Kevin Yebo is a 24 year old 203cm forward playing his first season with the Hamburg Towers averaging 3,7ppg and 2,8rpg. He scored in double figures in 2 games with 14 points against MBC and 10 points against Ludwigsburg.. He began his basketball career with SG Sechtem 1971 (Germany-Regionalliga). He had his break out season with the EVL Baskets Limburg (Regionalliga) in the second half of the 2015-2016 season playing 17 games averaging 14.1ppg, 8.8rpg, 1.2apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 65.6%, 3PT: 34.5%, FT: 69.4%. He made another step with EVL Baskets Limburg (Regionalliga) in 2016-2017 playing 26 games averaging 16.5ppg, Reb-3 (11.0rpg), 1.9apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 61.5%, 3PT: 25.4%, FT: 61.7%. In 2017-2018 he made the jump to the Pro A with Team Ehingen Urspring (ProA) playing 30 games averaging 10.9ppg, Reb-3 (7.4rpg), 1.1apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 64.5%, 3PT: 26.9%, FT: 77.5%. Last season he matured further with Team Ehingen Urspring (ProA) playing 33 games averaging 15.2ppg, Reb-1 (9.5rpg), 1.6apg, FGP: 61.6%, 3PT: 34.1%, FT: 65.3%. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball in the summer of 2019

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

You’re welcome. I’m in Ehingen right now and working out with Domenik Reinboth, the coach of Team Ehingen/Urspring. He was my coach the last two years and I think he knows best where I have to improve. I really like to work with him and I think his training methods fit perfectly to me. My summer has been very nice so far because I have been very productive. During the week I’m usually practicing three times per day and on the weekend I’m playing on tournaments all over Europe with a streetball team named Der Stamm.

Two years ago you were a Regionalliga player in Limburg and now you are a easyCredit BBL player. Is the whole process been a dream for you? How does it feel being able to compete in the BBL this season?
Yes, when I played in Limburg, where I had two beautiful years with my teammates and my coach Danny Stallbohm to which I owe much, it has always been a dream to play first league, but over the years I realized that through hard work you can achieve your goals. And now where the dream became true it really even more shows me that hard work and dedication is the key to fulfill your dreams and that it is only the beginning.

If someone had told you in the summer of 2016 that you will be playing in the easyCredit BBL in 2019 what would you have thought?
First I would have laughed, because I can’t handle compliments. Then I would have thought to play on the highest stage of German basketball actually is my goal and I knew I could make it when I make the right moves.

You haven’t been playing basketball that long only about six years. How do you explain your amazing rapid rise as a player? Has it been more hard work or having the fortune of having great talent that God gave you?
Of course God blessed me with a body which gives me a little advantage, but he also gave me the gift to learn quick and to implement everything my coaches are giving me very fast. And like I said hard work is the key.

Congrats on signing with the Hamburg Towers. They are a very ambitious hungry team that wants to show the BBL in their first season that they are for real. In a way it is the same with you. You will be hungry to show everyone that you can be a good BBL player. Is this a perfect match you and the Hamburg Towers?
Thank you. I’m very happy to play in Hamburg next season. Yes of course it is a perfect match. They want to show the BBL that they can play on that level and I want to show that too. I think Hamburg is a club with big potential and I think we will show everybody that we belong in this league.

What was the deciding factor where you knew that the Hamburg Towers would be the right fit? I can imagine being able to play for a head coach like Mike Taylor was important for your decision.
Yes, he was for sure a big factor. Everybody knows that he is a great coach, but I also got the feeling that he really can help me develop my game and take it to the next level. Hamburg is not just like that one of the best places for young players to develop and that is also one of the biggest reasons why I wanted to play for Hamburg. When I worked out there for two days last summer, I really had the feeling that I was getting better and it was so much fun to work out with their individual coaches. I was thinking like, imagine what can happen when you are not just working out there for two days, but for the next two years. 

How happy are you today that you had a massive growth spurt at 16 where you gave up soccer and started to play basketball. Do you ever wonder where you might be today in soccer had you not grown so much?

No, I’ve never thought about that. I’m really happy that I’ve had that growth spurt and that I’ve started playing Basketball. Also big thanks to my mentor Joe Asberry for showing me this great sport.

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 202cm forward that has a very nice offensive arsenal. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?
Actually I’m 2,05cm. I really don’t know to which player I would compare my game. I watched a lot of players like KD, Jamal Crawford, Lebron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Andrew Wiggins and others and tried to take something what I like out of their game into my game. It’s really nice when somebody says that I’m playing like this or that player, but really I just want to be the best player I can be. The best Kevin Yebo I can be on and off the court.

You seem to be that banger on the boards that can score and rebound, but you have slowly continued to develop a three pointer. How close are you to being a modern day forward?
I think if my shot gets more consistent, my ball handling gets more secure, my decision making gets faster and my body gets a little bit stronger and more powerful, I really can be a good modern forward and I think Hamburg is the perfect place to help me to get to this point.

You improved your three point shooting percentage last season shooting 34%. How much of a work in progress is your three pointer and do you see yourself continuing to develop this part of your game?
I really worked and still working with Domenik Reinboth on my shot. I think there is still much room to improve my three pointer and that it will make me even more dangerous and hard to guard on the court.

You’re a very athletic player that can play defense. On what things are you working on most this summer so you will eb 100% ready for your first BBL season?
I’m working a lot on my body, to get stronger and gaining muscles. I am also working on my shot and new moves. I am actually working on everything. You can always get better in every aspect of your game, there is no limit.

You’re a guy that can fill up the stat sheet with ease, but what do you feel is a hidden talent in your game that doesn’t get noticed right away on the court?
I think I’m running up the court pretty fast and rolling fast to the basket after a screen, so the opponent got to help and that creates open shots or cuts for other players. I also can find open spots or cuts in the right moment, too. I think I got that from soccer.

You played the last two seasons with Pro A team Ehingen. How vital was it choosing this organization and how do you feel did you develop as a player in the last two seasons?

I’m sure that the decision to play for Team Ehingen/Urspring was the best decision I could’ve made. I had great teammates, a great coach, great fans, and just overall a great organization which always supported me. We had ups and downs but we stuck together and that is what it is about in a family. 

Your ex teammate Rayshawn Simmons said this about you. ‘Kevin Yebo is one of the best players in the league. He has no real ceiling & I’m excited to see him continue to improve this year & in his career. He’s a special player with athleticism you just can’t coach or teach. He’s extremely coachable with a eagerness to learn & improve daily. I really appreciate his natural feel for the game. He knows when to cut, pop, screen & fill the lane with me on the break in transition. We work & play off of each other extremely well. He’s a special talent who works hard & is also a testament to Coach Dom’s track record of improving players. Kevin for sure is ready for the BBL, he’s a rare talent and only been playing basketball for about 6 years. HE’s only going to get better’. How key was it having him as a point guard? You let him many dimes, but he also found you in the best spots?

Ray is a great player and a even better person off the court. He really became like a big brother to me over the season. It was necessary to have him as a point guard. He knows when to push the tempo and when to slow it down. He knows how to play pick and roll and can create for himself when he got to do it. When we played together it just clicked. Sometimes he just had to give me that look and I knew exactly what he was planning. I really wish him just the best for next season and I hope he can achieve his goals and dreams.

Is Seger Bonifant the best shooter that you have ever played with? Was their any shooting tips that you could pick up from him?

Yes, no cap. Don’t miss short Kev!!!

How important was it having head coach Domenik Reinboth as a teacher in the last two years? What was the most important aspect of the game that he taught you?

He was very important. I think I was pretty raw before I came to Ehingen, but he really worked with me on the basics and he taught me to be patient. He also taught me that timing is really important.

You had so many great performances, but where does your 27/11 game against FC Schalke where you hit 5/6 three’s rank in your all-time best games up to now in your career?

It is definitely in my top 3.

You played briefly with the Bayer Giants Leverkusen U-19 team and then played with SG Sechtem 1971 (Germany-Regionalliga) averaging 2.0ppg, 1.5rpg and then moved to EVL Baskets Limburg (Regionalliga) averaging 14.1ppg, 8.8rpg, 1.2apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 65.6%, 3PT: 34.5%, FT: 69.4%. Did the real Kaazam in you break out in Limburg?

I think Kazaam always was in me even when I played Soccer. It’s just the lifestyle to give 100% no matter what you doing.

Limburg head coach Danny Stallbohm believed in you and gave you minutes right away. Could one say that he discovered you?
A man named Joe Asberry discovered me.But I would say Danny Stallbohm believed in me when nobody else did and he gave me the chance to show that I can play Basketball to everybody.

How important was Danny Stallbohm for your early development. How did he get you best prepared for the Pro A with Ehingen?

He worked out with me and the most important thing was that he was getting me mentally ready. He really talked a lot to me and gave me that mentality that I can achieve everything through hard work.

In 2018 you were teammates with Dennis Schroeder in the 3/3 German championships. What was it like being his teammate and was there anything that you could soak up from his game and competitiveness that has stuck with you?
It was a lot of fun. I recognized that he is definitely on that NBA level. It really showed me that I have to work really hard to get on that level.

Who has been the toughest opponent that you have played in Germany in the last years?
The toughest team was Chemnitz and Hamburg and the toughest player was Shy Ely. I really like his game.

Please list your five best teammates of all-time?
Rayshawn Simmons, Davonte Lacy, Tenner Leissner, Seger Bonifant, Justin Stallbohm

Please name your personal own NBA Rushmore. Which four heads would you pick past or present for your list?

KD, Jamal Crawford, MJ, Lebron

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

They’re both great.

What was the last movie that you saw?

The Machinist.

Thanks Kevin for the chat.

It wasn´t always easy early in the professional career for Chase Adams to find the right opportunities that would help him make steps easier as he had to start very low on the basketball totem pole. After a strong junior year at Centenary Louisiana(NCAA) where he averaged 14.6ppg, 4.2rpg, 4.5apg, 2.7spg, FGP: 43.4%, 3Pts: 39.8%, FT: 70.3%, he took a more difficult challenge for his senior year moving to the better known basketball school University of Pittsburgh (NCAA) where he was teammates with future NBA players like Brad Wanamaker and Lamar Patterson and future BBL players like Gilbert Brown and Gary Mcghee, but couldn´t crack the lineup well averaging only 1,9ppg which surely didn´t help his immediate chances then of signing in a top professional league overseas. Usually guys from the NCAA even with stats like those from Adams can make the Pro A or Pro B in Germany, but instead the American from Baltimore saw his first professional experience in the ABA with the Dallas Impact and then in December moved to SVD 49 Dortmund of the German fourth division Regionalliga where he averaged 21,5ppg and played for peanuts, but at least got a proper introduction to good German soccer with Borussia Dortmund. His way up the basketball ladder continued in the next two seasons as he played with Science City Jena(Pro A) and the VfL AstroStars Bochum (Germany-ProB), but played only a total of 25 games and didn´t make a real impact. After many years of staying focused and hungry in the lab, his career finally took shape in 2015 when he joined the Finke Baskets Paderborn (Germany-Pro) and the rest is pretty much history as he played two seasons there averaging 11.4ppg, 4.6rpg, 4.1apg, Steals-4(1.8spg), FGP: 40.0%, 3PT: 34.6%, FT: 67.2% and in his second season he averaged 11.9ppg, 4.1rpg, Assists-5(5.6apg), Steals-1(2.4spg), FGP: 45.2%, 3PT: 37.6%, FT: 84.2%. In his third year of Pro A basketball he joined the Hebeisen White Wings Hanau (Germany-ProA) averaging 11.6ppg, 2.6rpg, 3.9apg, Steals-4(2.0spg), FGP: 46.2%, 3PT: 41.1%, FT: 76.2%. In three years of Pro A basketball he played a total of 90 games and scored in double figures in 55 games hitting Hanau for 29 points and Baunach for 27 points along the way and established himself as a consistent top point guard in Germany´s second best basketball league Pro A. Last season he moved down to the Pro B to BBC Coburg, but had a stellar season averaging 16.4ppg, 5.8rpg, Assists-4(6.0apg), Steals-2(2.9spg), FGP: 37.9%, 3PT: 38.9%, FT: 87.7% and scored in double figures in 20 of 22 games and scorched the Lowen and Wurzburg for 24 points. At age 31, he is in his prime and ready for a new step and challenge.

