arrived a few weeks later, when I was sitting in my apartment on the second day thinking to myself, “I don’t know anything about this language and I have no idea where anything is. When it started to become dark at 2:30pm was also tough”, stated David Kravish. The American slowly continued to climb the professional basketball ladder as in his second season overseas, he played in a higher league with Energa Czarni Slupsk (Poland-TBL) playing 41 games averaging 12.9ppg, 8.0rpg, 1.1apg, Blocks-3(1.3bpg), FGP-1(67.8%), FT: 75.2%. He showed that he belonged to the top centers in the league. He scored in double figures in 32 contests and registered 11 doubles. He had some fine performances against Stal Ostrow having 24/11 stats in a 82-77 victory and hit MKS DG for 22 points and 9 rebounds in a exciting 89-85 win. He had an exciting 5 game playoff series against Anwil, but he definitely wasn´t bored off the court either. “The thing I’ll remember most is probably the GM stealing money from the team and us not getting paid for the last 5 months of the season. The Americans were also detained in Stamsted airport because the team didn’t get us our visas and tried to send us to the UK to “reset our 90 tourist visas.” This was also very memorable. All of the adversity we faced from such a poorly run organization would have made the season difficult, but our coach, Roberts Stelmahers, really fought for us and did an amazing job of bringing us together despite all of the issues off the court.  The veterans on the team like Marcus Ginyard, Greg Surmacz, Anthony Goods, Mantas Cesnauskis, and Lukasz Seweryn really helped teach me what to expect when playing in Europe. I think this year I learned more about how to be a pro in Europe than any other year and I have these guys to thank for that. The series with Anwil was great because we had like 6 guys on the roster by that point in the season and coach Stelmahers just knew how to make it work”, remembered David Kravish.

He was able to make another step with his game in Poland which also helped him make the next step to a higher league as he played with Tsmoki-Minsk (Belarus-Premier League) playing 24 VTB United League games averaging 12.1ppg, Reb-3(7.5rpg), 1.3apg, Blocks-2(1.3bpg), FGP: 62.7%, FT: 82.8%; and 14 FIBA Europe Cup: 14 games averaging 10.3ppg, 7.2rpg, 1.6apg, Blocks-3(1.5bpg), FGP: 52.9%, FT: 61.5%. “My year in Minsk was my first year in one of the high level domestic leagues so it forced me to raise my level of play while giving me the opportunity to show that I can be successful at a high level”, said David Kravish He also has been fortunate to have played with high quality guys each season and one of those was ex Wake Forest great Justin Gray who was teammates with Chris Paul and carved a great career in Europe. “Justin was a great teammate to have, especially early in a career. He helped bring us along and to believe in the quality of players we had on the team at that time”, stressed David Kravish. He scored in double figures in 7 Fiba Europe Cup games and had 4 double doubles. His best games happened against the Bakken Bears where he had a 20/10 game in a 96-75 win and had 18 points and 14 rebounds in a 83-65 victory over Bnei Hertzeliya In the VTB, he scored in double figures in 14 games and had 5 double doubles. His best games were against Bnei Hertzeliya with 26 points and 12 boards in a 84-77 win and against N.Novgorod with 23 points in a 91-82 victory. In the 2018-2019 season, he switched teams, but remained in the high level league VTB to continue to polish his game. He played with Avtodor Saratov (Russia-VTB) playing 26 VTB games averaging 12.3ppg, Reb-1(7.9rpg), 1.2apg, Blocks-5(1.1bpg), FGP: 65.3%, FT: 78.2%; and played 13 FIBA Europe Cup averaging 10.2ppg, 7.8rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 55.0%, FT: 83.3%. He showed that his first season was no fluke in the VTB league. “That was my second year in the VTB, so I was more familiar with a lot of the players and styles of the different teams going into that season. The VTB is one of the strongest domestic leagues, so it was great to demonstrate  that I can compete and succeed against high level opponents”, expressed David Kravish. In the Fiba Europe Cup, he scored in double figures in 5 games including scoring 26 points in a 129-91 pounding of BK Pardubice and scored 21 points in a 104-86 loss against Nes-Ziona. In the VTB he scored in double figures in 15 games and had 7 double doubles. He pounded Enisey with a 30/11 game in a  106-91 win and had 23 points in a 93-76 win over Parma. He played against top Euroleague team CSKA Moscow 4 times in his 2 year VTB career getting pounded twice and then losing two close games. He scored in double figures of three of the four games and will always remember his battles fondly especially against 4 time Euroleague winner Kyle Hines. “It was great to play against CSKA because, as you said, they are one of the top teams in Europe every year. I think it is important to treat every game the same, and not to worry about how this opponent is a Euroleague team or generally at the bottom of the table. Kyle Hines is a great player who has a great feel for the game on both sides and makes things very difficult for the opposing teams. It is very obvious why he’s played at the highest level basically his whole career”, said David Kravish. His game has also always been fortified where ever he has played with great guards and one of those was American Trae Golden. “Trae made it very easy for me because he is such a great player that he made teams pay if they worried too much about the roll, and if they stepped up to stop him then he was good at getting the ball to the open man in a spot to score. He is definitely one of the better guards in Europe, and I’m hoping he kills it in China this year”, warned David Kravish.

