Seeing An NAIA player playing at a high level overseas is about as rare as believing Kenrich Williams won´t be asked unending questions about being beaten on Lebron´s record breaking all-time scoring record NBA shot, but it happens. But mostly you see NAIA guys toiling in lower leagues around the globe dreaming and grinding daily to live the dream. But what about those NAIA guys that don´t reach Europe right away? There are numerous guys who take years to get overseas and one of those fortunate ballers has been Shawn Scott. The versatile player played his last college game in 2018 and from then until the fall 2021 had a huge open space in his basketball resume. He did stay active with basketball, but nothing really worth noting. He attended some eurobasket summer league camps, but nothing came of it despite feeling like he left a good impression. Life wasn´t easy balancing basketball and a 9-5 job. “I stayed in the gym and stayed ready because I knew at any time an opportunity could come. I also played in many Pro-Am leagues in Phoenix, Arizona, and played in a bunch of rec leagues. I also was working in a gym facility almost full-time, and at the same time worked for Amazon as well”, remembered Shawn Scott. In his mind he knew he could play, but the question was how he was going to get overseas? One has to wonder why it took him so long? Was it failed representation of just that typical NAIA stigma? “I think it’s just that the NAIA doesn’t get the respect that it deserves overseas and most agents and coaches will overlook most players just based off the level when there’s many players who have had much success in the first three leagues in Germany, so it definitely has been done more often than you think. For me, I think it was a mix of failed representation and the NAIA stigma because I feel like I had the accolades and the stats, but never was given the chance until late”, stressed Shawn Scott. Guys have given up going so many years without getting a real chance, but he never gave up. The trust on the process and belief in his own game rewarded him. “It was a very tough time for me, and even after a year of not having any opportunity, it definitely got me down and was very close to giving up but I knew I could never do that because I had put in too much work and I knew that eventually something would come. The support from my family and friends definitely helped a lot because no matter how long it took they still believed that I was overseas ready and they just told me to stay the course. It’s always been my dream to play overseas since college and for me, nothing was ever just given to me with basketball so I had to work extremely hard and be patient and it’s a blessing that it all came together and I was able to live out my dream”, warned Shawn Scott. Working at Amazon and playing in rec leagues never diminished his basketball dream and coming overseas as he finally could live the dream in Germany.

Shawn Scott who lists ex Austin Peay(NCAA) great John Murray as the toughest cover he ever faced on the floor was born January 30^th, 1996 in Jenks, Oklahoma. He received his first basketball experience at Jenks high school. He then opted to go to school at Southwestern Christian University(NAIA from 2015-2018 playing a total of 100 games. His fondest moment was reaching the NAIA tournament final. “That was a great run that we had that year and it’s a shame that I couldn’t finish my college basketball career a champion but I loved every moment of that trip and that run with some great teammates and great guys”, said Shawn Scott.  In his freshman year he averaged  8.7ppg, 3.7rpg, 2.0apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 46.6%, 3PT: 26.8%, FT: 68.2%. His game took off in his last 2 years as he averaged 16.3ppg, 6.1rpg, 4.1apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 59.2%, 3PT: 37.8%, FT: 69.2% as a junior and as a senior averaged 15.3ppg, 3.8rpg, 2.8apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 59.1%, FT: 76.9%. “I think playing in the NAIA showed me how to play with so much grit and play every game 100% and to play with no fear. At this level, nothing is ever given to you and you have to work 10 times harder to get playing time and every minute counts. I think this is where my defense started to take big strides, and it was always my job to guard the best players, and I took great pride in that”, stressed Shawn Scott. He scored in double figures in 51 of 67 games in his last 2 years and had some explosive games against Dallas Christian with 39 points and hit Mid America CH with 34 points. He also knows he couldn´t have attained all the success without the guidance and pushing of head coach David Bliss. “I’m so thankful for Coach Bliss, and the two years I had with him. He was such a great coach and I really believe that he made me into to the player that I started to become. When you have a coach like that, who has Division I experience and track record like his. for someone to believe in you like that it gave me so much confidence that I could do anything on the court and it was always my goal to never let him down and give him all I got, because he trusted me”, remembered Shawn Scott who remembers beating teammate Jahmari Gordon at 1-1, but losing in a dunk contest against him. In his 3 years in the NAIA he achieved All-SAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year -2017, 18, All-SAC Honorable Mention -2017, All-SAC Second Team -2018, and NCCAA D1 All-America Scholar-Athletes Team -2018.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and John Murry in Rhondorf, Germany in October 2019

The Oklahoma native who lists LeBron James, Jamal Crawford, Chris Paul and Magic Johnson on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore finally made the trek overseas in 2021-2022 playing for TVO Biggesee (Germany-2.Regionalliga) helping the club move up to the Regionalliga. Every American has that special wake up call finding out how much different the overseas life is compared to home. “I honestly think it was having to walk everywhere and use the transportation system because in the states all I did was drive a car and I think that was a wake up call that I was far from home and I was going to have to adjust to being overseas”, remembered Shawn Scott. This season in the Regionalliga with Biggersee he needed no adjustment period as he was averaging an overwhelming 31.2ppg, 10.4rpg, 6.1apg, 3.6spg, 2FGP: 56.2%, 3FGP: 30.4%, FT: 77.6%.. This was a massive jump from the kind of numbers he put up in the NAIA league. “I would say that the NAIA was a very tough league and much tougher than people think and I was fortunate to play against some very high talent that only made me a better player. I would also say that I have improved greatly in the past 5 years and still feel that I’m still improving and only just now entering my prime”, warned Shawn Scott. He scored in double figures in all 14 games including 30 points or more 9 times. He also had 9 double doubles and exploded for 42 points in a 95-90 win over Ibenburen. He also achieved an unbelievable quadruple double against Leverkusen that had many very talented guys on board including ex BBL players Viktor Frankl-Maus and Thomas Michel. It was embarrassing that I didn´t read the stat line far enough as I read only triple double, but he had 35 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 11 steals. “I know it could be quite unbelievable, but if you go back and look at the stats of that game, I finished with a quadruple double which I also couldn´t believe. This game meant a lot to me because it was probably the best game of my career and we were able to win the game in overtime as well against very talented players who were experienced so it made it that much sweeter”, expressed Shawn Scott.

Sometimes the path of professional players change from one day to the next and that is exactly what the basketball God had in store for Shawn Scott who lists Michael Williams, James Still, Marvin White, Bilal Atli, and Jamal Ray as his 5 best teammates of all-time. He decided to take another opportunity and signed with BG 2000 Berlin (Germany-Regionalliga). “My agent came with this offer to go to Berlin because they were serious about making the move to Pro B and said that they could use some extra help and we both thought that this could be very good for my future and so I decided that I will make the move and come here”, said Shawn Scott. Not only did the scenery change from Biggersee to Berlin, but his stats also did. He isn´t that overwhelming player now as he was in Biggersee, but for most guys winning takes priority over stacking the stat sheet. “ It’s definitely something I’m not use to as I was heavily relied on in Biggersee and it has been an adjustment but I think I just have to catch a rhythm and get more familiar with the team and it’s only been 3 games that I’ve played so far but I’m sure I’ll figure it out and be able to have some big games. But most importantly, we’re winning and that’s all I want to do and I haven’t exploded for big games that I’m capable of doing so I think it will just be much easier to win games once it all comes together”, warned Shawn Scott. There is a lot of incredible talent with BG 2000 Berlin like Marley Jean Louis who is a walking bucket and has played in the second league Pro A which is 2 steps above the Regionalliga. “First, Marley is a pure scorer and I think it’s dangerous that we are on the court together and I want to be able to take some stress off of him and get him easy open shots but I think we both can be explosive scorers at the same time so it’s something I’m not really worried about. We’ve only played three games together and I think it’s only a matter of time until we are both exploding for big games. It will be very scary for teams”, warned Shawn Scott. He has had a big battle for the Regionalliga scoring crown with American Ricardo Artis and has enjoyed every minute of it. “ I talked to Ricardo briefly and we both played in the same area in Oklahoma but I don’t see it as a challenge as much. I just think it’s two very good players who are trying to help their teams win by any means and if he happens to pass me then he deserves it. He’s a great player who also fills the stat sheet”, expressed Shawn Scott.  

The durable Mr everything who believes Lebron is the GOAT and the classic Coming to America movie should have been left alone is a 185cm guard that compares his game to rising NBA player Ja Morant. He is a crazy athlete that is a high flyer and doesn´t shy from going into the paint and challenging bigs.  His versatility may be his biggest strength, but he also possesses others. “I think I have the Westbrook mentality and always admired that he can literally do everything on the court and I think it only benefits to getting the win when you can be a point guard and rebound like big men and play defense and just do a bit of everything. I have a very high basketball IQ and I’m a very good passer. I think my speed with a ball in my hand is unmatched makes it hard for anyone to stay in front of me”, added Shawn Scott. But it isn´t just his offense that is breathtaking to observe, but also his passion for being a lock down defender. “Since Highschool it was always my job to guard the best players and I take pride in playing defense and not letting players have a normal scoring day. I’ve always been the same defender and still am and I’m getting stronger and it’s making it easier to guard bigger people. I just want to be that defender that everyone is worried to be guarded by because If you’re able to stop the best guy then it’s more likely that you’ll win”, warned Shawn Scott. He knows that his trek overseas has just begun, and that he still has a long journey up the basketball ladder and knows what he still needs to work on. “I think my outside shooting for sure. It’s the main thing I’m missing that will only make that much harder to guard and I’m trying to get better at that every day and I will get there 100%”, stressed Shawn Scott.  It will be interesting to see where the basketball journey of Shawn Scott will go in the next years. He had the patience in the States and now has his foot in the door overseas. He will always know what got him this far and what will get him further up the basketball ladder. “It’s definitely a blessing to be able to make it overseas after having to be patient and waiting so long because usually it’s not normal that you would have to wait three years after college to go overseas and it was quite the journey for me and I think it makes it that much sweeter that I made it and having success at the same time and never gave up and I think that should be every player who came from a low level’s mindset to never give up and to keep going until you make it”, stressed Shawn Scott. How often have we heard that famous phrase “never give up and keep going”? millions of times, but Shawn Scott is simply another example that preservation does pay off at sometime.