            Last summer he took an interesting, but smart new challenge with the very ambitious basketball project Rostock Seawolves. Only a few years ago, they were competing in the Regionalliga and moved up two leagues to the Pro A and have easyCredit BBL aspirations. It seemed like a fine fit for Adams, but his time there went a lot different than what he envisioned. Chase Adams wasn´t the chase Adams of old, but in reality wasn´t the real Chase Adams. After averaging 29 minutes the last 4 years in Paderborn, Hanau and Coburg, his minutes were suddenly shaved down to 13 and he averaged only 2,8, 1,6, 2,2. Those were just totally uncharachteristic stats for a great player and even left me dumbfounded every Sunday night when I checked the Rostock box score. A good example is Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart who has Adams like stats and if you traded Smart to a team like the Washington Wizards and suddenly his minutes got reduced from 32 to 13. Anything is possible in the NBA or even in the Pro A, but something like that just shouldn´t happen to these type of caliber players. It didn´t take long until Adams and Rostock parted ways. Hearing the news of his release was a tough pill to swallow. “I was heartbroken in so many ways, One of those gut wrenching feelings to say the least, I didn’t expect the club to make such a drastic change so soon. This isn’t the start anyone could have predicted”, stressed Chase Adams. It also didn´t help his cause that the club quickly lost 4 of it´s first 5 games. And as is so often the case, the point guard is the escape goat “Teams will definitely take quick action when things aren’t moving according to their plan. It’s crazy that a narrative can be painted without any explanation and Players don’t have a voice on the matter, regardless of the fact, clubs will do what they feel is best. If given more time I know this story would have turned out differently. 13 minutes is not the vision I had coming here, it made it much more difficult to fulfill my role. Huge wake up call given out to the players and now I think they could take off, the optics unfortunately don’t benefit me”, added Chase Adams. The whole Rostock experience was a tough one, but also a learning experience as he put up the lowest stats since his senior year at Pittsburgh(NCAA) and surely tough for the ego. “Our style of play involved us sharing the ball a lot and we have a lot of talented shooters and scorers. So during my minutes, the focus was always predicated toward facilitating and organization. I offer a lot to Teams On/Off the court; specifically on the court everything I do isn’t always represented on the stat sheet. So, ultimately it did affect me.  Its a challenge to go from 30 minutes average to 13 minutes. I had a more ball dominant role with Hanau and Paderborn, and the style of Play suited my game perfectly. With 30 minutes you can just feel the game out more; making plays to get my teammates involved first and then I turn up when the time calls”, expressed Chase Adams. But a huge victory for him during his short stay in Rostock was that he showed real character in being a true professional despite not playing much and conducted himself always well and was a role model. Because of this, the fans loved him and will always remember him in a special way. “ Without God by my side non of this is possible, so I’m humble and thankful for everything he’s allowed me to experience. All of the trials and triumphant moments I’ve endured in my career have given me the strength I needed to grow as a player, and even more so as a family man. I hope to inspire people through my journey, the passion, all the Hard work I put in, and the sacrifices I made to make my dreams come true. So appreciative to all the fans and family from all over rooting for me to win! They accept me for who I am and it allows me to return the Love. This is all I ever wanted to do and I want to do it right, until the wheels fall off”, warned Chase Adams. After he left Rostock hauled in legendary head coach Dirk Bauermann to help save the season and it would have been interesting if Adams would have gotten more of a fair chance under his guidance? “From observing the games it seems that It would but that’s something I will never know. The team was trying to find their identity for some time, and even with a slow start they still have a chance to make up for what they lost. Had I still been there with minute/role increase I know I could have pushed them over the hump”, stated Chase Adams.

                The American had tough times in Rostock and surely wouldn´t have gotten through the struggles without his loved ones. “1st and foremost my Newborn who gives me so much life everyday and of course my wife who has been with me through all the ups & downs keeping me grounded. I’ve also been fortunate to have an outpouring of Love & support from Family, Ex-teammates, and Fans who have helped me to keep my head held high. All I know is how to Grind and there isn’t any quit in me. I’m still very confident in my abilities and what I can offer a club,” said Chase Adams. But better times were looming on the horizon and less than two months later he had found another opportunity. Not only did he get another chance, but also a second chance in the pro A to show that he really belongs. In December 2019 he was signed by the Romerstrom Gladiators, a consistent playoff team the last years and also in contention this season. He didn´t hang his head in the sand after the Rostock calamity, but with the help of Gerrit Kersten-Thiele from Scorer´s First, he got that next opportunity and gave the classic line “if at first you don´t succeed try try again”.  His season with Trier has been a major turnaround and he couldn´t be more happy about how things have gone. “Major blessing to be here with such a respected organization, they have welcomed me with open arms and they have plugged me into the team and the community as well. It´s been a relief to fall on my feet after what happened and be able to get right back in the mix; I haven’t taken any moment for granted”, said Chase Adams. He has been there only about three months, but has already locked the city into his heart. “Trier is in the Top 3, the location is a super plus. Good food is one of the keys to my heart. I appreciate Trier having nice restaurants and cafes that I can regularly go to for a chill dining experience”, added Chase Adams. When he came to Trier, he joined a winning culture and it continued with his services as the team won 6 of the first 7 games when Adams was in uniform. “You know the saying “play with a chip on your shoulder”? Well I had a Boulder on mine! I had to prove to myself first that the situation prior was a fluke. I came here to bring the spark and I think a lot of success came from our competitive nature in practice”, warned Chase Adams. Sometimes a team goes through a lull where consistency is lost and that is what the team is going through at the moment. “Our bread and butter is defensive pressure, we got away from that a majority of the second half of the season. We just lost sight of what was working, and we slowed down to the other teams speed, which hurt us. In the last game we got back on the horse and got reconnected with our identity. This is a true testament to our team chemistry that we’ve built since the time I’ve been here”, commented Chase Adams.

            Over the years Chase Adams has had many great teammates, but I´m sure that if I gave him a list to make right now listing his 5 best teammates of all-time, Canadian forward Jermaine Bucknor would be on it after only a few months.  “You mean my Brother Buck. This guy is a walking Legend and big time inspiration. He is such a great role model for players, his devotion to the game is unmatched and picking his brain daily has helped me dissect things with a new perspective. It’s been a huge honor to share the court with him, that’s another reason why the season can’t end like this. What he’s been able to do assures me that I can play this game till the wheels fall off and the longevity of your career is based upon how dedicated you are to all the aspects of being a professional. Joining forces with an equally competitive monster is a recipe for success. We definitely share vocal responsibilities. My area of expertise is keeping guys locked in throughout the week and on the game days bringing out the Dog mentality. I want my teammates to know that I’ll go to war for them. Starting with practice and preparation I take it seriously but it’s also about having fun and bonding”, warned Chase Adams. As for the game of Adams, his minutes are 7 more than with Rostock and he is playing very effective averaging 8,6ppg, 3,0rpg, 2,8apg and 2,1spg. “We have a team where everyone is playing around 20 minutes a game with 2 exceptions. 10 mins less than what I’m used to, so with that given I’m not feeling any type of pressure. Still For my own personal goals I want to improve in all those areas. Coach Christian puts a lot of trust in my hands especially in key moments; respecting my leadership and encouraging me to take control. When you see a players capabilities/strengths you have to put them in situations to thrive. He does a great job in creating a construct where we maintain a high level of play for 40mins and within that time he gives us the space to operate the way we know best”, stressed Chase Adams.

            But his happy end to the 2019-2020 season with the playoffs and a possible run to the Pro A title could all be washed up if the league decides to close down operations for this season on account of the world wide corona virus. It has affected world sport. In Germany the DEL(German ice hockey league) have already ended the current season while the easyCredit BBL also closed down shop, the Euroleague also suspended the season and the NBA has suspended play. There have been some games played in the Basketball champions League and Fiba Europe cup without spectators. It has been a crazy and new experience for professional players and this is a time where it is important to have that contact with your loved ones. “Every second of the day there are updates coming in through all media outlets about the virus. At first I didn’t think much of it but as of now I can foresee it affecting us on a larger scale. Family is reaching out constantly asking if we are ok, especially with the spike in confirmed cases in Italy”, stressed Chase Adams. With so much new developments happening by the hour like hearing that French national player Rudy Gobert has been the first player in the NBA to have been infected with the Corona virus and teams Jazz and Thunder are in quarantine, it isn´t always easy to stay focused with basketball, but one has to deal with the reality of the corona virus and be more aware of your surroundings. “It’s been business as usual, just preparing for our next game. Nothing has changed. Important to get educated on what we’re dealing with and how to properly prevent infection. These facts help ease the worry while being cautious when being out in the city. There is a much greater sense of awareness and taking the necessary precautions is a must, I’m not at the point of wearing masks yet, but washing my hands and not touching my face is something I’m extra conscious of”, warned Chase Adams.

            The Pro A league where Chase Adams plays with the Romerstrom Gladiators announced late Wednesday night that the 30th game day this weekend would not be played. With so many leagues closing down in Europe, the signs are going more and more that Chase Adams may have already played his last game for Trier in this season. But in the end, health comes first and he knows that. “At first I was upset about the possibility of not finishing out such a rollercoaster season for me. I’ve quickly changed gears on the matter, rather putting more focus into my family and other things I have going on. All we can do is wait this out for now until we get more information. I would be hurt to the core because there is so much unfinished business that needed to be handled. I guess that makes it easier to stay motivated on sharpening the tools. The corona virus isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, I presume even in places where there are minor cases of infection the leagues will cease further competitions as well”, stated Chase Adams. He also has followed two German easyCRedit BBL teams the Telekom Baskets Bonn and medi Bayreuth play international games before empty arena´s as fans weren´t allowed entrance on account of the risk of infection with the corona virus. Playing a game without fans also gave him some time to reflect about how much of a difference their presence really makes. “Not having spectators present at games can make a difference. The energy a crowd brings to the atmosphere creates all types of pressure, on players, coaches and referees. Eliminating that element is substantially noticeable. I certainly love having fans on both sides but I wouldn’t be opposed to playing without them”, stated Chase Adams. The famous and so enjoyable NCAA March Madness will be played without fans and who knows it might even happen in the NBA. “March Madness is all about school support. There wouldn’t be any madness in March. This goes back to my point about spectators having an impact. The game wouldn’t be the same without all of the school spirit floating around the arena, it’s gives the extra appeal to the entire event. Having no fans at NBA games is something unimaginable. If it comes down to it what can we do but try to enjoy from the comfort of our coaches. That’s what I do anyway all the way in Germany”, stated Chase Adams.