 He was able to make a jump every season through very hard work which helped him put up consistent stats and rewarded him last season with playing in Europes top league ACB in Spain. He played with club BAXI Manresa playing21 ACB games averaging 12.1ppg, 6.2rpg, 1.6apg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 55.6%, FT: 83.3%; and played 9 games averaging  10.0ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.9apg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 59.1%, FT: 92.3%. He scored in double figures in 5 Basketball Champions League games including 19 points in a 76-70 win over Lietkabelis and 18 points in a 121-102 victory over Polski Cukier. In the ACB, he scored in double figures in 16 games and had 4 double doubles including a 20/11 game in a 85-67 win over Zaragoza and a 18/10 game in a 106-104 win over Joventut. He played against top European clubs Real Madrid and FC Barcelona losing each time, but held his own scoring in double figures each game. “I think my time with Manresa in the Spanish league helped make me a more well rounded player. The ACB is such a good league top to bottom that you see all different types of defenses and offensive styles which forces you to learn how to read each and find a way to attack it. As a big, I was helped a lot by our point guard Dani Perez who is one of the best and most creative passers I have ever played with”, stressed David Kravish.

He believes when all is said one day that Luka Doncic could be the greatest European to ever play in the NBA played his last game in the 19-20 season on March 7 scoring 13 points in a 84-74 loss against Real Betis. Then basketball was cancelled in most countries and he suddenly was home again a lot earlier than in previous years. Like for so many players around the globe, the COVID-19 time was a huge challenge as nothing was the same for anybody anymore. “I was in Manresa, Spain last year when the league stopped due to Covid. “Once I got home to Missouri in late April the gyms and everything were closed down. I was running outside and doing different forms of cardio to try to stay in shape while lifting whatever weights I could find. I got lucky and through a friend of a friend was able to work out on an indoor basketball court they had built in their backyard, but that wasn’t until June. It was very challenging for sure“, remembered David Kravish. Of the court, the American was able to affirm his huge faith in GOD to come to terms with all kinds of experiences that he met. “I think those experiences just remind me to trust in God even more, because life isn’t always going to go well, and things aren’t always going to be easy, but if we trust in Him we can find peace and joy in any circumstance(Phillipians 4:11-13: “Not that I speak [a]from need, for I have learned to be [b]content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things [c]through Him who strengthens me.”), added David Kravish.

Despite COVID-19 still being alive and very present, it hasn´t hindered the German easyCredit BBL from shutting down. David Kravish who lists Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lebron James, and Shaq on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore has found a new challenge in the EasyCredit BBL with Brose Bamberg. When you played in the ACB, it is difficult to get to a much better league except the Euroleague. The easyCredit BBL isn´t the ACB, but still considered a top 5 league in Europe. It wasn´t a difficult decision for him to pick Brose Bamberg as his new employer. “I was familiar with my coach from several summers ago, that was a contributing factor for me. Every year I hope to take a step up and progress my career, and Brose Bamberg is a very well respected club known for their success. I do enjoy learning the new cultures and seeing new places with my wife. There aren’t that many people who have the opportunity to see this much of the world and experience it like this, so it is truly a blessing. I’m really enjoying the season, but it definitely isn’t the same without having the fans there at the games”, stressed David Kravish. He has seen very much basketball in many different countries the last years that he feels confident the team will shine in the BBL and BCL. “We have had a slow start in the BBL, but I see us competing for a top spot in both leagues”, warned David Kravish. Bamberg has a very talented and deep roster with guys like American Devon Hall who has given a huge spark in the back court. “The addition of Devon was great for us. He gives us a strong offensive and defensive option with versatility at the guard positions. He also has an edge to him that helps drive the team”, warned David Kavish. Another player Like Kravish who is playing his first season in Germany is Chase Fieler who will be a huge impact player this season and also bring other great skills to the table. “Chase brings leadership and a good eye for the game. He makes  a lot of reads and sees a lot options during play that lead to some easy baskets and stops for the team as a whole, not just himself”, commented David Kravish. He also has kept a close eye on young diminutive German point guard Bennt Hundt. He is one of the rare very short guards in the league that has a huge future ahead of him. “Bennett brings great energy for us on the court and on the sidelines. He is a little undersized, but he doesn’t back down from matchups or switches. He sticks his nose in there no matter what, and that is very important for the team”, added David Kravish.

It is no secret that the American who last watched “The Devil All the Time” with Tom Holland has a very fine offensive game that has proven over the years that he can fit into any league and any coaching system while at the same time being an impact player on the defensive end. He has proven that he belongs without a doubt to the best centers in the league currently averaging 14,5ppg, 8,3rpg, 2,4apg, 1,0spg and 1,4bs. While in the BCL he is averaging 13,3ppg, 5,5rpg, 2,0apg and 1,3bs. He also isn´t shy about naming a few greats that he has admired most over the years. “I’m not sure who my game best fits, but I always admired the way Dennis Rodman approached rebounding with such intensity and skill. I respect the way Tim Duncan was always level headed no matter who he was playing or what the situation was during the game”, warned David Kravish. A big strength of his on the defensive end is his special knack of blocking shots. He was already a menace in the NCAA, but it hasn´t changed in the pro ranks. He continues to swat away balls where ever he has played and just frustrates opponents offenses with his superb defensive game. “I’ve always had kind of a knack for shot blocking. I hold the record for most career blocks at the University of California. I think gaining experience in all of the different leagues helps to adapt my play so that I can be more effective defensively regardless of the opponent”, stressed David Kravish. He continues to be a very consistent player where ever he has played and thus far in Germany is playing very effective and has become a greater scorer than ever before in his career. But the famous basketball phrase defense wins titles is something that has stuck in his mind. He knows that he will always be able to score and haul down rebounds, but that won´t necessary guarantee a title. He isn´t getting any younger and knows exactly where he wants to continue to improve on as he continues to climb the basketball ladder to the top. “One of the things I’m trying to focus on is defense. Improving defensively not only helps my team to win, but will help me move up the ladder like you said”, warned David Kravish. Who knows who would win a one one tomorrow should he and Richard Solomon be reunited again on a court again. It surely would be an intense battle as both guys have improved and developed their games further. It would probably be a big challenge to duel Solomon again, but at the end of the day he would rather lose that battle then any match ups on defense in games, because it´s all about wining titles and not about satisfying your ego and being able to tell your buddies over a cold one you just won a one on one game.