Quantez Robertson (188-SG-1984, college: Auburn, agency: Interperformances) is a 38 year old 188cm guard from Cincinnati that is playing his 14th professional season for the Fraport Skyliners. The ex Auburn (NCAA) minister of defense became the easyCredit BBL all-time steal getter and recently dethroned Pascal Roller as the all-time leading scorer. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his thoughts to Lebron James becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

Lebron James has beaten Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s NBA all-time scoring record. Did you stay up to watch history?

Actually I didn’t. I wasn’t even able to watch my daughters game. I fell asleep. My wife usually holds the phone for me to watch.

How does one put this record into perspective best? It stood almost 40 years?

It shows that even though he missed some periods of time in the last years with the Lakers that he could still continue to play at a high level and score at a high level and be consistent year in and year out.

He scored 36 points in 26 minutes. Was it another normal day at the office?

Yeh it was. He was scoring something like 35 points for a span every game the last weeks. He can score almost when he wants to.

How much is that ball going to be worth?

I think that Kareem will sign the ball and Lebron will put it in a glass case with all his other signed stuff that he has.

Russell Westbrook made the pass. Do you think that in 20 years the pass could be remembered more than his triple doubles?

No I don’t think so. I’m sure he will always be remembered for making the pass, but people will remember more that he averaged a triple double for almost 4 years.

His record breaking basket was a step back over Kenrich Williams. Is that the kind of shot you expected knowing the kind of player he is? Or would you have expected a dunk for the spectacular finish?

If I were a betting man, I would have bet on him getting a nice transition dunk or some kind of spectacular dunk coming down the middle.

There obviously is a lot of respect for Kareem, by the basketball world, but what would have happened on social media if Lebron had gotten the record with a sky hook shot?

Social media would have gone crazy especially with Kareem in the building. It would have been like a tribute for Kareem from Lebron.

Kareem is such a gentleman. You didn’t grow up with him, but what does his legacy mean to younger guys? Can they even understand what that guy did?

I don’t think that many will. Not many know that he won with Milwaukee and won with Oscar Robertson. The younger people won’t know about that. People will remember him more from his Laker days with Magic.

Lebron will have more than 40,000 points when it’s all over. Back in 1984 people said it would never be broken? Will this record be broken?

I think it can only be broken if there is somebody that stays healthy, can take care of their body and can score like Lebron did. I think only guys like Steph Curry and Kevin Durant could.

If Luka Doncic continues to play to 40 stays fit and becomes a physical specimen like Lebron, could he dethrone him?

I don’t think he will. He already played a good amount of years in Europe. I don’t think that his body will stand up. I think he could possibly play 15 years in the NBA.

Does this record finally give Lebron the GOAT status over Michael Jordan?

No I don’t. For the younger generation yes. I’m sure there are also older people that will give the GOAT to Lebron because they like his game.

What is your favorite Lebron moment that you witnessed live or on TV?

I remember some plays from when he was with the Cavs. I remember him dunking over a Bull player and going down the middle for a big dunk against Detroit.

Thanks Tez for the chat.

Tags : QUANTEZ ROBERTSON, FRAPORT SKYLINERS FRANKFURT, GERMAN BASKETBALL

Jeremy Ingram (183-G-1991, college: AAMU) is a191 cm guard that was born in Alabama and has played his entire professional career in Germany for teams like Speyer, Idstein, Bensheim and recently SG Mannheim.This season he is playing for Regionalliga team Bargteheide. Last season with SG Mannheim he picked up South West Regionalliga player of the year while averaging (32.1ppg), 5.7rpg, 4.2apg, Steals-4 (2.6spg), FGP: 55.4%, 3PT: 35.4%, 9%. He began his career with Enterprise State Community College (JUCO) and then finished with Alabama A&M University (NCAA). He teams up with Miles Schmidt-Scheuber on a weekly basis this season to talk basketball.

You suffered a tough 95-66 loss to Stade. How tough was this coming from a 2 game winning streak having to suffer a blow out?

It was tough because it was a big loss in a Home game in front of the home crowd so that’s what made it even worse.

Was it just one of those days where nothing worked? You shot under 40% from the free throw line.

Well we had a rough week of practice due to everyone being sick and illnesses and injuries, including myself so I think mentally we were just not prepared for this game. They were 15-1 for a reason.

What makes it so difficult to play this team?

I honestly think we just missed a lot of shots we normally hit. Stade played good but I think we beat ourselves this game.

Bargteheide couldn’t contain Boadu and Angelats who controlled the boards and playmaking. Was it easy to see that guys like this have played at higher levels?

Yea they definitely did their thing for their team. They played very solid which we knew they would.

You scored 11 points and had a tough shooting day. Did you notice that they had done their home work on you?

Honestly I had 10 points in the 1st quarter and came out of the game with 3 minutes left in the 1st quarter and I had just got to cooking. So I was pulled out in the middle of doing what I do so when I came back in the game I just couldn’t find my rhythm again.

What will you focus on most this week so you will be best prepared for Bergedorf?

Well we also had another week of a lot of illnesses so we will just have to come up with enough strength to win this game. I’m sure they won’t make it easy for us.

How fitting is it meeting 2/15 Bergedorf after a loss like that? You won the first meeting by 16 points. What will be key to getting the win?

They key is just to not play down or focus on their record but to play the same way we’ve been playing all season to get us the important victories that we do have.

Thanks Jeremy for the chat.

Tags : JEREMY INGRAM, TSV BARGTEHEIDE, GERMAN BASKETBALL

A little more than 8 years ago Will Cherry (185-PG-1991, college: Montana) had the fabulous opportunity to strap on the Cavs jersey and get to play the game that he loved with the GOAT Lebron James and uncle Drew Kyrie Irving. At that same time Quantez Robertson was already an established played in the German easyCredit BBL and in his sixth season and belonged to the top defenders. Fast forward to 2023 and all 4 are still active. Irving has played for a few teams and now is on his way to Dallas to wreck serious havoc with Luka Doncic while Lebron James got a NBA title to Cleveland and since is playing with the Lakers. Cherry on the other hand has proved to be on the move since his Cavs days having played in 5 different countries and for 8 organizations. Only one guy has been faithful to one organization and that is Quantez Robertson who is in his 14th season with the Fraport Skyliners. Last season Cherry and Robertson who is known as Tez to anyone who follows basketball in Germany were teammates. This season, the ex Alba Berlin guard Will Cherry moved to the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg in December and met Quantez Robertson again on Sunday, but this time as foes. But this time something was very different than last season. This time he could of greeted Tez with ‘hey what’s good Mr Skyliner alltime leading scorer’. But actually these guys have remained good friends and spent sometime together before Sunday’s game. ‘Tez is my boy. We talk all the time. I was really happy to see him again in Ludwigsburg. I had him over to the house the night before the game and I cooked burgers and fries and we chopped it up about our families. I’m really very happy for his feat. He has put up tremendous stats for the longest time. The Skyliner all-time leading scorer title is just another accolade for him during his great career with the Fraport Skyliners and in the BBL’, stressed ex Alba Berlin guard Will Cherry. There haven’t been many Americans overseas that have played as long as guys like Rickey Paulding did for the EWE Baskets for 15 seasons or Tez for the Fraport Skyliners. Are these guys a dying breed overseas? ‘I don’t know but you just don’t see Americans overseas staying that long with one team. You see guys sticking around with Euroleague team where your paid great salaries. Us Americans don’t come here focusing to stay with 1 team. For us it’s a business. We aren’t in the NBA. We come overseas strictly for the money and if we win titles along the way then great’, warned Will Cherry. With Lebron James only 36 points away, Will Cherry can very soon say I was teammates with the NBA all-time leading scorer and with the Fraport Skyliners all-time leading scorer with Quantez Robertson, a fact that he is very proud of. ‘I’m always asked about Lebron, but I never brag about it. People at home brag about it. I’m proud that I can tell my 2 year old daughter who already loves basketball one day that I played with one of the greatest players of all-time. Lebron passed me the ball for my first NBA basket and he always gave me good advice. Tez is a like a brother but even better person. What Tez does on the court is who he is. It is just an incredible feat that Tez has stayed with one team. In the end it has rewarded him’, stressed Will Cherry.

Post game interview Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Quantez Robertson after securing the Fraport Skyliners all-time scoring record

Will Cherry who played Euroleague in Greece with Olympiakos a few years ago met his ex team Fraport Skyliners last weekend and helped lead the team to a convincing 96-81. The MHP Riesen hadn’t been playing great basketball as of late as they arrived into the contest riding a 3 game losing streak and had lost 5 of the last 6 games and in between had masterfully beat FC Bayern Munich. One saw a sense of urgency from the get go, but it wasn’t necessarily because of revenge from losing the first game in Frankfurt. ‘We had a sense of urgency from the last loses. We were up 20 points in some games and still let teams steal games from us. We wanted to get back on track against Frankfurt’, warned Will Cherry. The MHP Riesen began well from the start gaining control, but always allowed the Fraport Skyliners to stick around. ‘Our start was vital. We hadn’t done it the last games except against Crailsheim. We had foot on the necks of our opponents, but couldn’t keep it. Even if they went on a run later, we still kept our foot on the gas’, said Will Cherry. One guy who is having an incredible rookie season is ex Notre Dame (NCAA) great Prentis Hubb who is top 5 in scoring and dishing out 6 assists per game. Whereas A Lebron James was like a mentor in 2014 for Cherry, now is he like a mentor for a guy like Hubb? ‘I am kind of like a mentor to him as well as Jhonathan Dunn. I try to teach them to be better pro’s. I tell Prentiss all the time don’t take anything too lightly with what he is doing. What he is doing in the BBL isn’t easy. I tell him to keep doing his thing. Sometimes he get’s a little to loose with the ball, but he is very smart and can still refocus’, stated Will Cherry. In the second quarter the Fraport Skyliners heightened their game scoring 22 points and made some adjustments on defense to lead 43-39 at the break. It hasn’t been easy for the Tez friend to witness the Skyliner’s reduced role and that he has played center this season. ‘We couldn’t get stops on defense and hung our heads on defense. Ludwigsburg’s staple is our defense and we didn’t play defense. Frankfurt got more comfortable and made shots thus raising their self confidence. We didn’t play good 1-1 defense and couldn’t keep our guy in front of us. It has been very strange seeing Tez have a reduced role and play some center. He might be older and have lost a step, but the man is still very smart and still has enough gas to help Frankfurt in so many areas of the game’, warned Will Cherry.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Will Cherry in Frankfurt in 2021