            Even if the season of Chase Adams ends in the next week with no more games, it definitely will have been a very interesting season and time in his life. So much has happened in the last few months and not to forget there was also the very sad passing of Kobe Bryant. I have been giving random professional players interviews concerning their memories of the Black Mamba and of course I couldn´t allow Chase Adams not to give his memories of one of the greatest players of all-time. “During unfathomable moments we try to find reason or explantation, just to draw a blank, with even more disbelief and confusion then we had before. The emptiness that hit me after hearing the news crushed my spirits completely. Kobe was far more than a hooper we wanted to model our game after, he was like family. I think a lot of people viewed him in that light. He would want us to continue his legacy through his mantra, Mamba Mentality. It’s something as athletes we tried to adopt over the years and now we’ve realized its applicable to all people in any field, it’s a way of life. Long before mamba mentality was a thing, I remember in 96 all of the buzz around the HS standout heading to the league, the next Michael Jordan. Watching him take on those pressures and being in a city like LA with the stars, he showed us what grinding for something really looks like. I’m glad to have been able to witness his greatness and instill his values and methods into my life”, warned Chase Adams. Adams took on new challenges in the last months and had good and bad times and also made new learning experiences. He has shown often in his career that when he faltered, he would get up and try try again. If he ever has a situation again where he needs to try try again to succeed, he can take his memories of Kobe Bryant as an extra motivation to keep working hard in the lab to help realize his next goals better.

The do or die effect and feeling is something very special in the basketball world for the players and fans and something the Telekom Baskets Bonn may continue to experience this season if they don´t start to play more consistent in the easyCredit BBL. They are in a real battle with the Hamburg Towers and MBC for not getting demoted to the Pro A which would be a catastrophe for the traditional Bonn organization. But the fight to remain in the BBL took a break as the Telekom Baskets Bonn had another do or die game in the Basketball Champions League against AEK Athens. In the best of three series, the Telekom Baskets Bonn had suffered a tough 95-82 loss in Athens as they just couldn´t get the clutch stops in crunch-time as well as slowing dwon their three point snipers and getting a better grip on the boards. Not only could this do or die game have been a big treat for the fans, but also being able to witness the noteworthy roster which had some real gems like ex Euroleague player Marcus Slaughter, ex NBA champion Mario Chalmers as well as top Euroleague player Keith Langford on the menu. This was possibly the last chance for some to see some of these guys play live. The Telekom Baskets Bonn also had brought in some NBA experience with Donald Sloan who has come in to help the offense. On a mild late winter night in Bonn this would be a game that many in the Telekom Baskets Bonn family will never forget, because the game was held without fans because of the Corona virus that has taken the world by storm. Not having their loyal and energetic fans was very bitter, but the Telekom Baskets Bonn gave their all and had very good chances to force another do or die game in Athens as they led for long parts of the game, but when it mattered most in crunch-time, AEK Athens shifted up a few gears and were led by their veterans Keith Langford who is a real professional shooter and Marcus Slaughter who combined have 71 years of age, 29 seasons of professional experience and 292 Euroleague games as they showed their true colors and class on the court helping the Greek side to the 90-86 victory. After the win, ex San Antonio Spur Keith Langford explained what it took to reach the next round. “How this game went has been like a microcosom of how our season has gone this year with different guys stepping up as well as taking on different roles. This was a collective effort and I give a lot of credit to my teammates. We continue to find ways to win. I am very happy for AEK”, stressed Keith Langford. The Telekom Baskets Bonn played a spirited game and showed that they wanted to force a deciding game on the road, but when it counted most in crunch-time, they were unable to execute at both ends of the court the way they had done earlier in the game. “The stat sheet showed how the game went. They are a big physical team while we are small and play more the fast style. We had too many turnovers and giving up offensive rebounds hurt us. We did a good job with fast break baskets and I feel we played well overall, but just let it slip away in the end”, stressed ex Drake(NCAA) forward Ben Simons.

A big topic in the world at the moment is the Corona virus which continues to effect world sports every day. Having games in all sports without fans was something that was being discussed and already happening, but when I arrived at the Telekom Dome at 5:45,  2.15 hours before the game, I never ever expected to witness a game with no spectators. It had been announced about an hour earlier when I was driving to the event. So when I got to the press entrance, I was told that the game would be played without fans, but that press would be allowed in. That was a relief for me, because not only had I made a long trip to get there, but I also wanted to see some incredible players like Chalmers, Slaughter, Langford and Sloan, guys that you don´t see every day. As game time got closer and closer, for some reason, I was waiting and waiting for the first fans to finally arrive, but they never did. I just didn´t want to believe it. I had never been at a game where there were no fans. I wondered what the atmosphere would be like and knew quickly that it would be a lot different. After 40 minutes, I have to be honest and say that it felt like I was at a practice scrimmage of a team. The only difference was that both teams had different color jerseys which isn´t always the case with a team that goes 5-5 where the jerseys sometimes aren´t so much different in color. Another difference was the intensity of both teams was a lot higher than in a practice despite it having that practice type quiet atmosphere. With no fans and no noise, you could follow the game in a different way since you could hear both teams better with their communication. Coaches outbursts were understood a lot better as well as the always interesting interaction between player and referee. I have to be honest, I was hoping for witnessing some real genuine trash talking, but for some reason I didn´t. Maybe that is still something that players want to keep as that special experience that everyone else can only speculate about. For the players it was also something totally new, playing in a taciturn arena, but then again Keith Langford did remember his D-League time as something that at times wasn´t any different. “When you get to be my age, you need to have that juice from the fans. This game was hard for the players. Not having fans there takes away from the game. I don´t like it. This game reminded me of those mid day D-League games where there were no fans. I hope that this Corona virus gets resolved soon so we can play in front of fans again”, warned Keith Langford.

Even if there were no fans, the contest quickly went in a direction that would have been every fan´s delight as the game was tight in the first quarter with 9 lead changes as no one could get away from each other. The Telekom Baskets Bonn got an early spark from former University of Wisconsin – Green Bay(NCAA) center Alec Brown who nailed two three´s while AEK Athens got some big baskets from ex  Kennesaw State University (NCAA) scoring ace Kendrick Ray who hit an in your face clutch three pointer and Greek legend Nikolaos Zisis who has won 22 professional titles including the 2008 Euroleague made a beautiful runner and still is very mobile for his 36 years to get free for the shot as the game was dead locked at 6-6. The game would go back and forth now as both teams were playing as if it was a do or die game. The Telekom Baskets Bonn were making some bad turnovers while the Greek side got some hot shooting from the real professional shooter Keith Langford who dropped 2 three´s for the 17-15 AEK Athens lead. But Ben Simons wasn´t impressed as he showed that two can play the shooting game as he nailed two trey´s for the 21-19 Bonn lead. AEK Athens would get a hard two handed dunk from Marcus Slaughter and free throws from 30 year old 202cm forward Serbian-Greek Vladimir Jankovic who is the son of legendary player Boban hit free throws, but the Telekom Baskets Bonn still had the 24-23 advantage after 10 minutes. The Telekom Baskets Bonn shot 60% from the field and 57% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 5 turnovers while AEK Athens shot 42% from the field and 57% from outside and had 7 rebounds and 3 turnovers.

In the second quarter the game remained tight as there were 6 lead changes, but at the break it was the Telekom Baskets Bonn that once again had their nose in front with the 4 point advantage. AEK Athens got the lead back quickly as Jankovic continued to be aggressive in the paint with two buckets, but a costly Greek foul allowed German national player Joshiko Saibou to net three free throws to give Bonn the 30-29 lead back. Then came another one of your moments why fans pay money to come to these type of games as Keith Langford displayed another shooting clinic and showed that at age 36, he isn´t afraid of anyone and still has deadly 1-1 abilities. He nailed a step back jumper in the face of Saibou and then hit a turn around shot for the 33-30 Greek lead. But Langford wasn´t the only guy that has those 1-1 qualities, but Bonn guard Trey Mckinney-Jones that breathed NBA air playing one game for the Indiana Pacers also got active in the scoring department with a transition basket and free throws to tie the game at 34-34. AEK Athens then got some added energy going on a 5-2 run as ex Clemson(NCAA) forward Jerai Grant used his physicality on the offensive glass getting an offensive rebound and ruthless put back dunk, and ex NBA champion with the Miami Heat Mario Chalmers who has been hit with a limited role on the club showcased an NBA like spin move getting by his man and scoring for the 39-36 AEK Athens lead. Then came a situation where one could easily follow the conversation between player and referee. Jerai Grant was continuing to dominate in the paint, but had to contend with extra Bonn bodies and made a massive dunk, but was called for traveling. Grant exploded with ”I didn´t move”, but the referee just blurted out “too many steps”. AEK Athens had been hit early with 5 team fouls and the Telekom Baskets took advantage getting to the free throw line and got the lead back and kept it to the break. Brandon Frazier and Yormam Polas Bartolo free throws helped lead the way for the 43-39 lead. Then it was Mario Chalmers again who showed why he had been in the NBA for 9 years hitting an amazing pull up jumper under severe defensive pressure as if it was nothing cutting the Bonn lead down to 43-41. Down the stretch it was ex Eisbaeren Bremerhaven power forward Marcus Slaughter that kept the Greek side close with his physical play on the glass getting a lay in and dunk while Bonn kept the lead with a dunk from ex Ludwigsburg big man Martin Breunig and a transition basket from Simons for the 49-45 half-time lead. The Telekom Baskets Bonn shot 58% from the field and 40% from the three point line and had 19 rebounds and 10 turnovers while AEK Athens shot 44% from the field and 25% from the three point line and had 13 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