DJ Woodmore is a 29 year old 190cm point guard that is playing his first season with the EPG Baskets Koblenz. Last season with Morgenstern BIS Basket Speyer (Germany-ProB) he played 21 games averaging 15.1ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.3apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 60.0%, 3PT-2 (50.0%), FT: 87.3%. In 2018-2019 13.8ppg, 4.5rpg, 2.8apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 60.2%, 3PT: 36.5%, FT: 71.6% in the Regionalliga. In his first two seasons with Speyer he averaged 14.5ppg, 5.2rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 44.6%, 3PT: 40.1%, FT: 72.1% and 17.5ppg, 7.0rpg, 3.4apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 47.5%, 3PT: 33.0%, FT: 76.4%. he played at Virginia Wesleyan College (NCAA3): from 2010-2014 and as a senior played 31 games averaging 20.1ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.4apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 50.3% (219/435), 3Pts: 46.0% (91/198), FT: 76.9% (93/121). Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and DJ Woodmore team together each week to talk basketball.

DJ thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. A tough 90-69 loss against FC Bayern Munich 2. What kind of an experience is it playing in the Audi Dome knowing what type of Euroleague players have played there?

Beautiful arena! A lot of history and playing on one of the biggest stages in all of basketball is always a great experience. Just would be nice to get a win there for once.

How disappointing is this loss after the EPG Baskets Koblenz came off that huge win at home against the Hebeisen White Wings. The team inconsistency continues.

Really tough Loss. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs all season, really thought we were going to turn the corner this game and start playing our best basketball!

FC Bayern Munich 2 was up by 6 at the break. What did head coach Danny Rodriguez tell the team to do better in the second half?

We just needed to take care of the ball better. I think we had about 14 turnovers at halftime, which led to easy transition points for them. We’re probably winning going into halftime if we would have cut those down some.

In the second half of the third quarter FC Bayern Munich went on a run only to be stopped by Chad Wellian who showed his scoring in bunches qualities. How valuable has the Dutch man been for the team?

He’s been extremely valuable, with his size and strength he creates mismatches all the time. Now that we’ve moved him to the 3 position, it’s opened up his game even more and allowed him to be more of a factor on offense.

The deciding moment of the game came in the fourth after you had fought back hard, FC Bayern Munich went on a 16-0 run. It seemed like the basketball God just hated the EPG Baskets Koblenz. Turnovers, numerous missed shots and blocks by Matej Rudan turned the tide of the game?

Yea, I thought we just lost our composure during that run. We had a lot of calls that didn’t go our way and we let that affect us. We have to find a way to stick together and stop the bleeding before it starts.

How lethal was the inside duo of Rudan and Rataj? Brian Butler and Bill Borekambi had their problems against them.

They were solid. I thought Rudan made some big shots but he was bailed out a lot with fouls. Seemed like he was untouchable sometimes. But we have to collectively be better on the defensive glass. That way we can limit his touches.

You saw Jason George a few months ago and he continues to get minutes in the BBL. How much has he grown in the last months with his game?

I think he’s coming into his own as a scorer. He’s their go to guy now and the BBL and euro league experience is definitely boosting his confidence. He’s definitely got a bright future ahead!!

You had a solid offensive game with 10 points six rebounds and 7 assists, but I know that your 4 turnovers annoyed you. What do you feel gave the team the biggest problems with the intensity and aggressiveness of the Munich defense?

I just thought we were rushing too much. A lot of miscommunication on offense which led to the turnovers. We want to play fast and up tempo, but stay under control. Sometimes it just felt like we didn’t have any structure. And like I said before, we have to do better rebounding.

With what positives can you take from this game and what will be the biggest areas the team will need to work on this week?

Not too many positives from this game. We need to find a way to stick together when things get tough. Besides that, I think we just need to move forward and focus on Coburg. They’re playing with a lot of confidence and they’re a really tough team in their home gym.

The EPG Baskets Koblenz will make the playoffs, but the fight for home court will be a dog fight between you and Munich and Giessen. The next game doesn’t get any easier as you have a date in Coburg. You won the first game of the season easily 103-85, but Coburg is a much improved team and in first place. What will be key in getting the win?

Absolutely. It won’t be easy at all but I think as long as we can string some wins together, we’ll be okay! But I think they key will be rebounding and contesting their shots. They live on the 3point line, and if we can make it a tough shooting night for them, we’ll be okay.

Tom Brady had fun drunk throwing the Super Bowl trophy from one boat to another during the celebrations in Tampa Bay. Who would have had to go fishing for the trophy had he lost accuracy and let it fall into the water?

I think you have to send one of the Rookies in there to get it lol. I don’t think Tom was too worried, he has 6 more at home.

Thanks DJ for the chat.

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors continue to suffer with their up and down play in the last weeks. They continue to play with a lot of spirit and intensity at home, but aren´t able to put together a consistent performance on the road. Last week they suffered a brutal 97-81 loss at the hands of Giessen as ex German national player Johannes Lischka was a tough menace exploding for 35 points as he dominated the paint area like no other. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors returned back home and met cross town rival Ebbecke White Wings Hanau who have been playing good basketball in 2021 having won six of their last eight games. Hanau came to Frankfurt having witnessed a hard 82-60 loss in Koblenz where they were very effectively manhandled on the boards. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were seeking revenge after losing their first meeting on the road with Hanau 69-61 and had to play a lot of catch up basketball, but came back and took control of the game, but made the contest exciting again as Hanau rallied and tied the game at 81-81, but German forward Maxi Begue took matters into his own hands hitting the game winning three pointer to lift the Fraport Skyliners Juniors past the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau 84-81. “We never hung our heads and always fought back. We played good defense and made some adjustments in the second half. It was hard playing against their zone, but we did a fine job moving the ball well and getting a good flow”, stressed Maxi Begue. The Ebbecke White Wings played a solid game, but couldn´t get away from Frankfurt early and later had to play catch up basketball and even had the opportunity to send the game into overtime on the last play, but were stuffed by the Frankfurt defense. “We played as if it was a Sunday afternoon stroll. We were way too sluggish. Frankfurt outhustled us on the boards all day long. They also got most of the 50/50 balls. We tried to wake up in the last 10 minutes, but it was too late. Frankfurt deserved to win”, stated Hanau guard Omari Knox.