The turning point of the game arrived in the third quarter where the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg exploded for 33 points, but still only led by 7 points 72-65 after 30 minutes. Despite the scoring onslaught Ludwigsburg still allowed enough points to allow Frankfurt to hang around. ‘We didn’t really make too many adjustments. We had more focus and just had the attitude of man up. We wanted to reestablish who we are and have our identity back especially on defense. We got stops and as a result were able to get on transition and get easy baskets’, commented Will Cherry. One player that was key in the scoring spree was undersized power forward and ex Western Kentucky University (NCAA) player Justin Johnson who showed he can be a walking bucket. ‘He really got going and established himself as a big threat. I appreciate his high IQ the most in his game. He really knows how to play the game. Whenever we talk about the game we are always on the same page. He had a tough path after his suspension, but I was really happy for his big game against Frankfurt. That was a big step for him. When we he plays like that then it is really hard to beat us’, stressed Will Cherry. In the fourth quarter, the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg didn’t waste any time slamming the back door shut on the Fraport Skyliners marching on a 12-0 run and deciding the game. ‘We knew that we have allowed teams to come back in previous games in the fourth quarter so we came right at Frankfurt and hit them in the mouth. We didn’t want to leave any doubt that we could lose this game. We did a good job playing the defense the way we know how, getting rebounds and getting easy baskets. They did a good job with taking advantage of match ups early in the game playing small ball, but that didn’t happen in the fourth quarter’, stated Will Cherry. Another player that was key in the win and in many others this season was ex Division2 player Jhonathan Dunn of South Nazarene. He is one of 100’s of great guards playing in Europe right now that had to start in lower leagues as he balled in Holland last season. Cherry is totally enthused by this guys stellar play. ‘When you can shoot the ball the way he can, it doesn’t matter what league you came from. Coach does a good job drawing up plays for to help him get going. The way he can shoot the ball is second to none. He has a crazy clip. People make a million dollars a season the way he shoots the ball. The BBL is just the first step for him. He will make it to higher leagues and make a name for himself’; warned Will Cherry.

The ex University of Montana great is playing his third season in Germany. When you’re a 10 year vet, you tend to be more selective in your choices. He skipped training camp in August and elected to stay at home to work out and found the right opportunity in December with the MHP Riesen and is content of having made the right choice ‘I just didn’t find the right situation earlier in the season. I felt like my representation at the time weren’t doing their job. For me it was better to wait instead of taking something I didn’t want. I have always said I’m only coming overseas if it is worth my time. Ludwigsburg has been different, but a good different. I didn’t know what to expect, but I really like it. It has been a little adjustment getting used to the defensive principles, but I see why this club has been a top 4 team the last years. It is a good run organization and I understand why players have gone on to bigger and better things’, stressed Will Cherry. He began slowly in Frankfurt last season and it isn’t any different in Ludwigsburg. His playmaking is top as he is averaging 6,0 apg and is averaging 1,6spg. It is his scoring that’s down at 8,0ppg and his three point shooting is only at 19%. But just like he told me 15 months ago in Frankfurt, he isn’t worried about his offensive game. ‘My scoring will come, because it is what I do. I’m still trying to find my offensive rhythm. My defense and running the team will always come naturally to me. Once I find my offensive rhythm, we will be so much better. I just need to learn to pick my spots in this offensive system. I know I don’t have to score as much as I did with the Fraport Skyliners. I have only played 6 games. It needs time’, stressed Will Cherry. He is confident that his playmaking will profit with so much offensive power. ‘We have a lot of weapons. I didn’t score at a big clip against Frankfurt, but I still impacted the game in other ways. I got guys in good scoring situations by manipulating Frankfurt’s defense. I tell my teammates all the time just to run with me and I will get them open shots’, warned Will Cherry.

Lebron James getting on the team bus in Boston in November 2021

But back to Lebron James. He is only 36 points away from becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and passing Mr Sky hook Kareem Abdul Jabbar. The question is will he reach it against the Oklahoma Thunder or Milwaukee Bucks? Will Cherry might only have been teammates with Lebron James for a short time, but technically he helped Lebron just a tad to reaching this incredible record. Cherry’s humbleness to this question is overwhelming. ‘I don’t know about that. Lebron had the ball in his hands a lot. I’m just so thankful that I could witness greatness at the age of 23 and be able to see a top 5 player of all-time play. I had a front row seat. What he has done in his career is unreal. I love to watch him play’, added Will Cherry. I personally feel guys like Bill Russell and Larry Bird deserve more praise in the GOAT debate but for the longest time everyone is focused about the Jordan-Lebron GOAT debate. So will Lebron be the GOAT after he becomes the NBA all-time leading scorer? ‘For me it will always be Michael Jordan. This new Lebron record is a longevity record. Jordan didn’t come to the NBA at age 18 or play 20 years. Of course this is an incredible feat for Lebron. Lebron has been fortunate playing in an era where science had a big impact of how you could take care of your body. Jordan is the Goat because he made the NBA global and took it to another level. Jordan helped the NBA take off after the Bird and magic era. Plus Jordan went 6/6 in finals’, stressed Will Cherry. One thing is for sure, Will Cherry will always have to answer Lebron James questions. And that won’t get any less after he dethrones Kareem. Will Cherry will always be connected to Lebron James in some way.

Photo credit Dragons Rhondorf

Even if the win in Cologne against the RheinStars was a big highlight in 2023 for the Dragons Rhondorf, one has to admit that so far the new year hasn’t been good to them. They had lost 3 of 4 games including the last 3 games in their Dragon Dome living room. It was time to get on the winning road again mainly because they had to be careful not to slip away from the home court in the playoffs. Getting that next win looked a lot better as the 9-7 Dragons had to meet the 2-14 Herford team who they had beaten on the road 103-82 back in October. But a lot had had happened since then as American Herman Hightower had to depart while they got new players Shawn Gulley and Filmore Beck all top Pro B players over the years and American rookie Jordan Mello-Klein. It was also the third game and second in the Dragon Dome for new player Mubarek Salami who had been the Pro B top scorer the last 2 years. The Dragons Rhondorf didn’t disappoint any of the faithful fans as they demonstrated an offensive attack for 40 minutes easily dismantling the hapless BBG Herford 108-63. Top Pro B point guard Devon Goodman (184-PG-1997, college: Pennsylvania) who has had big games on the road, but was still looking for a top game in his own living room had his home break out game scoring 23 points and dishing out 12 assists. ‘We stuck to our identity for the most part pushing the ball and playing at a fast pace for 40 minutes. When we can do that for 40 minutes then it is hard to beat us. We played good defense. We knew that they liked isolation so we took care of our 1-1 assignments’, stressed Dragons guard Devon Goodman. The guests played pick up ball from the get go and could never find a sound offensive rhythm and couldn’t match the intensity of Rhondorf at both ends of the court. ‘We had a lack of effort for 40 minutes. They came out strong. We couldn’t respond and the game got away from us through their good playmaking and shooting’, stressed BBG Herford guard Jordan Mello-Klein.

Filmore Beck from outside

The game was tight for the first few minutes, but it didn’t take the Dragons Rhondorf long to get their offensive rhythm and get a big lead and never lose it again. Ex easyCredit BBL player Florian Koch got the Dragons on the board first with a lay in, but BBG Herford found some offensive spark using cutters to get easy baskets as Germans Alexander Winck and Shawn Gulley scored for the 4-2 advantage. But the Dragons Rhondorf then got going jumping all over the guests going on a 28-9 run to lead very comfortably 30-13 after 10 minutes. Ex Ivy League champion Devon Goodman was hungry and wanted that first great game and scored 7 unanswered points as his quickness gave him 2 easy buckets and he also tested his 30% three point shooting for the Dragons 9-5 advantage. Rhondorf kept up the pressure on offense playing their fast paced game attacking the rim and getting easy baskets as Herford couldn’t offer any pressure on 1-1 play. Ex Pro B top scorer Mubarek Salami scored twice inside while Florian Wendeler and Baby Zion Zaba Bangala scored twice and Nicolas Buchholz dropped a trey for the 23-10 lead. Rhondorf had an identity on defense playing good 1-1 defense and having good help defense in the paint. Rhondorf kept attacking the paint and got another Salami lay in and two more lay ins from Goodman who finished with 11 points including one at the buzzer. ‘I wanted to start well being aggressive. I kept pushing the ball and trying to get to the rim and while I was covered found my shooters with kick outs’, stressed Devon Goodman. The Dragons Rhondorf were shooting the lights out at 76% from the field and 67% from outside and had 10 rebounds and 4 turnovers while BBG Herford shot 29% form the field and 11% form outside and had 5 rebounds and 6 turnovers.

Adrian Bergmann with the dunk

In the second quarter the Dragons Rhondorf continued to execute very well at both ends thus keeping the giant lead and leading by 25 points at half-time. Both teams were trading baskets at the start as BBG Herford received 5 points from Shawn Gulley as on his three, he got a friendly basketball God bounce and Mello-Klein also scored inside while the Dragons got support from Koch and Goodman and still led 37-20. But the Dragons Rhondorf then made a new jump in the game going on a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 47-20. The Dragons got three’s from Koch and Buchholz and lay in’s by German role players ex Coburg forward Adrian Bergmann and ex RheinStar center Florian Wendeler. Rhondorf was beautifully sharing the ball and playing unselfish the complete opposite to the guests who relied most on isolation play. The Dragons packed the paint well and allowed nothing simple. The guests got some baskets from Klein-Mello and ex Missouri (NCAA) forward Vaidotas Volkus, but Rhondorf simply executed with ease continuing to get great production from Goodmann with 2 buckets and Zaba Bangala scored 5 points. Ex Rhondorf guard Marc Klesper added free throws and Gulley a lay in before the siren, but the Dragons Rhondorf continued to have the commanding 56-31 lead. The Dragons Rhondorf continued to shoot very well at 64% from the field and 38% from the three point line and had 19 rebounds and 7 turnovers while BBG Herford shot 36% from the field and 17% from the three point line and had 14 rebounds and 11 turnovers. ‘We attacked well on the pick and roll and our wings attacked the close outs well’, stated Devon Goodman.