In the third quarter it looked like the Telekom Baskets Bonn were going to run away with the game as they attained their biggest lead of the game with 10 points, but AEK Athens stuck with their game plan, fought back and trailed only by 4 points after 30 minutes. The Telekom Baskets Bonn went on a rapid 6-0 run to extend their lead to 55-45 as their own scoring machine newly acquired Donald Sloan who played parts of 5 seasons in the NBA and averaged 7,0ppg with the Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets made three free throws and then dropped a huge trey. But when you need a quick spark and instant points, you can always rely on Keith Langford who nailed a clutch three and Jankovic made a spin move and lay in to cut Bonn´s lead to 55-50. There would be more consistent defensive break downs by AEK Athens as Saibou made an easy finger tip roll in and Breunig made a dunk as Bonn suddenly led 59-50. The Telekom Baskets Bonn had stepped up their defense and transition, but at the same time, the guests also had situations where they missed easy shots. AEK Athens continued to battle and creep slowly back going on a 6-3 run to cut Bonn´s advantage to 62-56 as Zisis nailed a 20 footer, Langford snuck inside for a lay in and Jankovic hit a runner. Mckinney-Jones was Bonn´s version of Langford in this phase hitting clutch shots keeping the Telekom Baskets Bonn ahead 64-56. But a crucial AEK Athens 6-2 run at the end cut Bonn´s lead down to 66-62. In the run as usual it was Lanford who carried the team with free throws and a beautiful spin move to get away from his defender and finish with a pull up jumper while Slaughter got another easy basket with a tap in. “ We stuck to our game plan and coach said we had to play for 40 minutes and not pay attention to Bonn but to our game. We did respect Bonn, but knew we had to just keep playing and fighting. Our experience came into play. We have guys that know how to finish games at the end”, stressed Keith Langford. “The game went back and forth. We were fighting and their size got to us at times. Our focus was just to keep playing and stay in the game and finish strong”, stressed Ben Simons. The Telekom Baskets Bonn shot 50% from the field and 29% from the parking lot and had 29 rebounds and 14 turnovers while AEK Athens shot 43% from the field and 22% from the parking lot and had 22 rebounds and 6 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter both teams continued to fight as if it had been a title game and it remained really close until the last few minutes, but the Telekom Baskets Bonn just couldn´t get the lead back while the real professional shooting qualities of Keith Langford carried AEK Athens to the victory. AEK Athens jumped all over the Telekom Baskets Bonn in the first few minutes going on a brutal 11-4 run, but what was most surprising was that Keith Langford had 0 points in the run. It also wasn´t a Chalmers, Ray or Grant that supplied severe scoring punch, but a Greek 29 year old point guard named Nikos Gkikas who spent the last 3 seasons with  ASP Promitheas Patras and was a Greek allstar in 2018. The 186cm guard nailed back to back three´s and a jumper as if he had received a special shooting lesson from his teammate Keith Langford. Slaughter also contributed 3 points as AEK Athens led 73-70. The Telekom Baskets Bonn had lost a little intensity on the defensive end allowing the Greek side to come back. Bonn continued to fight back, get to the free throw line and got a basket from Brown and a clutch three pointer from Sloan to dead lock the game at 77-77 with 3,33 minutes left in the game. Now the massive experience of AEK Athens started to take form as Langford took over and got suitable assistance from Marcus Slaughter. Slaughter was extremely helpful in this phase getting a lay in and to the free throw line twice for the 81-77 Greek side lead. Bonn stayed with the AEK Athens thanks to Trey Mckinney-Jones who was their current go to guy scoring twice to cut AEK Athens lead to 82-81. But then came the severe turning point of the game as with under 2 minutes to go, AEK Athens broke out on a lethal 7-0 run to extend their lead to 89-81. In the run it was Langford who scored twice and Slaughter hit a free throw. Bonn was also thrown some bad luck as a loose ball came right to Jankovic who was hanging out under the basket for an easy lay up. Sloan would give Bonn 5 more instant points in the last seconds, but it wasn´t enough as AEK Athens held on to the tight 90-86 win. “Our experience was key at the end. It helps when you have guys like myself, Zisis, Chalmers and a Slaughter. We have been around for a long time. We have a good mix of old and young guys that compliment each other well”, warned Keith Langford. “Langford and Slaughter were key for them. Both know how to play on offense and defense. With Langford you have a professional scorer that can score whenever he wants to. Both are good players that stepped up in key situations”, added Ben Simons. AEK Athens was led by Keith Langford with 25 points. Marcus Slaughter added 17 points and 9 boards while Vlado Jankovic contributed 13 points while the Telekom Baskets Bonn were led by Trey Mckinney-Jones with 18 points while Donald Sloan added 14 points and Martin Breunig 12 points. AEK Athens shot 45% form the field and 25% from outside and had 33 rebounds and 7 turnovers while The Telekom Baskets Bonn shot 49% from the field and 33% from outside and had 39 rebounds and 19 turnovers.

Patrick Richard is a 30 year old 196cm swingman from Lafayette, Louisiana playing his eighth professional season and first with U-Banca Transilvania Cluj Napoca (Romania-Liga National). He has garnered a lot of experience playing in countries like Australia, Italy, Spain (ACB), Israel, France, Germany and Holland. He played one season in Germany in 2014-2015 with the Mitteldeutscher BC Weissenfels (Germany-BBL) playing 32 games averaging 13.2ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.8apg, FGP: 44.7%, 3PT: 40.8%, FT: 76.1%. Prior to being a professional he played at Mc Neese St. (NCAA) form 2008-2012 and as a senior played 32 games averaging 18.1ppg, 6.3rpg, 3.2apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 48.6%, 3PT: 27.9%, FT: 76.9%. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a Fiba Europe Cup game against medi Bayreuth in Bayreuth.

Pat welcome back to Germany. Our last interview was three years ago when you were balling with Maccabi Rishon. Since then you have played in Italy, New Zealand and Spain. Hs time flown by since then?

Wasup miles! Time had flown by. Very fast but I’m still maintaining and pushing right along in my career!

The last time you played against a German team was in the 2016-2017 season where you lost in the playoffs against Ludwigsburg. You played only one season in Germany with MBC. What do you remember most from competing in the German BBL and what did you learn to appreciate the most from your time there?

I remember well playing for MBC and competing in the BBL. It was and still is a great league! Very professional and competitive from top to bottom. I believe when I was there it was maybe a little more too heavy BUT it still seems to be easily a top 5 league in Europe at the moment.

Your playing a Basketball Champions League playoff series the best of three against medi Bayreuth. Do you remember that you had your highest scoring game in the BBL with MBC back in the 2014-2015 season. What do you remember from your 32 point game?


Yes I do recall that game. The most I remember is that we lost. So I actually tried to forget about that game more than remembering 32 points lol

Before we get to the medi Bayreuth match up, lets talk about your current team You played in top leagues in Germany, France, Spain and Italy and now in probably your prime your playing with U-Banca Transilvania Cluj Napoca (Romania-Liga Nationala). The normal observer would say a step back. How would you describe the decision of going to Romania?

From the outside looking in people can think what they would like. I base a lot of decisions on my family. My kids and my wife are who I think about first. This team WANTED me and to feel wanted with no other strings attached is the best feeling as a player. I am going to make the most out of it!

What kind of an experience has it been for you playing with U-Banca Transilvania Cluj Napoca (Romania-Liga Nationala)? They have won 12 club titles. You already won a title with them and can win two more. Winning must be the best experience you can have?

Being here the expectation is to WIN! Championships! We have a legendary coach who they brought here as well and a lot of players that have had experience on high levels before. Just taking things one day at a time, one practice, and one game at a time is what’s most important though!

A big strength of U-Banca Transilvania Cluj Napoca (Romania-Liga Nationala) in the Basketball Champions League is the defense. Do you feel like there is a special passion with everyone when defending 


I believe since day one that’s been a main focus in the team. Defend and everything else can open up. Our coach gives us freedom on the offensive end to create and make plays. So it’s been a fun style of basketball so far.

A lot of the Basketball Champions League teams have 5-6 Americans just like medi Bayreuth. U-Banca Transilvania Cluj Napoca (Romania-Liga Nationala) only have 3 Americans. No disrespect to your other teammates, but will 3 Americans be enough to get over the hump and win a title?

As I said in a few questions back we have players that have played on good levels before. Our center Darko played euro league, our 4 man Donatis played champions league, our other 4 man Karlo has played euro league before as well even though he is still fairly young, and another guard Artis from Latvia has played VTB league. So we have a pretty good mixture with the Europeans and Americans we have!

How thrilling has it been playing with Kerron Johnson? He has BBL experience like you. What has been his biggest attribute that he has brought to the table that has helped the team the most?

With Kerron me and him sort of gained a friendship from afar since we played against each other in Germany and also France in the past. Our first point guard we had suffered a horrific (almost season ending) injury and K came straight in a has been running the show! Just being who he is has helped us tremendously!

The club recently brought in young American LJ Peak. What does he bring to the table that the team didn’t have before?

Bringing LJ in gives us another player who can create for himself, attack the rim and shoot, and almost is a versatile defender! He’s been successful individually in Italy and now he can come and help us reach out goals here

Your playing a very good season in the Romanian and BCL competitions. What kind of role do you have this season?

My role here has just been a leader. Vocal and by action. Just being myself if it’s making big shots, or big plays defensively!

You have always been a guy that has put up consistent stats where ever you played. How more important does consistency become for you as you continue to get older and how do you keep working at maintaining it best?

For me consistency is very key. Teams do look for this and I always try to be that way. I always want to do more so that motivates me!

You recently turned 30 years old. At this stage of your career what part of your game are you working the hardest at improving?


Turning 30 I just know health is the most important. It’s been that way but as you get older those aches last a bit longer lol

Medi Bayreuth is a very talented and deep team and are one of the favorites to win the 2020 Fiba Europe Cup. This will be a very interesting series. What kind of series can we await and what will be key for your team to get by the German side?

Bayreuth have always been a tough team since I’ve known. It will be tough and a battle. I am familiar with the coach and he will have them ready. We shall be ready as well.

Medi Bayreuth is one of those teams that has a deep 10 man rotation where any player can be a top scorer on any night. This could be the biggest defensive challenge for you in this season’s Basketball Champions League. Will the element of surprise on defense be an important element for success?


We do a pretty good job of the scouting and our coaches will do so again. It’s more principles for us and what we do according to the personnel of the other team.

You played only one season in the German BBL, but if you had to pick one player who was the toughest to guard at that time who would you pick?


When I played in Germany they had a bunch of really good players. I recall Reggie Redding being pretty tough because he used the ball screens pretty good. Always had to fight through those against Berlin

Two seasons ago you played with Divina Seguros Juventut Badalona (Spain-Liga ACB) playing 32 games averaging 11.3ppg, 3.2rpg, 1.7apg, Steals-4 (1.3spg), FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 36.3%, FT: 83.8%. You scored in double figures in 3 of the 4 games against top teams FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.Was the consistency and personal success a good token that you could play against the best in the world?

I always have believed in myself. But I’m all about winning to be honest. We finished the season great there and I have a bunch of great memories playing there.

You played twice against Luka Doncic and in one of the games was close to a triple double. When he came into the NBA did you ever imagine that he would be a top 3 player in the NBA in his second season?

I’m not sure he is a top 3 player lol BUT I knew he would be great from the first moment we played against him! He is dominating at the moment and I wish him the best!

Where were you when you hear about the death of Kobe Bryant? What kind of an impact did he have on your game growing up?

I was actually in my living room and my phone was going crazy! I was and am still heartbroken by the tragedy that took his life along with his daughter and the other people in the helicopter too! He was my IDOL since I was 5-6 years old. I wanted to do any and everything like him when it came to basketball. I just look at my daughters and could NOT imagine that feeling of not being able to protect them in any situation. It was devastating!

When all is said and done could Luka Doncic be one of the greatest players of all-time?


YES he can! He has to WIN though. Numbers are great but when the winning starts that’s when he will he really be recognized with the greats!

What was the last movie that you saw?

The last movie was Just Mercy.

Thanks Pat for the chat.