The Ebbecke White Wings Hanau were without German Till Joschka Jonke who broke his finger while the Fraport Skyliners had to accept being without Len Schoormann who was playing with the Fraport Skyliners against ratiopharm Ulm which was taking place at the same time. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors got off the wrong side of the bed allowing a big Hanau run, but then recovered to trail only by 5 points after 10 minutes. The Ebbecke White Wings Hanau jumped all over the Fraport Skyliners Juniors leading 8-0 quickly. In the run, the guests got solid production from Eduard Arques Lopez who scored twice in the paint and young German Justus Peuser who showed his fine mid range game with a pull up jumper and also drove by Noah Kamden for an easy basket. Hanau had the higher intensity and aggressiveness at both ends while Frankfurt was sluggish and couldn´t move the ball well yet. But it didn´t take the Fraport Skyliners Juniors long to finally get going as they also demonstrated that they can go on runs taking a 9-5 run to cut the Hanau advantage to 13-9. In the run the Fraport Skyliners Juniors got some early offensive production from Maxi Begue who let his mid range game sparkle, while ex Coburg center Noah Kamden got aggressive on the boards making an offensive rebound and put back while ex Nurnberg guard Matthew Meredith nailed a trey as Hanau had the 13-9 lead. Hanau kept the pressure on getting some big buckets from German veteran Josef Eichler who played 17 BBL games with Nordlingen as he hit a trey and made a lay in. Ex Skyliner Felix Hecker also dropped a three pointer as Hanau held the 21-14 lead. Frankfurt received some key baskets from their youngsters 17 year center Alexander Richardson and Bennett Schubert as Frankfurt trailed 23-18. “We were able to convert our offensive game plan. We got Eichler involved who attacked Kamden in the paint. Our zone also worked very well against their offense”, said Ebbecke White Wings Hanau guard Till Joschka Jonke. The Ebbecke White Wings Hanau shot 60% from the field and 40% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 1 turnover while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 44% form the field and 40% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 3 turnovers.

The Ebbecke White Wings Hanau controlled the contest in the first five minutes, but the Fraport Skyliners Juniors fought back and trailed only by one point at half-time. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to get fine support from their two German youngsters Alexander Richardson and Bennet Schubert who scored again. Bennet Schubert who is the younger brother of injured Konstantin is an efficient defender that always gives 100% and he brought the needed energy from the bench drilling home a trey as Frankfurt trailed only 25-21. “He helps us a lot when guys aren´t able to play. He was ready stepped up and did a good job”, added Maxi Begue. Hanau held the lead thanks to two baskets from New York native Omari Knox who had been contained well in the first quarter broke free in the second quarter, but Frankfurt kept the pressure firm and continued to come back getting key baskets from Alvin Onyia, a running hook shot from ex Cologne player Jordan Samare and a clutch offensive rebound and put back by 2017 JBBL finalist Calvin Schaum to cut the Hanau lead to 31-30. Frankfurt had found a good rhythm on offense and continued to have more fortune with the 50/50 balls while Hanau couldn´t execute as well like they did in the first quarter. But basketball remains a game of runs and three consecutive turnovers by Frankfurt allowed Hanau to break free again and go on a 8-2 run to extend their lead to 39-32. In the run, they received two transition baskets from ex Schwelm forward Malik Kudic and from ex Manchester(UK) forward Eduard Arquez Lopez. “Those three turnovers helped us get out on transition”, added Til Joscha Joenke. Young German Justus Peuser also contributed with another pull up jumper as he finished with 8 points and did a good job in the playmaking. “He is taking a good development. He has the freedom to play. His biggest strength is his work ethic, but his mid range game is cash”, smiled Till Joscha Joenke. But the Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to battle back getting 5 points from ex Wurzburg guard Philipp Hadenfeldt to cut Hanau´s lead to 41-37. Frankfurt did a good job getting to the free throw line, but Schaum  and Samare could only hit one of two free throws, but they trailed only 41-40. Frankfurt continued to be super aggressive on offense as Alvin Oniya who continues to improve his trey scored from outside and Meredith made free throws for the first Frankfurt lead in the game at 45-44. After Felix Hecker made free throws, Noah Kamdem scored in the paint leading Frankfurt into the break with the 47-46 advantage. “We did a good job having a fine balance of our inside out game”, stressed Til Joscha Joenke. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 53% from the field and 42% from the three point line and had 19 rebounds and 10 turnovers while the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau shot 55% from the field and 25% from the three point line and had 10 rebounds and 5 turnovers.