Shawn Gulley at the FT line

In the third quarter there was no let up by the Dragons Rhondorf as they continued to play their game and run their plays and execute with success. The Dragons received early buckets from Bangala, a trey by Buchholz and a lay in by Goodman while the guests got baskets from Klein-Mello and a cold Filmore Beck who only scored 8 points on 1/8 shooting, but Rhondorf still led 66-43. The guests had their little spurts of offense as Winck and Klein-Mello scored, but they could never ring up consecutive stops on defense as their intensity and 1-1 defense just wasn’t up to par. It was no secret that ex Pro B leading, scorer Mubarek Salami wouldn’t be averaging 20 plus points in Rhondorf and he showed that he knows exactly when to score and when to distribute. His attacking or dishing on the drive kept the guests guessing all night long. Plus it was refreshing to see how well Salami and Goodman harmonize on the court. ‘It is weird playing against him this season and now being teammates. He is a big guard and we bounce each other out on the court. He does a great job of getting in the lane. Our chemistry will continue to build as zo play with and off each other’, stated Devon Goodman. The Dragons Rhondorf closed out the third quarter with a lethal 7-0 run to lead 77-49 after 30 minutes. The Dragons got production from Buchholz with another trey and Koch and Bergmann contributed lay in’s. ‘We continued to keep up our pace. We have had problems not being able to close out games. We usually let up in the second half, but tonight we stuck to our principles’, stressed Devon Goodman. ‘We tried to keep up the aggression. We tried to push the tempo and trap them in screens, but when your down 23 points, you need a lot of effort to come back, but we didn’t have that’, added Jordan Klein-Mello. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 62% from the field and 40% from the parking lot and had 29 rebounds and 15 turnovers while BBG Herford shot 34% from the field and 18% from the parking lot and had 18 rebounds and 15 turnovers.

Zaba Bangala at the FT line

In the fourth quarter the Dragons Rhondorf put the lid on the coffin scoring 31 points as BBG Herford caved in. The Dragons Rhondorf didn’t waste anytime to slam the door on BBG Herford going on a explosive 16-4 run to lead 93-53. In the run the Dragons Rhondorf continued to share the ball well and play beautiful inside out basketball. Rhondorf got three scores inside as Bangala scored over a wall of 2 players, Bergmann scored and Koch hit on transition while Buchholz nailed 2 more trey’s and Salami also hit from outside. The Dragons closed out the game well, but the guests also scored better. Rhondorf got free throws from Salami and Bergmann and Florian Koch hit the magical 100 point mark with a trey and had a date with the donut shop for his teammates. Rhondorf got some added free throws from Goodman down the stretch and a left handed lay in from Koch while the guests got some garbage points from young German Leo Alban who made a pretty floater and hard 1 handed dunk. ‘Leo is young and long. He needs to play with urgency. He will be good if he keeps working’, warned Jordan Klein-Mello. ‘We didn’t think about reaching the 100 points, but just kept playing our game. We never slowed down and played hard until the end’, warned Devon Goodman. ‘We continued to chip away, but we used so much energy and couldn’t come back. We got impatient and took quick shots. All those things lead to lose by 45 points’, stressed Jordan Mello-Klein. The Dragons Rhondorf had 6 guys score in double figures and were led by Nicolas Buchholz with 24 points. Devon Goodman added 23 points and 12 dimes while Florian Koch added 19 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists and Zaba Bangala had 14 points and 10 boards. The BBG Herford were led by Shawn Gulley with 16 points and Jordan Mello-Klein had 13 points and Vaidotas Volkus added 10 points. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 61% from the field and 48% from outside and had 43 rebounds and 19 turnovers while BBG Herford shot 32% from the field and 14% from outside and had 24 rebounds and 18 turnovers.

Tags : DEVON GOODMAN, DRAGONS RHOENDORF, GERMAN BASKETBALL

Brian Conklin (201-PF-1989, college: St.Louis) is a 33 year old 201c, forward from Oregon that is playing his 11th professional season and first with FC Porto (Portugal-Liga Betclic). He began his basketball career at North Eugene High School. He then played at Saint Louis University (NCAA) from 2008-2012 playing a total of 133 NCAA games. He turned professional in 2013 and has played in countries like Australia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, France and Turkey. He has played 400 plus professional games in his career. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a Fiba Europe Cup game in Chemnitz.

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

Hello thanks for having me. I’m in Porto, Portugal playing for the historic club FC Porto. In my 11th season I’m having the time of my life.

Welcome back to Germany. You played against Alba Berlin 5 years ago and was in Germany. What memories do you have of playing that historic German organization?

I also Played against Bonn even before that, I’ve always loved playing against German teams in international competitions, I’ve been told my style of play would suit the league. Playing ALBA specially that season was great because my good friend and old roommate from Nanterre Spencer Butterfield was on the team.

I just had a flash back. I actually saw you play in 2017 in Bonn where you suffered a tough 77-76 loss. Do those close loses nip at you for a while or can you forget them?

That certain case didn’t matter as it was the semifinals and you play home and away so it’s like an 80 minute basketball game. Just have to score more than other team in the end.

Your playing your first season with the historic club FC Porto. What have you appreciated most about playing for this organization?

The professionalism and hunger to win championships has been a breath of fresh air and made me want to reach my highest level.

You have won a number of titles in your career. How exciting is it playing for an organization that has won 25 titles and last in 2020 and how hungry is your quest to win again?

I’ve always won championships throughout my career that’s why I always start a season saying #chasingchampionships. It’s what I play for the excitement of the fans in those moments and winning it all after sacrificing so much.

Your a guy that has shown everywhere that you can be adurable scorer and rebounder. What exactly is your role this season? It seems like you don’t have to do as much as with other teams?

I just try to fit in where I best can help the team succeed. Now that I’m older that comes in a mentor/ leadership role by default on the court and off. But on the court nothing has changed that’s scoring the ball, passing out of certain ball screen defenses, creating mismatches or being able to disrupt other teams offenses with my physicality.

The game has continued to evolve and especially guys at your position have incorporated a three pointer. This season you have hardly used it. Why hasn’t the three pointer become more of an option in your game?

I think the 3 pointer is the most overrated shot in the game, you have people shooting 30% from three taking 5-6 threes a game, that’s wasted possessions to me. I’d rather take post ups, mid range at 60% that way putting pressure on the defense and can get to the free throw line, while being able to have a more balanced transition defense.

As the oldest on the team, have you developed a sort of mentor position for some players? What has it been being teammates with ex Auburn player Danjel Purifoy, a guy who plays your position?

Being older you just try to impart knowledge on the younger guys, make sure they understand the business and avoid mistakes maybe you made early in your career.

Last season you had a short stint in Turkey’s first league with Semt77 Yalova Belediye Spor (Turkey-BSL) averaging 9.7ppg, 4.7rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 76.7%. This is an up and coming league. How would you compare it in skill level and competitive teams to the France pro A? Is the Pro A ahead of this league?

I really enjoyed my time in Turkey, it’s a very high level league with a lot of talent. I’d say it’s a more physical league in Turkey where as France is a more athletic league. Turkey you’re playing against a lot of very high level Americans normally as they get majority of the minutes and a lot of plays break down into 1 on 1. France is a faster pace and more system oriented league, you’re going to play pick and roll and attack out of those situations.

In your career you also have had your experiences in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, New Zealand, Australia. Was your time playing competitive games often a better and more comfortable option then just grinding in the gym at home? Was there a particular experience you will never forget playing there?

I prefer to stay in game shape and play year round. This is where I’ve been able to have the most success and stay ready for every facet of the season. Australia and Puerto Rico where I won MVP’s in each league respectively has got to be my most favorite experiences. As well as winning a championship in New Zealand in my first season as a pro and another championship in the Dominican Republic.

You played 4 years in France with Nanterre and Limoges. You put up consistent stats in one of Europe’s best leagues including the Eurocup. Do you feel like you were ever close to landing with a Euroleague team? Has it just been timing and having the right connection that has been missing?

Yeah I’ve always been able to play at a high level, play on EuroCup teams that made their respective Top 16’s even won a French Cup and the FIBA EUROPE CUP. For me I think it was a timing thing and a connection thing. I never truly chased the money, I always had my family with me so I wanted good situations where I’d be paid on time, my kids could go to school and we could be together as a family.

2 years ago you were teammates with basketball’s biggest talent at the moment Victor Wembanyama. Is this kid the real deal. How far can he go?

The Skies the limit for Vic, he was my rookie my second stint in Nanterre and you could see all the intangibles and talent at 16/17 years old. He’s a good, humble kid who knows his worth and where he’s going. Stays focused and true to himself. Very hard worker and addicted to the pressure and perfecting his game.

What was the most amazing thing that you remember seeing him do in a practice that little people saw that made you go wow?

I mean his ability to put the ball on the floor at that size and get to this mid post fadeaway has to be one of the more impressive things in the complete package.

In your first season with Nanterre you were teammates with Mr parking lot Heiko Schaffartzik. Do you ever remember being teammates with a guy that can shoot more crazy deep three’s then him?

Man Heiko not only could pull from anywhere but his ability as a teammate and leader brought the chemistry together that year that helped us win two championships. Between him, Chris Warren, Spencer Butterfield and Hugo Invernizzi all shooting above 45% from 3 any given night you could pick the best shooter on the court.