With the NBBL playoffs just around the corner Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners had a great opportunity to get warmed up with a scoring party against the Nurnberg Falcons BC. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners entered the contest in third place with a 8-4 record and met the last placed Bavarian team that were still seeking their first win of the season having a poor 0-12 record. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners have been able to support their fine season with strong defense allowing only 70 points per game while the Nurnberg Falcons BC couldn´t muster much on offense this season averaging 47 points per game and allowing an incredible 105 points per game having lost some bitter games to Ludwigsburg with 142-42, 112-44 against FC Bayern Munich or 106-40 against Bamberg. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners easily won the first meeting in Nurnberg 97-51 as they easily won the rebound battle 48-30 and forced the Bavarian side to 29 turnovers. In the last regular season game of the season it was another one sided affair as Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners dominated the game for 35 minutes after a good start from the guests using their aggressive press defense and transition baskets to clobbering the Nurnberg Falcons BC 119-61. After the big win game top scorer Julian Steinfeld reflected on the easy win. “We used our length advantage and our aggressive press to our advantage to get easy baskets. Our defense wasn´t as good. Our goal was to allow 50 points. We let up a bit and also allowed too many offensive rebounds”, stressed Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners center Julian Steinfeld. It was a tough season for the Nurnberg Falcons BC as they didn´t win a single game, but there were also reasons for that. “Our team is very young and don´t have the experience against the best teams. The older guys tried to give as much leadership as possible. A big problem was our consistency. We were able to start well into the game, but not hold it. We only had 2 practices per week. When you play against experienced teams, they know exactly how to use our weaknesses to their advantage”, stressed Emmanuel Ngan who played his last NBBL game.

                The Nurnberg Falcons BC came strong into the game trading baskets with as Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners as Emmanuel Ngan was aggressive and had an array of offensive weapons to score 6 unanswered points. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners began to share the ball early on and got buckets from Maxi Begue as well as from big men Jordan Samare and Erik Brummert who established themselves right away in the paint. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners had the 12-6 advantage, but Nurnberg would continue to execute as their heart and soul Leon Lutz connected on a pull up jumper and Ngan scored his eighth point of the quarter cutting the Frankfurt lead to 14-10. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners didn´t have that high defensive intensity and no press yet despite executing well on offense. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners took a time out and then came the turning point of the game. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners inserted 211cm big man Julian Steinfeld that carried them on a 19-5 run and they would never look back. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners began to really get aggressive inside, crashing the boards ad amassing 8 offensive rebounds in the quarter and getting easy baskets. Steinfeld contributed 13 points taking advantage of his height and body. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners also got buckets from athletic wing player Isaac Obanor and defensive specialist Maxi Begue. After 10 minutes Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners led very comfortably 33-15. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 59% from the field and 0% from outside and had 18 rebounds and 4 turnovers while the Nurnberg Falcons BC shot 41% from the field and 0% from outside and had 5 rebounds and 6 turnovers.

                In the second quarter Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners continued to play their game and extend their lead to 68-32 executing on offense and putting in their tough press defense. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners began with a quick 10-2 run to extend their lead to 43-17. In the run Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners got sufficient production from 2017 JBBL finalist Calvin Schaum who dropped 5 points as well as free throws from Jordan Samare and a basket from 2019 JBBL top 4 player Pierre Bathoum. Every once in a while the Nurnberg Falcons BC would get points in the paint from their youth like 16 year olds  Luca Darr who scored twice as did Leon Lutz cut the Frankfurt advantage to 52-23. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners continued to control the paint area and always pushed the ball ahead after controlling the defensive rebound. Nurnberg had little resistance against the aggressive Frankfurt full court press that was stifling their offense. In the stretch run of the second quarter Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners continued to get full support from their bigs Jordan Samare and Julian Steinfeld as they combined for 12 points. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners continued banging the ball inside and both big men also ran the floor like guards getting easy dunks. German Bennet Schubert who is the little brother of Konstantin Schubert who has 7 BBL games on his resume also contributed a trey as at half-time Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners led 68-32. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 65% from the field and 32% from the three point line and had 26 rebounds and 8 turnovers while the Nurnberg Falcons BC shot 37% from the field and 9% from the three point line and had 16 rebounds and 17 turnovers. Nurnberg did a better job on the offensive glass attaining 8 offensive rebounds in the second half.

                In the third quarter Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners continued to dominate as they scored a little less than in the first two quarters with 30 points and allowed 18 points. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners began with a quick 11-2 run to extend their lead to 79-35. In the run Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners got early energy and intensity as Jordan Samare made two hard dunks and also got baskets from Begue, Schubert and a hook shot from Brummert. The Nurnberg Falcons couldn´t muster much offense as the only real bright spot was Emmanuel Ngan who finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists. He made a tough lay in over the bigger Steinfeld to cut Frankfurt´s lead to 82-40. “I started well into the game, but later lost rhythm. I need to give more energy. I will work hard this summer. I have been with the Pro A team this season and now have to show that I can make the next step at the next level”, warned Emmanuel Ngan. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners continued to score at ease and went on a 12-4 run to extend their lead to 94-44. In the run Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners received strong support from their bench as the next generation of Germans Barthom and Dorn scored as did the athletic Obanor. Obanor tested his 36% accuracy outside nailing a trey as he has improved his shooting this season. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners continued to play their game and execute consistently on offense while also having good defense which led to easy transition baskets. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners also showed their versatility getting good support from every player as the bench came through. The Nurnberg Falcons BC found just a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel in the last minutes getting some baskets from Luca Darr, 16 year old Ozan Celebi and a transition basket from Deshan Vranc who played with the U-15 Slovenian national team cutting the Frankfurt lead to 98-50. “We came out in the third quarter continuing to use our press and didn´t drop back. We remained aggressive on the press and forced turnovers. We remained unselfish on offense, but most of our points came on transition”, added Julian Steinfeld. “I have to compliment Frankfurt´s press. They were aggressive and they took advantage of our inexperience. We couldn´t find a solution”, added Emmanuel Ngan. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 65% from the field and 33% from the parking lot and had 35 rebounds and 10 turnovers while the Nurnberg Falcons BC shot 39% from the field and 18% from the parking lot and had 24 rebounds and 22 Turnovers.

                Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners let up a bit in the fourth quarter on offense scoring only 21 points when they had averaged 32 points in the first three quarters, but they stepped up their defense a bit more allowing their fewest points of the game with 11. Nurnberg got on the board first getting a trey form Julian Darr cutting the Frankfurt lead to 98-53who had a solid game despite never finding his rhythm this season after being injuresd. But after that lightening spark on offense by Nurnberg, Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners stormed back stifling the guests with a 14-0 run to extend their lead to 112-53. In the run Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners got first class support from their big men Steinfeld, Samare and Brummert. Steinfeld got the first 3 buckets in a row on the run with a lay in, hard one hand dunk and then rammed home a reverse dunk. Brummert also scored as did Samare who got the perfect alley-oop feed from Frederik Fischbach for the next hard dunk. The most damage had been done as Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners led 112-53. The Nurnberg Falcons got some last quarter energy going on a 8-0 run to cut Frankfurt´s lead to 112-61. In the run Nurnberg got good support from Ngan who scored twice while Lukas Niederlich made an offensive rebound and put back and Vranc made a lay in. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners closed out the blow out win with a 5-0 run as Brummert was fed by Amir Dorn with a shovel pass and easy lay in and Dorn then made a steal and lay in for the last points in the win. “We lost a little concentration in the last quarter. They had a little run at the end. Some guys had played Regionalliga last night and were tired. This win was important for our self-confidence as the playoffs approach. I feel that we have a realistic chance of making the NBBL top 4”, warned Julian Steinfeld. “We have to learn that even when your down by so much, you need to give gas for 4 quarters”, added Emmanuel Ngan. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners was led by Julian Steinfeld with 31 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan Samare added 22 points and Erik Brummert had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Bennet Schubert had 11 points and Maxi Begue had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists and Pierre Bathom had 10 points while the Nurnberg Falcons BC were led by Emmanuel Ngan with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 59% from the field and 29% from outside and had 48 rebounds and 14 turnovers while the Nurnberg Falcons shot 37% from the field and 17% from outside and had 36 rebounds and 32 turnovers.

                Just a few weeks ago, there was a lot of talk about the Fraport Skyliners Juniors returning back to the playoffs a place that they have been a part of the last few years, but on the last game day, the club suddenly was in 10^th place team and needed a win and some help from BBC Coburg. On the last game day there were four clubs with 9 wins with Speyer, Orange Academy; FC Bayern Munich and the Fraport Skyliners Juniors. The Fraport Skyliners didn´t actually make it easy for reaching the playoffs the last weeks as after a strong three game winning streak, the club lost the last two games against Oberaching and FC Bayern Munich which put them in this precarious situation. To make matters worse, they had to face Orange Academy, a very young but deep and talented team that they had gotten creamed by on the road in the first meeting 87-58. In that game Orange Academy had a good shooting day showcasing 5 players in double figures and cleaning up on the boards winning the rebound duel 36-19 as their length advantage really hurt the Fraport Skyliners Juniors. Orange Academy entered the BCM and fans saw two different halfes as the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were the better team in the first half, but in the second half Orange Academy shifted up a few gears on the defensive end and start hitting more shots stifling the home team 92-84. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors needed a win and a loss for FC Bayern Munich in Coburg and in the end a win at home didn´t matter because Coburg lost 75-73 at home. The contest didn´t only have the drama of a do or die situation for Frankfurt, but also showcased two young players that were very close to triple doubles as Frankfurt captain Cosmo Gruehn finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists and 18 year old Orange Academy guard Zach Ensminger who is the son of BBL legend Chris Ensminger had 18 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. After the big Orange Academy win St Paul Minnesota native Joe Rosga explained why the guests pulled out the win. “We stuck together the whole game. We were down 7 points at the half and we knew that we had to come back and make plays. We picked up our defense in the second half and held them to 34 points. Our defense led to good offense. We made more stops and made big plays. It was a huge win for the club and I´m happy to have been a part of it”, stated Orange Academy guard Joe Rosga. Once again the Fraport Skyliners Juniors couldn´t put together a full game effort as Croatian guard Bruno Peric explained what went wrong. “We played good offense in the first half, but not so good in the second half. We had less energy in the second half and were out-energized. Our main problem was that we got outrebounded. We outhustled them in the first half and they outhustled us in the second half”, warned Fraport Skyliner Juniors guard Bruno Peric.

                The first quarter was a real battle as no team could get away from the other and there were 5 lead changes. Orange Academy had the better start finding their rhythm right away taking a rapid 7-2 lead. In the run they moved the ball very well and got everyone involved. 40 year old German Nils Mittman began the run with a fadeaway jumper, German talent Christoph Phillipps hit a trey and 18 year old Zach Ensminger who most likely will play in the NCAA next season scored showing the self confidence of a 30 year old. But the Fraport Skyliners Juniors weren´t shocked and got some of their own offense going getting a key three pointer from ex Freiburg forward Cosmo Gruehn and a lay in from Bruno Peric for the 8-7 advantage. The lead would go back and forth in the next minutes as Mittman dropped a 20 footer for the 9-8 Orange Academy lead and then Knoxville Tennesse native Nigel Pruitt nailed his bread and butter the trey to steal the lead back at 11-9. Philipps continued to have his range from outside hitting another trey for the 14-13 lead. Another Ensminger bucket extended the Orange Academy lead to 16-13. Both teams were at eye level as Frankfurt shared the ball well while Orange Academy suffered too many turnovers. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors stepped up their defense in the last minutes cruising out on a 9-3 run to retake the lead at 22-19 after 10 minutes. Frankfurt remained aggressive and got to the free throw line getting points from ex BBC Coburg center Noah Kamdem and Bruno Peric and ex FC Bayern Munich guard Bruno Vrcic also scored in the paint. “We had good ball movement and energy. We also defended very well letting us have the lead”, added Bruno Peric. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 50% from the field and 29% form outside and had 6 rebounds and 3 turnovers while Orange Academy shot 67% form the field and 50% form outside and had 6 rebounds and 5 turnovers.