In the third quarter the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were able to lead by as much as 10 points, but they were unable to totally shake the Ebbecke White Wings as they chipped away at the Frankfurt lead trailing only by 4 points after 30 minutes. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors entered the court after the break refocused and hammered out a swift 12-3 run to extend their lead to 59-49. They came out aggressive on defense stopping the first three Hanau possessions while getting a three pointer from Alvin Oniya and a free throw. Felix Hecker who once blasted Urspring for 44 points in a NBBL game connected on a trey , but Frankfurt countered back quickly getting a Meredith trey and Kamden lay in. Frankfurt continued to execute their offense well scoring well against the Hanau zone. Hanau got some key baskets inside from Éichler and Arques Lopez to cut the Frankfurt advantage to 61-55. But Frankfurt continued to have an answer on offense as Meredith and Begue scored to keep a healthy 65-57 lead. Hanau closed out the third quarter strong as Josef Eichler hit a trey and made free throws to trail only 66-62 after 30 minutes. “We had our ups and downs, and let them back into the game. We had some mental lapses near the end of the quarter”, said Maxi Begue. “We started to find some energy and had this sense of urgency. It kicked in and our energy got us back into the game”, stressed Omari Knox. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 55% from the field and 47% from the parking lot and had 25 rebounds and 16 turnovers while the Ebbecke White Wings shot 49% from the field and 29% from the parking lot and had 17 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had another good start in the fourth quarter and led by as much as 9 points, but the Ebbecke White Wings stormed back making life very difficult for Frankfurt getting a last shot to try to bring the game into overtime. Frankfurt stopped Hanau on it´s first four possessions, but couldn´t take a real advantage of their stops as only Hadenfeldt scored from the parking lot. Omari Knox then got Hanau´s first field goal of the fourth quarter unleashing a pretty finger tip roll lay in to cut Frankfurt´s lead to 69-64. Frankfurt continued to keep their lead and execute well on offense as Kamdem scored inside again and Maxi Begue scored as Hadenfeldt made the prettiest pass of the night making a no look bounce pass that looked like a Doncic/Rondo combination. Hanau was on Frankfurt´s heels and wouldn´t let up as Knox hit a three pointer as did Felix Hecker as they clawed back trailing only 75-70. Hanau still had some gas in their tank as they went on a 7-1 run in crunch-time to grab back the lead at 77-76. Josef Eichler was massive in this sequence scoring two baskets in the paint. “Eichler stepped up and I got going. We had the momentum and just needed one more basket”, stated Omari Knox. But Hadenfeldt responded with a clutch trey to give Frankfurt the 79-77 lead back. Eichler continued to be active and scored inside again to dead lock the game at 79-79 with 1,52 minutes to go. Both teams got some stops at with 59 seconds to go, Hanau got a severe blow as Josef Eichler got his fifth foul. Frankfurt then took the lead as Jordan samara made a key offensive rebound and put back with 34 seconds remaining. Hanau stayed strong and responded tying the game with a Felix Hecker lay in with 21 seconds to go to tie the game at 81-81. Frankfurt had possession and Maxi Begue came up with the clutch shot for the 84-81 lead with 4 seconds to go. “There was no help on me and Meredith found me. I was open and didn´t hesitate. It felt good after the release”, stressed Maxi Begue. “We wanted to foul but couldn´t. Frankfurt had a man wide open and he made it”, said Omari Knox. Knox then had the last shot, but missed. “We set up for man to man, but they went to zone. I didn´t have a clean look”, stressed Omari Knox. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Matthew Meredith with 16 points. Maxi Begue added 14 points, Philipp Hadenfeldt had 13 points and Noah Kamdem added 10 points while the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau were led by Josef Eichler with 23 points. Felix Hecker added 19 points and Omari Knox contributed 11 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 53% from the field and 45% from outside and had 33 rebounds and 22 turnovers while the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau shot 48% from the field and 27% from outside and had 24 rebounds and 18 turnovers.

Marcus Thornton is a 28 year old 193cm guard from Forestville Maryland playing his sixth professional season and first with the NINERS Chemnitz (Germany-BBL) averaging 12,7ppg, 1,2rpg and 3,8apg while shooting 44% from outside. Last season he played with ES Chalon-Sur-Saone (France-Jeep ELITE ProA) playing 23 games averaging 10.4ppg, 1.8rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 43.8%, 3PT: 34.9%, FT: 68.2%. He began his professional career in 2015 and has played for organizations Sydney Kings (Australia-NBL), Consultinvest VL Pesaro (Italy-Serie A), Banvit Basketbol Kulubu (Turkey-BSL), Guangxi Rhinos (China-NBL) and for two G-League teams Maine Red Claws and Canton Charge. He played at the College of William & Mary (NCAA) from 2011-2015 playing a total of 125 es and as a senior averaged 20.0ppg, 2.8rpg, 2.9apg, FGP: 51.8%, 3PT: 40.2%, FT: 82.5%. He spoke to germanhoops.com during the 2020-2021 sea

Marcus thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Despite all the turbulence that the world has experienced in the last months, how blessed are you to be playing professional basketball again with your new team Niners Chemnitz?

I’m extremely blessed to be able to play professionally and with Chemnitz this season. With everything going on, there was a stretch where we weren’t even sure how overseas play would be able to continue. So I’m grateful for the opportunity to be here right now

How did you experience COVID-19 in the States? What do you feel was the most challenging thing that you faced in this time on a daily basis on and off the court?

My experience I’m sure was similar to many other professional players, lockdowns in our respective states, curfews, limited access to being outside of our homes in the early months. I think the most challenging part for me at least, was just accepting the fact there was absolutely no way to get into a gym for a good 2-3 month stretch. Outside of basketball, I didn’t face any personal struggles, I’ve been playing overseas for some time now & I’d say I’m quite comfortable being by myself & occupying my time for long stretches without seeing friends and family.

Some players had no difficulty staying in shape and finding court time while other guys struggled. How was it for you? Were you able to do all the things you normally can during COVID-19 or was it more of a challenge?

I took the time during the lockdown to just focus on my body even more than usual. Without having basketball workouts, I was able to get more into stretching & detailed cardio work to keep me busy. I also used it to clean up my diet and be more mindful of how what I was eating was affecting my body and performance. I just challenged myself to try to be in the best shape I could be and that was motivating enough for me. First, that started with running & eventually got me into jump rope which I found to work well for me.

How do you feel did COVID-19 make you stronger as a man?