In your last Limoges gig you were teammates with DeMarkus Nelson and Marcus Ginyard who balled at Duke and Noth Carolina. What memories do you have of these 2 outstanding players. Did that school rivalry sometimes come to life?

They were great talents and leaders helped me to understand transitioning to the twilight of my career how to extend your career and make a difference in a more efficient role. Outside the casual wager when the teams played each other nothing crazy.

In your first tour of duty with Limoges, you were teammates with short point guard Dru Joyce who had a great career overseas. Dru is a very humble guy. How long did it take for you to learn that one of his closest friends is Lebron James who he won 3 high school titles at St Marys?

Dru was a great PG and now I’m sure he’s a great coach at Duquesne. Very knowledgeable about the game and the ultimate professional. I had seen the documentary because he’s around my age so I remember the hype when I was in high school.

You played a season with the Illawarra Hawks (Australia-NBL) averaging 14.6ppg, 5.4rpg, 2.2apg, FGP: 49.1%, 3PT: 10.0%, FT: 71.9%. There you were teammates with David Anderson who played in the NBA, CSKA Moscow and FC Barcelona just to name a few teams. How good was he still at 37 when you were teammates and what will you always remember about him?

Man Dave is the man!!! Never seen someone take such good care of their body, and work at their craft as diligently as him. He was still very good and could go for 13 pts in a quarter before you could blink. Would challenge us to one on one on the block and out of the high post after practice. He was a true professional.

You played 3 seasons with the Townsville Crocodiles (Australia-NBL) from 2013-2016. You put up solid stats but also made some news with the drama concerning Damian Martin and Mitch Creek. What memories do you have of experiencing highs and lows early in your career?

Loved my time in Townsville, it’s a special place with a special fan base passionate about their crocs!!! My son was born there, I got MVP of the league while I played there so nothing but great experiences. I’ve never done anything intentionally, I play hard and physical like any other player. I’ve been hit just as hard or harder throughout my career. It’s an occupational hazard. It was unfortunate what happened and I wear an elbow pad on that left side for this reason, so forbid it ever happening again. I’ve seen guys get their eyes poked out, punches thrown I was never this type of player. Basketball Is a physical sport.

How vital was your 3 years in Australia for your basketball development?

I was able to come in as a youngster and play heavy minutes and be the focal point of the offense in a respected league against some great talent. Learned how to screen, run the floor and create mismatches to my advantage.

How important was Shawn Dennis for you early in your career for your development before reaching Europe?

I would say it was my college coach Rick Majerus who gave me a majority of my basketball knowledge and he was a basketball savant. Thanks to him I’m still playing today. I learned how to play the game and didn’t have to rely on athleticism or skill only.

You were teammates with then rookie Nick Kay? How proud were you of him winning a Bronze in 2021 at the Olympics? Did you see his growth starting in 2015 when he came from division 2?

Nick was a very hard worker and very talented, cream always rises to the top. He got out of it what he put in, never saw him take a day off. Just put in the work.

You played your rookie season with the Zero Fees Southland Sharks (New Zealand-NBL) averaging 22.4ppg), Reb-3 (9.5rpg), 1.4spg, FGP: 61.4%, FT: 74.0%. What do you remember being your wake up call to being a pro down under where you knew that you were far away from home?

We started season 1-3 and coach came into practice read out everyone’s stats up to that part of the season out loud in front of the team. Told me my performance was unacceptable for an import and I needed to figure out how to get it done as a pro. Rest is history, won award for best forward in the league and we won the championship.

You played at St Louis from 2008-2012. What memories do you have of beating Memphis at the NCAA tournament and then losing to Michigan State? Was that your fondest time in the NCAA?

My whole senior year seemed like a blur of excitement. We got nationally ranked for the first time, won the 76 Classic in Anaheim, California against Oklahoma and Villanova teams that were very good. Beat a good Washington team, Xavier, Dayton many fond memories. But the culmination was making the NCAA tournament and beating a loaded Memphis team that was supposed to be to big and athletic for us, then matching up with #1 seed Michigan State and Draymond Green and taking them to the wire.

What memories do you have battling Draymond Greene? He was a beast in that game?. Would you have thought that he would develop as well as he has in the NBA then?

That was a great battle, Rememberd he couldn’t guard me in the post and then tried to post me up and couldn’t get anything easy so they started using him as the ball handler in pick and rolls that’s when I knew he was good.

How did head coach Rick Majerus groom and prepare you best for a professional career?

Like I mentioned above I owe a lot of my success to him. He taught me to be a student of the game, to slow it down and analyze every aspect, sport is a game of inches and he coached to that. If he were alive throughout my professional career I would’ve had a different trajectory, that was the connection I was missing to make the highest levels.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Dwayne Evans?

Dwayne was a 3 man all through college and I was the 4/5 never came to that except for the occasional switch. We probably both of differing accounts but there is a reason my nickname was Conk Diesel.

Who was the toughest player that you faced in the NCAA that would go to the NBA?

Lavoy Allen and Andrew Nicholson as far as bigs who I guarded. But Terence Ross hands down for talent.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time, as far as on court?

PG- Semaj Christon SG- Kenny Hayes SF- Donte Greene PF- Mam Jaieth C- Willie Reed

Please list your personal NBA Mount Rushmore of past or present heads?

Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant Lebron James Shaq

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


Jordan- winning that’s all that matters are you the best when the championship is on the line. 6-0!!!

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn’t they have left it alone?

Didn’t see it, won’t be either. Original is the best. Somethings better left alone.

Thanks Brian for the chat.

Tags : BRIAN CONKLIN, FC PORTO, GERMAN BASKETBALL

Christopher Miller (192-G-1993, college: Salem) is a 29 year old 193cm guard from Brooklyn, New York who is playing his eighth professional season and first with GoldCoast Wallabies NLB (2nd League). He played 3 seasons with the Giessen Pointers (Germany-RegionalligaThis season for Bensheim he averaged 19,5ppg, 3,8rpg, 2,0apg and 1,5spg. He has had experience in countries like El Salvador and Bosnia. He recently played for the South Shore Monarchs (TBL) playing 8 games averaging 22.4ppg, 5.6rpg, 4.3apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 50.8%, 3PT: 35.0%, FT: 83.3%. He began his basketball career at Clinton Community College and also played two years at Salem University (NCAA2). This season he teams up with Miles Schmidt-Scheuber with weekly chats about his basketball season.

Congrats on the huge 74-72 win against Villars. You are riding a 2 game winning streak. How good is basketball life at the moment?

Anytime you can get some wins together in a row is a good feeling . We have a new focus and it’s showing. I hope we can keep this focus to add more wins.

Talk about the 40 minutes. Was it always a close game and what was key in crunch-time for getting the win?

We were playing a great game and ended up leading by 16. Then they surged a crazy comeback and made it a game . Credit to them for making big shot after big shot. At the end we had to score and then rely on our defense in the last seconds. We were up 2 and they had the last possession.

How much of a role did the three point shooting play? The club shot an amazing 868% from outside?

We were clicking as a team from 3 our guys Jerome Montrell and Matthew were on fire from 3.

Massour Kasse had a monster game with 24 points and 12 rebounds. How tough was it trying to control him?

He is a very skilled big man who loves to shoot. There is no way to block the shot and he is almost automatic when he raises up. He was a tough cover for sure.

How key was Jerome Domingos scoring 18 points? What do you appreciate most in his game this season?

Jerome had a great game shooting 4/7 from 3. He can help our team in many ways from scoring to defense. He came out with the energy in this game and was aggressive from the start. He will be a key piece for our success down the road.

You scored 19 points but had 6 turnovers. How much do the turnovers give you head aches?

The turnover number was a bit high. A few I don’t agree with and a few unforced. It’s A headache for sure but I will work on it. I’m just happy what I did was enough to contribute to a victory.

You shot the ball very well. You must be happy with your shot selection?

Yes I was happy with my shot falling. And ultimately making the shit to close the game out . Feels good because we have all been in the lab working on shooting and games like this show the result.

You next play Levaux who are 3-10. This is a must win. What will be key for the win?


The key to winning is always us . If we handle our business and focus on bettering ourselves we will have good chances.

Thanks Chris for the chat.

Tags : CHRISTOPHER MILLER, GOLDCOAST WALLABIES, GERMAN BASKETBALL

pic credit MLP Academics Heidelberg

January 29th, 2023 will be a date that will be remembered for a long time in Fraport Skyliner country. It was the day where the Fraport Skyliners won their most important game of the season in exciting fashion coming back from 17 down against Hamburg and possibly turn their season around and Quantez Robertson became the club’s all-time leading scorer. But there wasn’t much time to reflect on the big day as the season continued 72 hours later against the MLP Academics Heidelberg. It may have been the Washington duel between the easyCredit BBL’s top scorer Eric against New York legend Isaiah from the jelly fam fame, but the game had a lot more flair then just these two extra ordinary players. It was a huge battle for the 2 teams in their quest to remain in the league. The 5-12 Fraport Skyliners continue to be up and down, but have been great in their living room having won 4 of their last 5 games while the 6-10 MLP Academics continue to grind and have played well in the last weeks having beaten Bayreuth and Wurzburg and averaged close to 100 points in the last 3 games. The Fraport Skyliners had to be wide awake on the defensive end one of their weak spots. On a untypical Wednesday night, the two team met in Frankfurt and over 200 faithful Heidelberg fans were on hand to support their team. It was one of those typical Frankfurt games this season where they were at eye level for 3 quarters, but caved in the fourth quarter allowing the guests to trample all over them. It was must win for the Fraport Skyliners as the next 3 games will be very tough to win. ‘I felt there were stretches where we played well. We came out aggressive in the second half and then everything went downhill. Our offense stalled too much. We had problems with every aspect of our game. Whenever we turned over the ball, they would punish us with easy baskets’, stressed ex Purdue center Matt Haarms. 15 minutes after the big win, there was still an incredible atmosphere in the arena as the Heidelberg fans were celebrating with players. The guests weren’t known as a solid road team, but they came together as a team when it counted most in the fourth quarter. Eric Washington (183-PG-1993, college: Miami, OH) really poured in on in crunch-time slamming the door on Frankfurt with 11 points in a row for his team including some tough three’s. ‘We had stretches in the game where we were up 4-5 points, but couldn’t close it out. I felt we shared the ball well and continued to put pressure on them. We knew that our pace would give them problems. Frankfurt is a good team, but we knew that if we would play our game and be able to execute and not turnover the ball, then we would have good chances to win’, stated ex Miami (NCAA) guard Eric Washington.