                The second quarter also remained a dog fight and the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were able to gain the 7 point lead at the break thanks to some real strong play from Bruno Vrcic on offense in the scoring department. Both teams offenses were executing very well which didn´t allow the other team to get away. Frankfurt got buckets from Vrcic and ex Chemnitz center Aaron Kayser while Phillips continued to be a menace from outside with a trey and Ensminger continued to be aggressive getting a left handed lay in. Joe Rosga who shot for 40% or more for three of four seasons at the University Of Denver tied the game at 28-28. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors held the tight lead 35-33 getting some more offensive production from Aaron Kayser who made an offensive rebound and put back and Pruitt basket while Orange Academy got baskets from Rosga and Mittman. Frankfurt then had two bitter defensive breakdowns with the first allowing big man Nicholas Bretzel get an easy lay up for the 36-35 Orange Academy lead. After a Peric trey, Orange Academy got their second easy basket in a row as Frankfurt had another defensive break down allowing Moritz Krimmer who has 1 BBL game on his resume to make an easy lay in cutting Frankfurt´s advantage to 40-38. Frankfurt did a good job on the offensive glass, but allowed too many easy baskets. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors was able to hold the lead due to a 10-5 run and explosiveness of Bruno Vrcic. Pruitt contributed a trey and Bruno Vrcic sunk 7 points with a in your face three over Kristof Krause, a lay in and off balance jumper for the 50-43 halftime lead. “We had a clear vision about what we wanted to do. We were all on the same page and executed well. The way we played on offense and defense in the second quarter is how we should always play”, stressed Bruno Peric. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 53% from the field and 50% from the three point line and had 14 rebounds and 5 turnovers while Orange Academy shot 57% form the field and 42% from the three point line and had 13 rebounds and 8 turnovers.

                In the third quarter Orange Academy got the lead back began to control the game and would never look back until the buzzer sounded after 40 minutes. Len Schoormann got the Fraport Skyliners Juniors on the board first with a lay in for the 52-43 advantage. But Orange Academy started to slowly chip away at the Frankfurt lead going on a 6-1 run. In the run it was the rebirth of talented young German Nat Diallo who came from Vechta. He got his first basket of the game at the 8,19 minute mark with an alley-oop tap in after retrieving a perfect pass from Zach Ensminger. Dialo stepped it up on the next play making a one handed dunk. Phillpps as always was aggressive and also added a lay in to cut Frankfurt´s advantage to 53-49.  Schoormann continued to execute well making a lay in in traffic, but then came the turning point of the contest as Orange Academy finally was able to break away with a 12-4 run to recapture the lead at 61-57. In the Orange Academy run, they began to let it rain trey´s with three from Rosga, Mate Fazekas and Krause. Rosga also added a lay in. Orange Academy was hit with their fifth team foul at the 5,55 minute mark, but that didn´t hurt their offensive execution. Frankfurt got good production from Noah Kamdem who made a lay in and two free throws to dead lock the game at 61-61. The game was close, but the Fraport Skyliners Juniors just couldn´t get over the hump. Orange Academy continued to demonstrate their precision outside shooting getting atrey from Moritz Krimmer, Joe Rasga and Zach Ensminger for the 70-67 lead. Frankfurt had got a clutch trey from Cosmo Gruehn and lay in from Noah Kamdem. “Coach Gavel told us at the break that it would all come down to playing defense. We picked up our energy on defense and began to hit some shots. That gave us the momentum and also scoring on transition helped us get the lead”, stressed Joe Rosga. “We weren´t focused and couldn´t match their energy and they outrebounded us. They wanted it more than us”, added Bruno Peric. Orange Academy shot 58% from the field and 50% from the parking lot and had 19 rebounds and 11 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 485 from the field and 405 from the parking lot and 24 rebounds and 7 turnovers.

                Orange Academy were able to pull away again and have a 10 point lead and didn´t allow the Fraport Skyliners Juniors to get over the hump. Orange Academy continued to execute well on offense as Frankfurt just didn´t have the extra energy to get stops. Philipps scored the guests first 4 points and Zach Ensminger made a nifty finger tip roll lay in for the 76-69 advanatge. “Zach has been great. He has control on the floor and gets everyone involved. He finds guys and gets them easy looks. He is a good kid. His dad brought me here. I love playing with him”, stated Joe Rosga. After a Gruehn lay in, it was Ensminger that scored again for the 80-71 lead for Orange Academy. The difference in the game at this point was just that Orange Academy was doing all the little things better with hustle plays, rebounding and drawing fouls. Bruno Vrcic picked it up in crunch-time with a trey and two lay ins to cut the guests lead to 86-78, but he couldn´t totally dig into the Orange Academy lead as Frankfurt couldn´t buy a stop as the guests got free throws from Krimmer and baskets from Krause and Mittmann. A Schoormann basket and Kamden free throws cut the Orange Academy lead down to 88-82, but a Ensminger offensive rebound and put back was the final straw as Frankfurt trailed 90-82. In the last 5 minutes Cosmo Gruen only needed an assist for the triple double, but couldn´t get it. “Cosmo played a really good game. He gave good impulses on offense and defense. He played the way a captain should play”, stressed Bruno Peric.  Kamden and Krimmer traded free throws up until the buzzer sounded. “Everybody stepped up big time. Everybody played for each other and everyone wanted to win. The biggest difference was that everyone played for each other and there was no 1-1 play”, warned Joe Rosga. “They executed better than we did. They remained calm got self esteem and pushed the ball”, added Bruno Peric. Orange Academy was led by Christoph Philipps with 20 points. Zach Ensminger added 18 points and Joe Rosga 15 points while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Bruno Vrcic with 20 points. Noah Kamdem and Nigel Pruitt added 14 points a piece. Orange Academy shot 55% from the field and 37% from outside and had 36 rebounds and 13 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 46% from the field and 32% from outside and had 27 rebounds and 9 turnovers. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors begin the Playdowns next weekend against FC Bayern Munich 2.

                It is always fun observing the German Pro B with their interesting mix of young talented German players like Len Schoormann, Joshua Obiesie or Ferdinand Zylka to name just a few or the older Germans like Tobias Jahn, Nils Mittmann or Johannes Lischka still lace up their sneakers in their 30´s and then there are the few imports in the league usually young guys just out of college looking to make their run up the basketball ladder. In the last years, the Pro B has seen some real Cinderella stories none greater than Deandre Lansdowne who went from the Pro B averaging22,9ppg and then reached the BBL via the Pro A is balling in Italy today. There also have been other fascinating stories like Kerry Carter who led the Pro B in scoring in 2016-2017 with Leverkusen at 24,8 and then went to the Italy Serie 2 or Kameron Taylor in 2017-2018 who took a step back to the Pro B to then take two steps up to the BBL with Wurzburg and today is a key player for top team Bamberg or last season´s Pro B scoring champ Tucker Haymond who didn´t have it so easy this season sleeping on the floor for a month in Germany, but it all paid off as he signed with Pro A team FC Schalke in mid season. This season´s big Cinderella story could be Cameron Hunt of TG s.Oliver Wurzburg. The American from Duncansville, Texas is currently leading the Pro B in scoring and like so many guys out there has a chip on his shoulder as heavy as a totem poll and it won´t be getting any lighter any time soon as he continues to grind as a professional. “I feel people don’t respect where I come from. As my career continues I want to show people you can become a big time player even if you went to a smaller school”, warned Cameron Hunt. He is a rookie at the moment and at the bottom of the mountain, but in a very good situation with the Wurzburg club as he can shoot out the lights in the Pro B where at times he looks like a man among kids, but at the same time practice with the BBL team and gain valuable experience. “I get the honor of practicing with these guys almost every day and I love it. Competing with these guys has me made a better basketball player. I see myself on a BBL court all the time but will never rush things”, warned Cameron Hunt. The American who lists these 4 NBA greats on his NBA Rushmore with Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal had an amazing basketball career at Southwestern College KS(NAIA) where he averaged 31,0ppg as a senior, but overall had to watch other kids ball in higher college leagues while he had to pay his dues. Hunt is focused and determined to add to the Duncanville legacy that brought the world the famous football player and Super Bowl champion of the Pittsburgh Steelers Joe Greene or NBA player Greg Ostertag and Perry Jones. “Duncanville will always continue to produce professional athletes as the culture in that city is different than other cities. I would love to become a household name one day like one of those guys so I can continue the Duncanville legacy. I think about my chip every day. As I know many people don’t respect players from the NAIA level. So I am trying to change that every day”, warned Cameron Hunt.

                Cameron Hunt who lists current Atlanta Hawk Trae Young as his toughest opponent ever was born on August 25, 1997 in Duncanville Texas and got his first real basketball experience at Ducanville high school. He had a nice childhood as his mother was his natural caregiver and he is thankful that she sacrificed a lot for his well being.  He was very short in high school and wasn´t on the radar of any NCAA schools and only had one offer from Southwestern College KS(NAIA). But being small didn´t effect his work ethic already at a young age as he would go to the gym and shoot at 6 Am before class seeing instant results.  He underwent a growth spurt as a freshman at Southwestern College KS which came at the right time as his career would take off in his sophomore year. As a freshman he averaged : 6.9ppg, 2.4rpg, 2.1apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 37.9%, 3PT: 32.8%, FT: 63.2%, but in his sophomore year his stats exploded to 24.5ppg, 6.4rpg, 3.4apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 58.5%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 81.8%. He continued to be a real scoring machine as as a junior he averaged 23.3ppg, 5.7rpg, 3.7apg, FGP: 50.7%, 3PT: 38.0%, FT: 82.4% and as a senior made another step averaging 31.5ppg, 4.8rpg, 6.8apg, FGP: 50.7%, 3PT: 41.8%, FT: 88.6%. He scored in double figures in his last 103 NAIA games and was able to develop nicely at his pace. “Each year as I got older the game was slowing down to me. I was able to read defenses very much easier. I felt a lot of film work helped with this”, stressed Cameron Hunt. He gave the word consistency a new meaning scoring 20 points or more 76 times, 30 points or more 30 times and 40 points or more 6 times. “I feel my best game was when I was a sophomore and we beat a team we weren’t supposed to beat in a conference tournament game. It wasn’t my highest scoring but I did a lot of things to help my team win the game”, stressed Cameron Hunt. Not only in his personal game was he top, but his teams were always contenders as he reached 3 KCAC finals and won the 2019 title and also reached two NCAA 2 Sweet 16´s. “The most enjoyable run was my senior year as we had a great team that defied a lot of odds”, added Cameron Hunt. Usually winning that first title in the third try can be called three is a charm, but in the case of the American it happened in his fourth attempt. “Winning the KCAC title was up there with winning National player of the year. Both of these accomplishments took a lot of work. I would say the KCAC title felt more rewarding because we were able to do it as a team, “expressed Cameron Hunt. He credits a lot of his success to head coach Matt O´Brien who coached him for all 4 years never letting him cheat himself and making sure he got enough sleep. Coach O´Brien didn´t see his greatness from day one, but moreover it took time to see it. “. He always knew I would be a solid player for him, but he didn’t expect me to do the things I did for the team. We still joke about it to this day”, stressed Cameron Hunt.