I feel like COVID-19 just reassured my passion for the game and my willingness to continue to work hard even without a clear endpoint at the time. It was a test of patience and faith to trust that we’d get back to playing again & I’d be ready whenever it came.

You have seen different countries and leagues in Europe, but what have you learned to appreciate most so far about the country Germany and it’s basketball?

The food has been really good here in Germany, and I’ve loved how easy it’s been to continue with my overall diet and trying to eat cleaner and more healthy. As far as basketball is concerned, I think Germany has a great physical presence. That presence can alter games and keep teams in games, making it very competitive.

The Niners Chemnitz are playing their first season in the easyCredit BBL. How exciting has it been playing for an ambitious team like this and what are the goals of the club?

It’s very exciting to be a part of this and their 1st time being in the BBL. We’ve been able to learn and see what type of atmosphere they’ve built here in Chemnitz over the last few years and I’m excited to join and help continue to build upon what they’ve instilled in this organization. We’re not concerned with focusing on the fact that it’s our 1st year in the league, we know what type of team and talent we have & have high expectations for ourselves. We expect not only to make the playoffs but to be a real contender around that time of year.

What has it been like playing with the point guards Virgil Matthews and Shannon Bogues? Matthews knows German basketball inside out while Bogues brings that American basketball mentality to the club. How do they compliment each other best and what you appreciated most about their games and character?

It’s been great playing with both Virgil and Shannon. Obviously, Virgil has been with this club for some time and has played in Germany even longer, so his knowledge as it pertains to Chemnitz and Germany is just a huge advantage for us as a team, and especially for myself also being a guard and it being my 1st time in Germany. He’s another coach on and off the floor for us and very important to our team. Shannon brings an exciting young energy to our team. His quickness on both sides of the ball really stands out and he brings an energy that I think every good team has! Having the knowledge and intuitiveness of Virgil alongside the talent and speed that Shannon has can only lead to good things and I’m excited to see it all unfold

How have you experienced Terrell Harris as a player? He has gradually moved up the basketball ladder in Germany starting in the 3rd league as a rookie. How much does his chip on his shoulder and competitiveness help build success for the team?

This is my 1st time playing with or against Terrel, he’s another leader on this team that we appreciate. He understands the game, how to play, and deeper than getting to his spots, he also sees how to get other guys in spots to succeed. His competitiveness helps push us to be better in practice every day and shows on the court in his play

You have played with very many coaches in your life, but what has been your early impression of Rodrigo Pastore. He is a top coach in Germany. Is he a guy where you feel that you will be able to learn new things that will continually help your game?

Coach Rodrigo is very passionate and committed not only to the game and x’s & o’s but also to the development and consistent improvement in all of us individually. I do feel I’ll be able to continue to learn under his coaching, he believes me not only as a scorer but as a passer too which I feel is a very underrated part of my gam

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 193cm guard. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?

That’s a tough one for me, I don’t feel I identify with anyone NBA player in terms of playing style. But I feel I score the ball well on 3 levels, shoot the 3 at a high clip & create space out on the perimeter whether it be the mid-range or 3 pt area to score similar to CJ McCollum

You were an explosive scorer in the NCAA and as a professional has been consistent helping teams with your scoring ability. What other strengths does your game have that helps not label you only as a scorer?

As mentioned before I feel I have a really good ability to not only pass but to be a playmaker in general, for myself and teammates. I feel my quickness and capabilities with the ball allow me to get others involved seamlessly with my play.

You shot 40% or better from outside in 3 of 4 NCAA seasons and as a professional only in the G-League and Turkey. Do you have a special regimen besides the normal reps and shot selection that you believe in in continuing to become that great shooter?

I have a few different things I do shooting wise I try to do during the season with my shot. I’m grateful that the Niners have 2 shooting machines at our practice facility that are available to us & I spend a lot of time using them. I try to make between 300-500 shots per day and I switch up between different routines to keep it from being boring, also shooting drills with coaches after practice as well.

On what part of your game did you work on most this summer so you would be best prepared for your season in Germany?

This off-season we worked a lot with ball screen scenarios, I wanted to play more of point guard this year to show what I’ve always felt comfortable doing in playing the 1.

Last season you played in France for Chalon. It was sort of a strange season. The club lost a lot, but had this insane ability to win some real tight exciting games at the end against Nanterre, Orleans (129-125), Le Mans and Boulazac. How will you always remember this season?

Yea the season in Chalon was definitely strange, I had some great teammates there during my time and I’m always grateful to meet and bond with other guys embarking on the same journey that make playing together easy as well as being away from home. Each of those guys wanted the best for myself and vice versa

Two seasons ago you played a shorttend season with Banvit Basketbol Kulubu (Turkey-BSL) playing only 7 games. Was this your toughest season to experience as a professional?

Yea that was tough for me, I was looking forward to playing in Turkey and in Banvit that year. I felt I was never really given a chance for whatever reason, the games I played I showed well but everything doesn’t always go your way, so I just tried to learn from it and it’s just another thing added on to the chip on my shoulder

In your third season you played with the Canton Charge (NBA G-League) playing 37 games averaging 18.8ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.9apg, FGP: 43.0%, 3PT: 40.5%, FT: 75.6%. You had some really strong stints that season like scoring 20 or more points in 8 of 9 games and later another stint of 20 points or more in 8 of 9 games. Did you ever feel like you were close to a call up?

It’s hard to say really with those things, you never really know about a call up until it happens really, so many different things go into that situation I feel. But I was grateful to get the call up I did with the Cavs.

You played your first season overseas in 2016-2017 with Consultinvest VL Pesaro (Italy-Serie A) playing 30 games averaging 13.5ppg, 2.1rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 52.1%, 3PT: 34.2%, FT: 74.7%. What was your wake up call to being overseas for the first time where you knew that you were far away from home?