Joshua Obiesie to the rim

Eric Washington caught the Fraport Skyliners napping ta tip off getting the ball and sprinting to the hoop and scoring within 4 seconds to give Heidelberg the 2-0 advantage. But the tide then turned as the guests almost went 4 minutes without scoring as Frankfurt halted 6 possessions and scored 7 unanswered baskets. German national player Lukas Wank got going quickly scoring 5 points and 221cm giant Matt harms nailed 2 free throws. The guests got some good looks, but couldn’t connect and Frankfurt played solid defense with good communication something that would totally collapse in the fourth quarter. But Heidelberg would slowly close the gap. After Lithuanian guard Laurynas Belliauskas nailed a trey for the 10-4 lead, the guests would totally turn the game around closing out the first quarter with a brutal 14-3 run to lead 18-13 after 10 minutes. In the run they got solid support from American veteran Shy Ely with a 15 footer, a dunk from Belgium national player Vincent Kesteloot and a put back by ex New Jersey Institute of Technology (NCAA)player Tim Coleman, but the most damage was cast by ex Belgium U-20 national player Elias Lasisi who scored 8 points including 2 three pointers. ‘Elias came out aggressive on the floor. He had a good flow and beautiful lift on his shot. He made it swing. It was all net’, said Eric Washington. The Fraport Skyliners were disorganized on the defensive end and had miserable rotations. The first quarter was good. We jumped all over them. We did a good job on defense getting stops and put good pressure on their defense’, stated Eric Washington.

Shy Ely at the FT line

In the second quarter the Fraport Skyliners were able to come back and regain the lead, but couldn’t hold it as the MLP Academics Heidelberg stole the lead back and led by 5 points at the break. Frankfurt didn’t waste anytime going on a quick 9-0 run to get the arena roaring from the Skyliners fans side retaking the 22-20 lead. In the run Frankfurt did a superb job sharing the ball as 4 separate guys executed. Ex Georgia (NCAA) guard JJ Frazier added a 20 footer, Matt Haarms a floater, ex Wurzburg guard Joshua Obiesie a floater and Quantez Robertson drilled home a trey. After Maxi Ugrai made a lay in to tie the game at 22-22, it was Frankfurt again that had a good phase continuing to execute well on offense going on a 9-2 run to lead 31-24. In the run the 2000 BBL cup winner got good support from Jelly Fam founder Isaiah Washington who scored twice in the paint, Robertson scored on transition and Frazier dropped a trey from the corner. This was possibly the best phase of Frankfurt in the game as they played with high intensity and took advantage of their good 1-1 qualities on offense. The game was tight, but the Fraport Skyliners clearly controlled the game, but couldn’t get away, because every turnover they produced was punished with baskets by the guests. Heidelberg got some baskets form Ely and Tim Coleman to keep Frankfurt at bay leading only 34-32. After Isaiah Washington connected on free throws, the MHP Academics Heidelberg were able to close out the first half strong going on a 11-2 run to lead. 43-38. In the run Heidelberg received solid support from Eric Washington with 2 baskets, Lasisi produced a three pointer and Coleman a lay in. Frankfurt had awful spurts on defense where they couldn’t get any stops inside as having that additional big man continues to be missing. ‘We knew that Frankfurt didn’t have the best transition defense. Even on makes, we tried to attack them. Getting stops and causing turnovers was key in run at the end. We turned our defense into offense and played our pace’, stated Eric Washington.

JJ Frazier from outside

The MLP Academics continued to keep the lead in the third quarter and were never able to lead by more than 6 points. Wank began the third quarter as well as he did in the first quarter with a massive burst of energy and back to back three’s to dead lock the contest at 44-44. The game of runs continued as Frankfurt couldn’t hold the momentum and let Heidelberg go on a 7-0 run to get the 51-44 lead. In the run, Laqsisi contributed a 25 footer, Coleman a lay in and Ugrai hit a trey. Frankfurt would show spurts of good offense a s Frazier hit a three pointer and Wank scored a lay to cut Heidelberg’s lead down to 51-49, but would lose the energy again. Lasisi was a one man wrecking crew as the other one man wrecking crew Eric Washington was on hold often doing exquisite playmaking. Lasisi scored twice to give the guests the 55-49 lead. Frankfurt continued to produce dumb turnovers which resulted to easy Heidelberg baskets. That Beliauskas is a sniper is no secret as his time came and he struck with consecutive three’s to tie the game again at 55-55. The momentum swings continued as Heidelberg got baskets from Ely and ex Xavier center Brian Griffin for the 60-55 lead, but Frankfurt always had an answer getting a 2 hand dunk and 15 footer from Matt Haarms to cut the guests lead down to 62-61. Haarms had one of his best games this season finishing with 16 points shooting 79% from the field but wasn’t totally content with his game. ‘My shooting percentage was definatley there tonight. But what I did on offense, I undid on defense. I would of really had had a good game had I played better defense. I let my team down’, stressed Matt Haarms. Heidelberg would keep the energy up and lead of 68-65 after 30 minutes. Eric Washington continued to produce ooohs and ahhhs from the fans making a 2 handed dunk on transition and then making an acrobatic kick out pass to ex Skyliner Akeem Vargas who drilled home a trey form the corner. What did he enjoy more the pass or dunk? ‘ As a point guard I enjoy the pass more. Dunks are nice, but it is the passes that keeps the defense off balance and keeps my teammates confident making shots’, warned Eric Washington. ‘Our performance began to go down at the end. We had too many break downs and you can’t afford to have those against good teams’, stated Matt Haarms. ‘We shared ball well, but gave up too many points. We then made adjustments for the fourth quarter’, stressed Eric Washington.

Eric Washington with the 2 handed dunk

In the fourth quarter the Fraport Skyliners fought hard, but just couldn’t get over the hump. A last crushing run by the MLP Academics and Eric Washingtons stellar scoring spree slammed the door shut on the Fraport Skyliners. JJ Frazier began the fourth quarter with an in your face jumper to cut the guests lead to 68-67 but the guests just didn’t lose their energy and execution rate getting another clutch trey by Lasisi and incredible lay up by Eric Washington who’s speed was too much for Frankfurt as the guests led 73-67. Matt Haarms was clutch in the come back attempt scoring 6 points. One basket was beautiful as Skyliner legend Quantez Robertson made a volleyball pass to him as trailer for the easy basket. Heidelberg led only 76-74 as crunch-time arrived. But that was the closest that Frankfurt would ever get again as the MLP Academics had had enough and now slammed the door shut with a hard 14-2 run to lead 91-76. Instrumental in the run was the constant pounding by Eric Washington who showed just how lethal of a scorer he was scoring 8 points including back to back three’s with the latter one being a ridiculous off balance in your face jumper. ‘I took what the defense gave me and took advantage of the switch. We got good spacing and I executed. I had held back at times with my shooting earlier, but in crunch-time, I was aggressive and kept shooting. I always trust my work. My performance was nothing out of the blue’, stressed Eric Washington. The unsung hero in the drive was diminutive guard Bennt Hundt who began the run a beautiful pass to Lasisi for the trey and then made an off balance shot. ‘We knew that Washington can always get going, but we also let Lasisi get going. You can’t do that and let both get going. We decided to switch and they took advantage of it’, stated Matt Haarms. ‘We felt the momentum going up with every basket. Getting stops gave us more confidence and our fans and bench energy helped as well. This did not feel like an away game’, added Eric Washington. The MLP Academics Heidelberg were led by Elias Lasisi and Eric Washington who combined for 43 points. Tim Coleman added 12 points and Shy Ely 10 points while the Fraport Skyliners were led by Matt Haarms with 16 points while Lukas Wank added 15 points and Lauryas Beliauskas produced 14 points. The MLP Academics Heidelberg shot 53% from the field and 38% from outside and had 35 rebounds and 8 turnovers while the MLP Academics shot 49% from the field and 37% from outside and had 33 rebounds and 13 turnovers.

Tags : ERIC WASHINGTON, MLP ACADEMICS HEIDELBERG, GERMAN BASKETBALL

All it is is 4 letters and a number, but so often that is a road block in the dreams of so many guys chasing the dream overseas. There are so many talented guys that played NCAA 2 that never were able to play overseas probably mostly because of the cliche that guys that come from there don’t have what it takes. Of course there have been many many guys that have not only been able to reach Europe and have a solid career, but even guys that have reached high levels. One of those guys has been Kameron Taylor who I love to use as an example of having gone from the NCAA 2 at Seton Hill all the way to the Euroleague with obstacles along the way. There are other talented guys like Taylor who have gone a similar path like Henri Wade-Chatman (188-G-1992, college: Edinboro), but are still climbing and climbing up the basketball ladder searching for the basketball peak in a high league. Wade-Chatman and Taylor battled many many times in the NCAA2 that they could of made an interesting head to head mix video. In his first season Wade-Chatman beat Taylor 77-54 as he held his own against him while another time he exploded for 32 points, but lost a heartbreaker 76-74 while another time won 99-88 scoring 20 points and holding his own again against the future Euroleague player. He will never forget those classy duels and has the utmost respect for him, and often guys like Kameron Taylor are the inspiration for guys to keep grinding, but for Wade-Chatman, it is actually someone else who is his inspiration to get to the top. ‘Kam is my guy I’m happy he’s getting the opportunities he’s getting he always has my support. I’m just waiting for my turn. I’m my own inspiration I know what I can do and bring to a team it’s all about opportunities and sometimes being lucky’, stressed Henri Wade-Chatman.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber interviewing ex Seton Hill legend Kameron Taylor in Rhondorf Germany in 2017 when he was playing his second pro season with Pro B team Dragons Rhondorf