                Hunt is playing his professional rookie season in Germany with third division club TG.s Oliver Wurzburg and living in a historic city named Wurzburg. The city has a river called Main that goes through the city with a beautiful castle perched high on a high overlooking the city. Hunt couldn´t have asked for a prettier place to live in as a rookie. “I have learned to appreciate the culture in Germany. I’ve been trying to teach myself German as I have learned to love the lifestyle out here”, smiled Cameron Hunt. He is playing a great rookie season. Not only on the stat sheet, but also with the team record is at the top in scoring and second in the Pro B South standings. Last season the club was only in 10^th place, but this season has been refreshing as the farm team of BBL club s.Oliver Wurzburg have made a total turnaround. Hunt seems to have brought some of that winning magic from Southwestern College KS(NAIA). “When I got to Wurzburg I just wanted to bring winning habits to the team. The team didn’t make the playoffs last year and I wanted to help change that.  The next goal is a championship”, stressed Cameron Hunt. Big and confident words from a champion, but the team just keeps winning as nobody seems to find a way to beat them.  “I think the biggest secret is we are having fun. We really enjoy playing with each other and I feel that can take us a long way”, warned Cameron Hunt. The team is first in points and assists and second in rebounds and almost half the points on average are made by Hunt and Lithuanian forward Rytis Pipiras. But it isn´t just the two imports carrying the load, but the club has very capable young German role players as well. “ We talk a lot about sharing the ball in practice and I feel we do a great job of that. Rytis is a tremendous player who is very unselfish and fun to play with. Rytis is very strong and probably the fastest player on the team. If I could have one of his skills it would be his athleticism. He makes dunking look so easy  I wouldn’t say it’s just me and Rytis carrying the load as different players have big games on different nights”, warned Cameron Hunt. Even if the team is high in the standings and wants to hold that playoff home court advantage, the club still has area´s where it can improve on. “I think we play very hard on defense which is always good but we can improve on our pick and roll defense. Once that is solved I feel the sky is the limit for this team”, added Cameron Hunt. Usually the farm teams of German BBL teams have an influx of very talented and very motivated Germans. Hunt is teammates with guard Joshua Obiesie who has already played BBL and Fiba Europe Cup at age 18 while other teammate big man Jonas Weitzel could win most improved Pro B Player who averaged 9/6 last season and currently is at 15/6 and appreciates it being able to be their teammate. “The sky is the limit for Joshua. He is only 19 years old but plays like he is much older than that. I think what most people don’t notice is how much fun he has playing basketball. Jonas has been great for us. You never have to worry about how hard he will play because he will always give 100%. He is also improving every day and I feel he has a very bright future”, stressed Cameron Hunt.

                The American who lists Brent Smith, Andrew Hamm, Myron Fisher, Jacob Horsch, and Dj Walla as his all-time best teammates has continued to be a scoring machine as a professional, but despite having that success, it still has been an adjustment learning a totally new kind of game. “The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make so far is the style of play in Europe. It is completely different over here but once I start making quicker reads I will be settled in”, said Cameron Hunt. He compares his game to Golden State Warrior DÁngelo Russell and is the kind of player that can score at ease, but also knows when to find his teammates, but there is another distinctive strength of the NBA player that Hunt enjoys. “I enjoy how D’angelo Russell plays the game at his own pace. He isn’t the fastest but you are going to go his speed when he has the ball. I think what I see the same in our game is we are always looking to make the right play. I really admire that about his game”, stressed Cameron Hunt. It is no secret that he can score at ease, but don´t rush calling him a walking bucket just yet. “I don’t think I am a walking bucket yet, as I have a lot more work to do. I feel scoring comes with also having a good passing game as a threat as well”, stressed Cameron Hunt. Two other strengths of his is seeing the floor well and getting steals. “I am never thinking of pass first or score first. I just feel if I make the correct basketball play every possession the results will be in my favor. I understand I have long arms so I try to use them a lot. If you can disrupt people´s offense your chances of winning increase drastically”, warned Cameron Hunt. He was a solid blocker at 196cm in the NAIA registering 44 in his 4 year career and never averaged more than 0,6 blocks per game, but as a rookie his shot blocking ability has skyrocketed to 1,2 and he currently has 22 blocks. He credits shot blocking as a hidden strength in his arsenal. “I think opponents just don’t realize how long my arms are”, smiled Cameron Hunt. He has taken his fine work ethic from Texas to Germany and his attention to detail continues to develop as well as his game as he learns under German coach Eric Detlev. “Coach has been wonderful. I have told him my personal goals and he has been all for it. He has developed some great players in the past so I take in everything he says to me”, warned Cameron Hunt. A few weeks ago he had the opportunity to relive his home town in the form of an animated sitcom created by the well known Amy Poehler who rose to fame with Saturday Night Live and it will air on Fox. Duncanville will revolve around the life of Duncan Harris, a normal 15-year-old boy, who is always one step away from making a bad decision. Duncan lives with his mom, a parking enforcement officer, who dreams of becoming a detective someday and always has to watch Duncan, his dad, who wants to be the best dad possible for his son, and his sister Kimberly. “I can’t wait to see how the show Duncanville turns out. I think it has a lot of potential and I’m definitely going to watch it now”, added Cameron Hunt in January 2020. One thing is for sure, Cameron isn´t like Duncan, because so far in his young basketball life he has made all the right decisions with going to Southwestern College KS(NAIA) and with TG s.Oliver Wurzburg. Currently he is averaging 21,4ppg, 4,2rpg and 5,0apg while shooting 41,3% from outside. He has scored in double figures in 17 of 18 games including a 37 points and 16 rebounds explosion against Oberaching, 31 points against Baunach and 29 points against FC Bayern Munich 2. He recently was rewarded with a three year contract and can still play up to 5 BBL games this season. For a guy that has had a chip on his shoulder his whole life, it won´t go away now after this huge success with the 3 year deal, but still be there, because he can still get better, develop further and reach higher levels. Sky is the limit for Cameron Hunt.

J´ Covan Brown is a 30 year old 188cm point guard from Port Arthur, Texas that is playing his eighth professional season and second with Hapoel Jerusalem (Israel-Winner League). Last season with Hapoel Jerusalem (Israel-Winner League) he averaged 10.3ppg, 2.3rpg, 4.6apg, FGP: 44.4%, 3PT: 34.4%, FT: 84.5% in the Winner league and 8.9ppg, 2.2rpg, 4.2apg, FGP: 38.6%, 3PT: 37.1%, FT-2 (94.7%) in the Basketball Champions League. He played parts of three seasons in Greece, and also with Hapoel Galil Gilboa in Israel and in other countries like Turkey, Dominican Republic and Kazakhstan. He played three seasons at The University of Texas (NCAA) and as a senior played 34 games averaging 20.1ppg, 3.4rpg, 3.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 45.0%, 3PT: 36.9%, FT: 86.3%He spoke to germanhoops.com recently after winning the Israeli cup about his basketball career.

J’Covan thanks for talking to germanhoops. com. You won the Israeli cup recently and was named MVP. How did it feel winning the title and being named MVP?

It felt great bringing the cup back to Jerusalem and just fighting for each other to win it. I just wanted to go out and make this 30th birthday special and just win it for the fans.

Hapoel Jerusalem is battling Maccabi Tel Aviv for the top spot in the Winner league and is also playing well in the Basketball Champions League. How is this team different and if not better from last season’s championship team?

We had a great team last season and did great things. We won the cup and made a run, but just couldn’t win the Champions League cup and Winners league, but it was great building a bond. This season we brought 5 players back that understand each other . We have been through the trenches and know what it means to win games down the stretch. It isn’t about Maccabi, but just about us Hapoel Jerusalem. 

Your playing your third season in Israel and second with Hapoel Jerusalem (Israel-Winner League). Players often move around in their careers like you did early in your career. Has Israel become like a second home for you?

Playing and living in Israel is comfortable. I have met a great group of coaches in Israel. When you make deep relationships with coaches like that, you just try to stick around and be with them. I have a good relationship with coach Oded Kattash. He understands me and I understand him. He gives me the freedom to be myself, but also to buy into the situation with the team.

After winning your first professional title in 2015 with : BC Astana (Kazakhstan-D1) you won your next one in 2019 . How good did it feel winning that second one in comparison to the first one?

All championships are special. When your growing up playing sports you want to win titles no matter if it’s Little League or if your in High School or College, you just want to win and have that DNA in your system so later when you have kids you can tell them I did that and I did that and if they ask if you won championshsips then you can say you won this and that. That’s what it all about with me. Every championship is special for me.

In Greece with AEK you were teammates with some real vets with ex NBA and NCAA champion with Florida Taurean Green and Malik Hairston. What do you remember from their presence on and off the court?


Those two guys took me under their arms when I got there. I was a bit younger, but with Malik and me it was a great fit. He helped me a lot and was just a great guy on and off the court. It was the same with Taurean. We also bonded very well. When we got on the court our relationship was great and we knew what it took to help push each other win games. Those two guys were unbelievable teammates and vets. 

In your first two years at the University Of Texas you had some amazing future NBA guards as teammates with Avery Bradley, Cory Joseph and Dexter Pittman. Which one of these players had the most influence on your game?

Al those guys were with me in college for one year. I had good relations wit all of them. If I had to choose, I would say Avery Bradley and Corey Joseph. They were both the same for me. We were all guards and shared a lot of time together competing one on one and helping each other get better.

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

No comment on that one

Who was the toughest player that you battled in the NCAA that then reached the NBA?

I can’t even think back that long. The NCAA had some great players back then. The toughest player that I ran across basketball wise was Draymond Green. He brought so much to the game. He did so much for Michigan State when we battled them. It was tough both times and Draymond just pushed to the next level. At that time I was scoring the ball, but when he guarded you, he made you think basketball more and not always having it be being about talent.

What was the last movie that you saw?

Bad Boys 2

Thanks J’Covan for the chat.

Joe Asberry is an American ex professional basketball player that really has seen it all from crime to drugs, but also playing against legends like Gary Payton, Jason Kidd and Brian Shaw being teammates with German legendary player Christian Welp and had a 11 year professional career that saw him toil around in the minor leagues of Germany, but he belonged to the best in his day at that level. Since retiring from the game, he has been a spokes person for young kids and drug prevention, guest speaker, worked in the Alba Berlin organization, been a master of ceremonies for UBC Hannover and been a mentor for young Americans coming overseas trying to live the dream of being a professional basketball player.He spoke to germanhoops.com about his memories of Kobe Bryant. 