Europe for sure was a different experience for me after being in Australia, I think the more rigorous practice schedule and passion from fans stood out the most

You were drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2015 and began in Australia. After being drafted and playing NBA Summer League, why did you go down under at first and later play in Maine in March 2016?

I was told there was no roster spot available for the team that year, so we decided to go over to Australia to play and with their shorter season I’d be able to come back and play in the G League with the Celtics’ g-league team

What kind of experience was it playing for the Celtics organization and was it disappointing that you never got a NBA call up? Does one feel like you were let down by the organization?

The Celtics are a world-class, great storied organization, I’m grateful for the time I did spend there. It was disappointing as I didn’t get a chance to put my best foot forward, my draft class with the Celtics included 2 other guards before me in Terry Rozier & RJ Hunter, plus 4/5 man Jordan Mickey before choosing me 4th, so I just wasn’t really anywhere near their list of priority of development or seeing what could play out

In your time in the G-League and seeing how NBA organizations function can you vividly recall an experience that you saw with a player where one easily saw that the NBA will always be a business first before anything else?

I don’t recall any up close and personal experiences but you see it all the time I think inside as players but always publically amongst the world as well. Players always seem to vow their loyalty to a team but when teams are ready to discard or move on from guys, the same loyalty isn’t reciprocated

You had a stellar career at the College of William & Mary playing a total of 125 NCAA games. You reached 2 CAA tournament finals, had your number #3 retired and broke Chet Giermak’s school scoring record that lasted 65 years. How do you feel did you not only grow as a player there, but also as a man?

College is always a pivotal time for growth in every player’s career, no matter how much time they spent there. As a man, I felt I was able to come into my own and establish myself as more of a leader than I ever was in high school. Taking more accountability for the team not only through my play but being vocal and trying to keep the team morale at a high level. Confidence wise it just reinforced what I’ve always known, when you put in the work, you reap the benefits, at any level

You had many big wins at William & Mary, but also tough loses like the 75-74 game against Delaware. Is this a game that you can go back and watch or have you forgotten that game over time?

I haven’t gone back to watch that game, but I definitely haven’t forgotten about either. Very tough loss for us but games like that you learn from and carry with you as you move on and up

How did head coach Tony Shaver groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

Shaver always believed in me as a player, he helped me a lot with understanding the leadership role I had at W&M and getting me to a point comfortable enough to exude that outwardly

Who won a one on one in practice you or Daniel Dixon?

Daniel Dixon is my guy! Brother for life but no doubt I won any 1 on 1 I’ve played with him and he knows that! Haha

Who was the best player that you ever battled in your life that made it to the NBA?

CJ McCollum, I believed we played Lehigh when I was a sophomore in college at W&M. I had no idea who he was before that game, but that changed after

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

My 5 best teammates of all-time: Landry Nnoko, Daniel Dixon, Rashawn Thomas, Brandon Britt, and JaCorey Williams

Please list your personal own NBA Rushmore of past or present NBA players?

My personal NBA Rushmore, past or present: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and LeBron James

What is your personal opinion of the neverending debate of who is the greatest of all-time Michael Jordan or Lebron James?

It’s Michael Jordan for me as the greatest of all-time. Different eras of course as everyone says, but 6-0 in the Finals says it all!

What was the last movie that you saw?

Black Box.

Thanks Marcus for the chat.

                It is always a joy when you can observe ex NBA players strut their stuff on the court in the Fraport arena. Last season you had guys like Jordan Crawford and Archie Goodwin demonstrate what brought them to the big show, while this season, the BBL has brought new ex NBA players to Germany with the likes of Diante Garrett, Jajuan Johnson, Wade Baldwin and Phil Pressey just to name a few. But there are more ex NBA players in the easyCredit BBL. A few nights ago Devon Hall who played with the Oklahoma Thunder last season put on a show in Frankfurt as he led a furious third quarter comeback where he scored 9 points in a blaze during a Bamberg 13-4 run. Twice he burned ex St Bonaventure sniper Matt Mobley nailing a jumper over him and the other time showed him that his first step is as lethal as Anthony´s Davis´s knack to secure rebounds for the Los Angeles Lakers. “It was one of those times where they came down and we didn´t have our assignments. We didn´t match up well against him in the second half”, stressed Quantez Robertson. Robertson was matched up against Hall a few times and was impressed by his game. “He stayed composed even when they were down. He kept his cool the whole game. He made some very tough shots”, explained Quantez Robertson. Bamberg has proved in the last 10 + years that ex NBA players that went to Bamberg could get back to the NBA as Casey Jacobsen, PJ Tucker and Darius Miller proved. With the good track record that Bamberg has, Devon Hall could be the next to get back. “He has a very good chance of getting back to the NBA. If he can keep playing the way he has then I feel that he will get another shot”, warned Quantez Robertson. It was Quantez Roberton´s third season when PJ Tucker helped Bamberg win the BBL title and played against Frankfurt twice. In the first game, Bamberg creamed Frankfurt 97-63 and he dropped 12 points, but in the return date in Frankfurt, the Fraport Skyliners came up big with a well deserved great defensive effort winning 76-68 as Robertson had a solid game scoring 12 points and helped keep the versatile Tucker to only 2 points. Robertson has battled many NBA players in his career including Washington Wizards German Isaac Bonga on a daily basis for two years, but PJ Tucker is a player he will never forget. “The NBA player that stood out the most to me was PJ Tucker. He played the positions three and four in Bamberg and was my toughest challenge. It was a tough task in Frankfurt, but we beat him”, remembered Quantez Robertson.