The guard who remembers ex NBA player Dejuan Blair being the toughest player that he ever faced was born on September 9th, 1992 in Pittsburgh. He began his basketball career at Brashear high school. His chip evolved at Community College of Allegheny County-Allegheny (NJCAA) where he was for one season. For most guys playing JUCO was the greatest experience, but at the same time the toughest, but for him the latter was actually different for him. ‘It wasn’t tough for me because CCAC was located in the city that I lived in so it was like a regular day, but those practices are the hardest I’ve ever had’, remembered Henri Wade-Chatman. He then made the jump to Edinboro (NCAA 2) where he played from 2013-2016 playing a total of 72 games. He was able to improve his scoring each season averaging 13.8ppg, 4.1rpg, 3.4apg, FGP: 39.7%, 3PT: 38.0%, FT: 62.0% as a freshman, 19.3ppg, 4.5rpg, 3.0apg, FGP: 39.1%, 3PT: 40.9%, FT: 71.9% in his second season and as a senior averaged 20.3ppg, 4.2rpg, 2.6apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 40.6%, 3PT: 36.8%, FT: 78.4%.As is so often the case, his game progressed through extreme hard work not hanging out at the local pool during the summers, but staying at school and dedicating his time to improving his craft. But head coach Pat Clearly and his coaching staff also were instrumental in guiding the high scoring guard the correct way during his three seasons there. ‘Coach Pat & coach Chris Bess gave me the freedom and the green light that most players didn’t have, but they also saw me work for it. I was in the game with coach Bess every day in the summer’, remembered Henri Wade-Chatman who remembers beating teammate William Marow in most 1-1 battles in practice, but also remembers him being the best defender that he ever went up against and made his life so much easier in games up to this day. His favorite moment at Edinboro was hitting the game winner against Cal U and in his last 2 seasons scored in double figures in 42 of 43 games had big games against Lock Haven with 32 points and his 32 points against Seton Hill.

The prolific scorer who lists Jaymon Mason Will Marrow Demetre Rivers Justin Baker and Greg Gantt as his 5 best teammates of all-time and came overseas in 2016 the same year Kameron Taylor did and played his first 2 professional seasons in Spain with Comercial Ulsa Ciudad de Valladolid (Spain-LEB Silver) averaging 15.5ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.6apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 41.7%, 3PT: 34.4%, FT: 71.9% and in his second season averaged 14.3ppg, 2.3rpg, 2.9apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 46.7%, 3PT: 33.8%, FT: 78.8%. The Silver is the third division in Spain and a very respectable league and also a perfect place for Americans to begin their professional career. Despite having to get used to the language barrier as well as a new culture and structure, that didn’t hinder his performance on the court. He was an instrumental part of helping his team move up from the third to second division called Gold what is like the first division in many other countries in terms of skill and competitive level. He didn’t have the greatest series against Lucentrum in the playoffs, but his game really took off against Moron where he had massive games including 23 points in the nailbiter 76-73 victory and had huge performances in games 2 and 4 scoring 28 and 22 points for the title against Zornotza. ‘I will never forget that the arena being sold out that’s the most people I’ve ever played in front of and to win it on our home floor was even better’, said Henri Wade-Chatman. Often winning that first title will produce not only life long memories, but also life long friends and that wasn’t any different with teammate from Britan Rowell Graham-Bell. ‘That’s my guy. We were roommates my first year, and I remember him dunking on a lot of guys. We for-sure are brothers for life’, warned Henri Wade-Chapman. In his 2 years in Spain he played 80 games and scored in double figures in 63 games. In his second season he played twice against FC Barcelon’s farm team and split scoring in double figures in both games and holding his own against future NBA players Luka Saminic and Rodions Kurucs. It’s no secret that all Americans overseas have a special self-confidence that is difficult to match. It was only logical that no one on the floor was better than him. ‘I always felt I was the best on the floor’, warned Henri Wade-Chatman. In his third professional season, he took on a new challenge and packed his bags for Latvia playing with Parnu Sadam (Latvia-LatEstBL) averaging 14.3ppg, 3.7rpg, 4.1apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 40.7%, 3PT: 35.1%, FT: 72.1%; and in the Estonian KML averaged games: 12.6ppg, 3.9rpg, Assists-4 (4.5apg), 1.0spg, FGP: 45.7%, 3PT: 29.7%, FT: 57.6%. Once again he showed his incredible consistency and being able to adapt well to 2 new leagues. He had some great games that season including firing up 31 points against top Estonian team Kalev-Cramo and ex NBA player Tony Wroten and also had 24 points against Rapala. He lost a tough 2 game playoff series against other top Latvian team BK Ventspils pouring in 28 points. ‘I feel like my game rises to the occasion when we play a superior team, at the moment I think they were a champions league team’, said Henri Wade-Chatman who believes the sequel to the classic Coming To America should never have been made as some classics are best left without one.

The ex Edinboro great who lists Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Allen Iverson on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore decided to go back to an old stomping ground for the 2019-2020 season in Spain and played with TAU Castello (Spain-LEB Gold) averaging 12.3ppg, 2.3rpg, 2.0apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 40.3%, 3PT: 39.4%, FT: 83.1%. He had a lot of success there winning his first chip and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he returns back one day. ‘I loved playing in Spain. In Spain is where I first started playing point guard’, stated Henri Wade-Chatman. He had some outstanding games that season including scoring 29 points against Granada. He has always been a player that was never shy from trying a new challenge and did so again in the 20-21 season going to Slovakia to play with with Patrioti Levice (Slovakia-SBL) averaging 17.0ppg, 4.5rpg, 3.1apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 47.8%, 3PT: 35.2%, FT: 82.1%. He didn’t have a solid season, but an outstanding season. Once again he led his club into the playoffs, but couldn’t get the chip. He was instrumental in helping his team get past Inter Bratislavia and scoring 18 points in a do or die game, but lost a tough 4 games series to Nova Ves averaging 20,0ppg in the series, but losing 76-75 in the last game. ‘It will always leave a bitter taste the way it ended. We were always short of two important guys to our roster but we fought’, expressed Henri Wade-Chatman. He scored in double figures in 36 of 40 games in Slovakia including big games against Lucenic with 30 points and 27 points against Handlova. He came back to the team this season and will never forget his time there. ‘I will always remember the good bonds I have with my former teammates there. I took the opportunity to come to Cramo and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do’, stated Henri Wade-Chatman. Last he played with CSM Focsani 2007 (Romania-Liga Nationala) averaging 16.2ppg, 3.7rpg, 3.7apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 43.9%, 3PT: 35.0%, FT: 78.6%. It was another great statistical season for him, but a season to forget because the team didn’t win much. He did have huge games against Constanta and Steaua B scoring 27 points apiece.

After starting the season in Slovakia, the guard who believes Jordan is hands down the GOAT and always will be as nobody comes close to MJ and Kobe can be mentioned but nobody is greater than MJ is playing for Fiba Europe Cup team BC Kalev/Cramo Tallinn (Estonia-KML). He couldn’t be happier to finally have landed with this historic organization. ‘Since 2018 I wanted to play for this organization and now I have my opportunity. It’s a first class organization and very professional something I’ve been looking for for a while’, stressed Henri Wade-Chapman. Winning the Fiba Europe Cup title is currently a reach, but adding to his Spanish chip with the KML title is a huge possibility as currently the team is unbeaten at 7-0. He is still getting adjusted to his new role as he has only been with the team since December and is averaging 11,1 ppg, 3,0rpg, 1,7apg and 1,3spg while shooting a potent 44,0% from outside. The underrated passer who compares his game to NBA veteran Lou Williams has always been known as a scorer throughout his career and that is something that surely will continue, because that is what teams want him to do more. Perhaps he will receive that task down the road where he can show his playmaking skills. ‘I just play my role and most of the time that is to score the ball’, warned Henri Wade-Chatman. Three point shooting has been a constant work in progress as he did it once in his second season at Edinboro in 2014-2015, but it seems his current hard work in the lab is finally paying off. ‘To reach the 40% mark a big goal I think that will happen this year I’m shooting it at a very efficient percentage at the moment’, added Henri Wade-Chatman. The grind to get better will never cease for this talented ex D-2 player. 10 years ago he was at Community college and not dreaming of a professional career yet.’ I wouldn’t have believed anyone saying I would be playing professionally in 2023. The grind doesn’t stop, I had to work my way up the ladder since my first job in Europe. It’s a harder grind for us guys that came from a D2 school. I have a big chip on my shoulder and it grows every season for personal reasons’, warned Henri Wade-Chatman. You just have to love this guy’s love and will to achieve his goals. It will be interesting to see how he continues to develop in the next years and just how much farther he can go up the ladder. One thing is for sure when he and Kameron Taylor ever meet again in a professional game, then there may be brief small talk during pre game warm ups, but as soon as the clock starts, it will be a fierce battle again just like back in the day when fans were chanting their names during Seton Hill-Edinboro games

Tags : HENRI WADE-CHATMAN, BC KALEV/CRAMO TALLINN, GERMAN BASKETBALL

One of the most exciting trends to watch for me in professional basketball is a player’s journey and march up the basketball ladder. Obviously watching a Lebron James go from high school to the NBA was interesting, but after a few years in the league it was apparent that he was something special and he would become a superstar. But for me watching the underdog with a lot of talent that had to always grind and have a chip on their shoulder as heavy as mammoth pick up truck move up the ladder with slow steps was inspiring. There are hundreds maybe more of these types of players in Europe that have a special story and one of those is Deondre Burns (190-G-1997, college: ORU, agency: Haylett Sports) (190-G-1997, college: ORU, agency: Haylett Sports) (190-G-1997, college: ORU, agency: Haylett Sports). Ok so he doesn’t have the total crazy story of going from JUCO to the a high league, but still went from a small role on a NCAA team to a big one at Oral Roberts (NCAA) and now is continuing to toil and battle making a name for himself and moving up the basketball ladder. Currently he is playing in Cyprus for Keravnos Strovolou (OPAP Basket League). It was a few days before Christmas 2022 and the American guard was battling ex Euroleague team Brose Bamberg at home in a Fiba Europe Cup game. When the buzzer sounded, his team had suffered a brutal 90-87 loss, but he had belonged to the best players on the court with 26 points, 4 rebounds and 6 dimes against a team from a top 5 league in Europe and a league he would surely like to play in one day. He is having a super Fiba Europe Cup season and surely has turned heads of some GM’s from teams in higher leagues. Tomorrow is the return game in Bamberg and he will be extra motivated to get revenge. His offense is a big strength in his game, but he wants to be known as a 2 way player. Tomorrow he will have the chance to possibly battle against Patrick Miller who didn’t play in the first game in Cyprus and other top players while having that mind set to have to prove himself all over again especially on defense. ‘I believe I am a pretty solid good defender, have gotten much better each year from the previous. No teams look to attack me, I pride myself on not being the weak link on that end of the court. Although, I have room to improve certainly to become an even better defender and overall player’, warned Deondre Burns who believes LeBron is the greatest complete basketball player ever, Jordan is the most iconic and greatest competitor and Kobe is great, one of the greatest in fact, just not on those two guys’ level in his opinion.

Deondre Burns who remembers Marcus Keene being his toughest cover in the NCAA was born on January 16^th, 1997 in Carrollton, Texas. He played at Newman Smith high school for coach Percy Johnson. In his senior year he was one of the top players in the Dallas area class 5A and averaged 23,9ppg, 4,4rpg and 2,1apg and was named all-area honorable mention. He then played at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (NCAA) from 2015-2019 playing a total of 70 NCAA games and missed the entire 2017-2018 season because of a knee injury. He was able to make strides there improving his stats each season. He averaged 1.7ppg as a freshman and then in his second season averaged 7.0ppg, 1.5rpg, FGP: 48.9%, 3PT: 41.0%, FT: 80.8%. After sitting out the 2017-2018 season he made another jump in his game his junior year averaging 10.0ppg, 2.8rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 47.8%, 3PT: 30.6%, FT: 76.7% In his freshman year he helped his school win the Sunbelt title .Halfway through his second season his game took off with games against Appalachian State and Co Carolina where he produced 16 and 17 points. After that he finished the season scoring in double figures in 6 more games. He remembers what his secret was to finding his touch on the floor. ‘Minutes and freedom. Simply being on the floor and having the freedom to be myself and comfortable was key in that stretch. Those were the first starts of my career’, remembered Deondre Burns. His game really took off in his junior season as he scored in double figures in 12 games including 22 points against S Alabama, but his biggest moment was against Howard where he shot almost flawlessly 9/10 from the field while steering 29 points in the big 97-76 victory. ‘I remember my family traveling up to come to this game, the basket seemed bigger this night. I had a great workout that morning and remember my body just feeling great going into the game’, stated Deondre Burns. He then felt the need for a new challenge and went to Oral Roberts University (NCAA). Here he once again had to prove himself and made another step in his development playing 31 games averaging 15.3ppg, 4.1rpg, 4.1apg, FGP: 51.0%, 3PT: 29.1%, FT: 79.8%. He couldn’t of made it without the supreme guidance of head coach Paul Mills. ‘He was always talking about being a pro. All of my previous coaches talked about being a pro as if it was a unlikely thing. Mills always showed us video clips of why pros are pros, and I would always think to myself ‘hey, I can do that’ or ‘I need to work on this’, remembered Deondre Burns who remembered having great practice battles with RJ Fuqua who was one of the best competitors he had ever been around. In his senior year he scored in double figures in 23 of 31 games. He scored 20 points or more 11 times including 31 points in a tough 74-68 loss to North Dakota. He also had big games scoring 22 points in wins against Central Oklahoma and Western Illinois. He was named to the Summit League second team and newcomer team.

The high scoring guard who lists LeDarrius Drain, Mike Morrison, Nate Krill, Matt Milon, and Vid Milenkovic as his best teammates of all-time. He came overseas during Covid in late summer 2020 and played with the Starwings Basket Regio Basel (Switzerland-SBL). Despite Corona wrecking havoc all over the place and also having to adjust to a new culture and overseas game, he needed no adjustment period on the court. He showed that basketball is basketball all over the place averaging 20.0ppg, 4.4rpg, 4.2apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 49.4%, 3PT: 36.7%, FT: 82.2%. It is obvious that his wake up call wasn’t on the floor. ‘My wake up call was the fact that I could not regularly eat my favorite snacks and foods from back home’, smiled Deondre Burns. He scored in double figures in 28 of 30 games and scored 20 points or more 17 times including 2 explosions of 31 points in a win against Boncourt and 30 points in a win against Neuchatel. He played his first playoff series and had great series in the wins over Geneva averaging 17/6/6 stats and averaged 22,0ppg and 7,0apg in the series win over Neuchatel, but it wasn’t enough as the final was lost 3-0 to Fribourg. ‘I learned to be grateful, although we lost. I helped take a team who has never been to the finals before in history’, said Deondre Burns. When looking at his time in Cyprus one could quote the 80’s classic from Rod Stewart with some guys have all the luck. Some guys play 10 plus years and don’t win a chip while others may win 1, but Burns has won a total of 4 at the young age of 26. He knows that you can’t take anything for granted. He may have inherited a wining gene form somewhere? ‘It has been a great experience. It is always fun being a part of a culture that not only wants to win but expects to win. As a high-level competitor, that’s what you look for. I have to credit that to God; he has blessed me with a winning career thus far. As for having a winning gene, I do think what I bring to the team as a basketball player affects winning in many different positive ways’, warned Deondre Burns. Last season he took his skill set from the Swiss alps to Cyprus and made another step up the basketball ladder averaging 21.0ppg, 5.5rpg, 4.0apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 53.7%, 3PT-1 (47.2%), FT: 87.0%. Once again he showed that he is the ultimate scoring point guard scoring in double figures in 31 of 32 games. He scored 20 points or more 17 times including a 39 point explosion against Apollon, but saved his best for last. He helped win the league title against AEK Larnaca coming back from 2-1 down and win in exciting fashion in game 5 90-88 and putting up a Jordan like 39 points. ‘This was by far my most meaningful and memorable game up to date. It was a win or go home situation, I just wanted to be as aggressive as possible. I think coming in with that attitude gave us the best chances to win in a hostile away crowd’, remembered Deondre Burns. He also watched teammate Collin Malcolm have a great season with him and now has moved up the basketball ladder to top 5 league easyCredit BBL in Germany. He knows where he is now, but is focusing more on himself than on where others are. ‘Collin is a great guy and basketball player. I had several of those opportunities during free agency this past summer but felt it wasn’t best for myself and career at that particular time. Also, I think comparison is the thief of joy, so I try not to focus on what someone else has going on. My path is my path’, stressed Deondre Burns.

The Texas native who has Michael Jordan. Allen Iverson. Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. On his personal NBA Mount Rushmore won 3 titles last season in Cyprus and already his second Super Cup this season. It is obvious that the expectations are high, but so far the club is are where they want to be at #1 with a 13-1 record. The club has a healthy mind set and don’t worry about expectations and the need to have to win. ‘We feel no pressure. We come to work and do our jobs every day. Not worrying about the month of May but instead focusing on getting better on that particular day. We believe we are good enough and when that time arrives, we will be ready to compete’, warned Deondre Burns. A big reason for the success has been the experience factor. The club has 4 guys that are 30 and over. Older veterans like Titus Robinson and Remy Abell had been instrumental in the team’s success, but the basketball world can be cruel and before one knows it guys end up elsewhere. ‘ It was great having guys like Remy and Titus around. Great team guys that will play basketball for a long time. Unfortunately, our time got cut short together as both of those guys are no longer with the Keravnos organization’, stated Deondre Burns.

The guard who believes that the classic Coming to America should have been left alone is a 190cm guard that doesn’t like to compare his game to one player but thinks his game resembles a mixture of a group of different players and not just one and tries to add certain aspects from player’s games to his. It is no secret that his scoring game really took off at Oral Roberts and got even better as a professional overseas. ‘That season at ORU was by far my best and most productive season. The staff there is amazing, allowed me to be my aggressive self all while improving other areas on my game. Especially guys like Soloman Bozeman, whose currently head coach at UAPB. Ian Laymon, and Dakota Brasher really helped hone my skills into what they are today’, warned Deondre Burns. His playmaking also has vastly improved since his Oral Roberts senior season. He has averaged 4,0apg the last 4 seasons and could continue to be a vital aspect of his game especially for teams in higher leagues. ‘I believe my game affects winning in many different areas and not just scoring. I think as I continue to reach higher levels, these attributes would be even more critical’, stressed Deondre Burns. Last season he belonged to the best three point shooters in Cyprus shooting 47%, but this season is down at 32% in Cyprus and 24% in the Fiba Europe Cup. He knows that he will be able to up his percentages as the season goes on. ‘Shot selection has by far been most challenging for me this year. The offense has been tough to know when and where my shots are coming from. Things will average out towards the end of the season when I get more acclimated within the offense. No shortage of confidence or reps whatsoever’, expressed Deondre Burns. His stats in Cyprus may be down form last season at 12,0ppg, 3,2rpg, 3,8apg and 1,2spg, but he is tearing up the Fiba Europe cup being the second top scorer averaging 19,9ppg, 4,2rpg, 4,4apg and 1,3spg. He isn’t worried about his stats and scoring in Cyprus, because he has proven what he can do the last 2 seasons, but mainly about other areas that will aid him to continuing to climb the basketball ladder. ‘Making the right play, sometimes it means just a quick pass to get the ball reversed. It doesn’t show up in the stat sheet but can be very critical in a possession. The little things I am trying to focus and improve more’, commented Deondre Burns. It will be interesting to witness where the career will go in the next few years. One thing is for sure, he is already a winner and that always looks great on resume’s and high level clubs are always looking for great defenders. Priding himself as not being the weakest link will always help him no matter what.

Tags : DEONDRE BURNS, KERAVNOS STROVOLOU, GERMAN BASKETBALL