                The Fraport Skyliners continue to have massive up and down phases in the very exciting 20-21 easyCredit BBL season. They continued to play good games beating Bonn and Vechta on the road, but then give away crunch time games to a ratiopharm Ulm and then played a great half and a poor half losing to rival Brose Bamberg. Frankfurt gave up a pathetic 54 points in the second half against Bamberg and left head coach Sebastian Gleim almost speechless after allowing an unbelievable 36 points in the fourth quarter. After doing a superb job on the boards in the first half, they totally lost control in the second half and seemingly gave up offense rebound after offense rebound to German Christian Sengfelder who was cleaning the glass as if he had gotten a special seminar from Bob Villa. But there was so much more things that the Fraport Skyliners suddenly couldn´t do anymore after showing in the first 20 minutes that they could execute very well at both ends. “I thought we took good care of the ball. It was just poor execution. We were too lax and not aggressive enough on defense allowing them to get on a roll. They did a good job cutting into the lead. That is what good teams do. They fight back and chip at the lead”, said Quantez Robertson. There are just some days where teams can´t put it together for a longer period of time, but this season this has been a massive problem for Frankfurt. “I really don´t know how we could have the two halves that we did. We got away from our game plan in the second half. They were a lot more aggressive in the second half and did a good job getting us out of our offense”, added Quantez Robertson. There was one positive that Frankfurt can take to Munich. “I thought that we moved the ball very well in the first half”, warned Quantez Robertson. The big key and focus to success is consistency and that is something that every team desires. “We have to keep playing hard and backing each other up. No matter what happens, we have to be there for one another”, warned Quantez Robertson.

                One player who has really turned heads in the easyCredit BBL has been American Rasheed Moore who was playing in the Regionalliga for the Wiha Panthers only three years ago. His ascension to the BBL via the Pro A and Pro A has been like a Cinderrella story as his good play and further development has continued with Frankfurt where he is currently averaging 11,4ppg, 4,1rpg, 1,5apg and is shooting 40% from the parking lot. He had a little slump in the last two games shooting only 3/10, but came back strong against Bamberg netting 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists while shooting a potent 9/14. Sometimes a small slump can affect a player mentally, but he didn´t need to talk to anyone, but moreover solved the problem on his own. “He continued to do what he normally does after weights which is get up extra shots and that translated over to the game”, added Quantez Robertson. Another guy who continues to have a fine rookie season is Iceland guard Jon Axel Gundmundsson who is averaging 13,5ppg,2,9rpg, 3,5apg and 1,1spg while shooting a respectable 35% from downtown. But his role has changed a bit as he is coming off the bench more. “He is adjusting coming off the bench.  He isn´t playing as many minutes as usual. Jon is a scorer and we need that extra fire power off the bench. We expect him to get baskets”, stated Quantez Robertson. Matt Mobley is leading the team in scoring and has saved the Fraport Skyliners and carried them on many occasions this season that when he doesn´t come through then people are disappointed. After averaging 28,0ppg in a three game span, he netted only 17 points in the loss to Bamberg while shooting a dismal 5/20 from the field. His playmaking continues to rise as he had 5 assists, but his urge to need to do too much with his scoring led to him forcing way too much. “Matt knows that we expect a lot from him. We live off his scoring. We have to always stick behind whether he makes shots or not. We need him to keep shooting so he opens more space to us. He is also a great passer. He shows that when he is double teamed of trapped that he can make the extra pass”, commented Quantez Robertson. After two strong scoring games where Quantez Robertson had 14 points in a row, he scored only 7 points, had only 1 rebounds and two assists. He continued to be very active on defense getting 4 steals. He had 8 steals in the last two games, and had 8 steals before that in 9 games. “I felt I did what I could on offense. I didn´t get as many shots as usual. On defense I tried to create extra possessions. We do well in the open court. That is one way how guys get going”, stressed Quantez Robertson.

                The Fraport Skyliners meet FC Bayern Munich tonight who are only in fifth place at the moment with a record of 13-3 as teams like Ludwigsburg and Berlin continue to be the teams to beat with only one loss a piece. In the first meeting, the Fraport Skyliners played a spirited first half, but like against Bamberg lost total control in the second half as FC Bayern Munich rolled to an easy 75-52 victory. Frankfurt was creamed on the boards losing that battle 42-26 and allowed 15 offensive rebounds. “They are bigger than us. We will have to find different ways to execute and just out smart them. We have to be a lot more aggressive on box outs”, warned Quantez Robertson. A big plus for teams during this period where there are no fans is the atmosphere on the bench. During the huge Bamberg second half, one could hear the Bamberg bench half way to Frankfurt, while the Skyliners were less vocal. “We were more vocal in the first half. We need to keep the noise for 40 minutes”, warned Quantez Robertson. FC Bayern Munich is current news for Quantez Robertson and the Super bowl is old news. Robertson´s buddy Mike Morrison who is a St Peterburg native and Tampa Bay Bucs fan was a little disappointed that his friend Tez didn´t congratulate him to the Super Bowl win and joked calling him a hater. “I was pretty sure that Mike would call me. I was surprised that he didn´t call me and leave a crazy message. I´m not a hater. He just wants to stir something up so next time we have something crazy to talk about”, expressed Quantez Robertson. Even if Robertson is a Bengals fan, he and Morrison do have something in common which is a big respect for the Bucs and Tom Brady. “The Bucs win was impressive. Nobody expected a blow out. Most thought that it would be a shoot out and one team would win by something like 3 points. Tom Brady has more rings than all NFL organizations. That speaks a lot. It is tough getting 7 rings and getting to the Super Bowl. It was also impressive that Mahomes got there two years in a row. I´m sure he will get a few more tries and later we will see how good he does in comparison to Brady”, warned Quantez Robertson. For now Quantez Robertson has to wait another year for the Super Bowl, but no waiting for the next NBA encounter as he battles Jajuan Johnson and Wade Baldwin tonight.