Where were you and how did you find about the death of Kobe Bryant?

I was in the gym pumping iron when one of the moms from my u18 team sent me a message and told me that Kobe had passed away

When I heard about it, I thought it was a hoax. What were your first thoughts when you heard about it? 

My first thought was well,we lost another balla to the grim reaper. My best friend died not to long ago,Marzel Price,so I thought they’re playing horse together in Hoop heaven. And I know Zell was talking trash and saying,”Let’s play 1 on 1 Kobe

How much of your day the day after did you take informing yourself about his death and watching videos?

The only video I watched was the one from the news where the eye witness discussed hearing the Copter crash

Can you remember about when you first knew about Kobe Bryant and what was your first impression of him as a kid? 

I had heard all about Kobe when he was in high school,and watched him play in the Mcdonalds All American Game and I thought he was maybe a bit over hyped. Steven Jackson was the MVP of that game I thought. But I would later meet Kobe when he was a rookie. He was a judge at a dunk contest I was in. I took 2nd place. That high flyer Mike Hairston beat me. I missed a dunk and he didn’t miss any. We both talked to Kobe and he was a humble down to earth dude. I liked him. He told both of us we had NBA type of bounce so that compliment from a stud like him I’ll take to my grave when the grim reaper comes for me. I ‘ll beat his ass in horse too in hoop heaven. I don’t want any parts of him 1 on 1,I’ll let Zell handle that for me LOL!

How did your love for Kobe Bryant develop over time as were winding down your professional career in Europe. How do you remember following his career 

My love for Kobe flew over the top in the 1998 All Star game. Most players at that time were TOO afraid of Michael Jordan. I couldn’t understand how pro athlete’s had become male groupy’s.That’s why I loved Kobe. He went right at the basketball God and tried to snatch up the King’s Throne

Kobe Bryant was for so many the greatest ever. What did you appreciate most about his game? 

I appreciated the most about Kobe’s game was his dunks in traffic. I am older then Kobe so on the playgrounds I wanted to be Michael Asberry,Dominique Wilkens,and Magic Johnson.

Kobe Bryant had so many amazing games like his 81 points and countless other games where it was lights out as well as winning 5 titles. What is your fondest memory of him of what he did on the court? 

My fondest memory was the game when he dropped 81. It was like me playing 2k with him on Rookie, but this was real life in the best league in the WORLD! I’ve lost many loved ones to gun violence, so for me death has become normal. I’m not sad from it anymore, but I just celebrate the joys of life I’ve had with people. The basketball world will never get over this. What hurt me to be honest was the fact that his daughter died as well .I can’t rap my head around that. I’ve met cold blooded gangsters who are still here and that beautiful little girl is gone. So I’ve had a hard time dealing with that, it has tested my faith. So I just visualize her shooting 3’s in hoop heaven and my guy Zell rebounding for her and telling her how pretty she is and how much of a beautiful woman she is going be when she grows up hooping in her high heels! RIP to all of the people who lost their lives in that Copter that day too. Let’s not forget that not only the great balla passed, so did other good people including Gigi’s little team mate, Just too sad Miles.

When you look back in 20 years on the career of Kobe Bryant how will you remember his legacy best? 

I will remember his legacy best with what I loved the most about him that MAMBA Mentality. That cocky arrogant 18 year old who told EVERYBODY I can give ANYBODY in the world buckets. I love that. I didn’t have his skill set, but in my time I thought I could dunk on any man alive. If I got that bunny hop,your ass was DONE!

One of my last questions in my standard interviews is what is your opinion of the neverending debate of who is the greatest of all-time Michael Jordan or Lebron James. Often players remind me that I left out Kobe Bryant.I have been thinking about this a lot How worthy is a Kobe Bryant to be seen as the greatest of all-time?

I still think that Michael Jordan is the best player of all time. He made it global. Without Michael Jordan,”Jumping” Joe Asberry doesn’t get paid to hoop overseas. As the clock ticks, Lebron James will be the best player of all time, because he loves to pass and is a better overall player then Jordan and Kobe. The best scorer of all time and killer is hands down Kobe Bryant. The man dropped 60 in his last game and had plenty left in the tank. All my opinion though LOL!

My last question isn’t what is the last movie you saw, but what video of Kobe Bryant will you take a look again when you have some time to look back at his great career?

The video of that last game when he played vs Jordan when Jordan played for the Wizards. At that moment Mike knew it was time to pass the torch. Kobe scorched him and everybody else that got in his way! Thank you so much for the interview Miles. I appreciate you my guy,you’re the “Marv Albert” and best to do hoops here in Germany You’re in my ghetto Hall of Fame! LOL!

Thanks Joe for sharing your memories of Kobe Bryant.

The Fraport Skyliners season continues to move on and people are still wondering when it will finally start as it has been 5 months to forget. It is March 1st, and the team is now heading into the stretch run and instead of fighting for a playoff spot, is battling not to get lost in the shuffle near the end of the standings. Currently the 2004 BBL champion is in 14^th place with a miserable 5-14 record and have only two wins more than the last two teams Hamburg and MBC. Lucky for Frankfurt that only one team moves down. Just like in December 2019, the club had many weeks of rest as the schedule didn´t have a game on the program for them. The rest and extra practice did them good, because the next opponent MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg would be no cake walk. They have been one of the hottest teams this season. On account of not reaching the playoffs last season, only have been playing once a week in the BBL and have been able to curb all their focus and energy on the BBL play. Ludwigsburg came to Frankfurt in second place sporting a 14-4 record. They played their best basketball at the beginning winning 9 of 10 games and since then have had a 5-3 record, but are always dangerous as they were able to defeat top teams FC Bayern Munich and Alba Berlin. But The Fraport Skyliners didn´t come to play as they performed one of their worst games in years at home getting crushed by the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 79-54. At times they didn´t look like an easyCredit BBL team and probably would have had problems beating average Pro A teams on this afternoon. They couldn´t buy shots even if they were 75% off, had a free throw phobia, couldn´t secure easy offensive rebounds and just made dumb mistakes one after the other. After the poor showing a shattered Shaquille Hines reflected about the new season low point. “We try to follow the game plan and try to be perfect. But that just doesn´t happen for us in the game. We have to forget about trying to be perfect and just go out and play. We couldn´t get our pick and roll to work and they attacked us the whole game. We played an ok defensive game, but we also have to play good offense. We have to know how to read and react and make plays. We didn´t do that. We got no easy baskets, no transition baskets, missed too many free throws, and missed open shots despite having good weeks of practice and beating Bayreuth in a test game”, stressed ex Braunschweig forward Shaquille Hines.  The MHP Resen Ludwigsburg didn´t play their best, but their defense was spot on. “We relied on our defense. We wore them down with our aggressive style. We did a good job with our pick and roll defense and getting offensive rebounds was big in helping us open up our lead”, stressed ex MLP Academics guard Jaleen Smith.

                4540 fans turned out in the Fraport arena to witness if the Fraport Skyliners had improved any over the last weeks of game free time, but instead saw them get out on the wrong side of the bed as the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg hurried out on a swift 7-0 lead. The guests did damage in the near distance area as ex Seton Hall(NCAA) standout Kadeen Carrington hit a real tough contested shot over Joe Rahon, ex Fraport Skyliner Jonas Wolfahrt-Bottermann made a reverse lay up and ex Iowa State(NCAA) stand out Nick Weiler-Babb also scored in the paint. The Fraport Skyliners finally became awake as they used their inside presence of Leon Kratzer to make back to back baskets to cut the Ludwigsburg lead down to 7-4. After a Weiler-Babb dunk, the Fraport Skyliners were able to execute getting a trey from Hines and a lay in from ex Ludwigsburg guard Lamont Jones to dead lock the contest at 9-9. Despite the solid start by the guests, in between they would delve into one on one play instead of keeping their team basketball going. The first quarter stood for runs and inconsistency from both teams. The MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg recovered from the Frankfurt 5-0 run to unleash their own run of 6-0 as Marcos Knight who looks like a power forward in a guards body drove through the lane and scored and then hit a trey for the 15-9 advantage. The late signing of Knight could prove to be the difference come playoff time. The first quarter didn´t elapse with that run, but the Fraport Skyliners ended the first 10 minutes with a timely 4-0 run as ex Michigan State guard Matt Mcquaid nailed a jumper after getting a fine ball reversal pass from Jones from the another wing and Jones also made a pull up jumper as the guests led 15-13. “No team was able to find a steady rhythm. Frankfurt really had many open looks, but couldn´t hit. Kratzerr is still recovering from his long injury and was tired after a few minutes when he was on the floor”, stressed TV Lich guard Jermale Jones.

                The Fraport Skyliners really struggled in the second quarter amassing only 8 points, but the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg couldn´t really take advantage of it as their offense was ok, but not great. The Fraport Skyliners suffered another very poor start in the second quarter as they were stopped on their first 5 possessions allowing the guests to go on a 5-0 run to extend their led to 20-13. The run was started by a pretty alley-oop feed from Knight to Weiler-Babb who finished with a nice dunk and then ex New Hampshire(NCAA) guard Jaleen Smith scored from way long range with a trey as Ludwigsburg led 20-13. Smith finished with 9 points and 6 rebounds and has made a fine transition from the Pro A to the easyCredit BBL this season. “My role is to be a defender and hit the open shot. This wasn´t one of my best games”, stressed Jaleen Smith after his 2/9 shooting day. The Fraport Skyliners finally escaped their offensive funk and in ability to execute on offense as Shaquille Hines was sparked by a huge defensive block and scooted up the court and drilled home a transition trey. This led to a 7-0 run as Frankfurt tied the game again as Jones made a lay in and Kratzer a tip in. Frankfurt had little fortune from outside so had to bang the ball inside more. The MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg didn´t always have luck with running their plays and finishing like a team, so they often resorted to 1-1 on play that didn´t always work. So many mental lapses and defensive break downs plagued the Fraport Skyliners the whole game. Instead of living on the momentum of a 7-0 run, they allowed the guests to close out the second half with a lethal 13-1 run to go into the break with the overwhelming 33-21 advantage.  The run was began by a Carrington trey and followed by hard one handed dunk by Marcos Knight. Knight has such a strong body that one wouldn´t necessarily think that he had speed. “I played against him years ago. He has very good speed for his size. He has done  a good job working on his game and developing. That helped him move up to the BBL from the Pro B”;added Alabama native Jermale Jones. What really put a dagger to Frankfurt´s throat in this run were the back to back three´s from Weiler-Babb at the end. “When Ludwigsburg´s plays weren´t working, they went to their 1-1 play. Many of Frankfurt´s three´s were short which is a sign for tired legs. Frankfurt was defending well, but just couldn´t hit shots”, stressed Jermale Jones. The MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg shot 42% form the field and 36% from outside and had 25 rebounds and 8 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 24% from the field and 11% from outside and had 23 rebounds and 5 turnovers.

                In the third quarter the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg continued to execute well while being able to keep their double digit lead. Frankfurt continued to have ups and downs and were staring at a huge deficit. The Fraport Skyliners actually had a good start in the third quarter which has been a problem this season making three consecutive stops and getting a Hines lay in and Kratzer free throw to cut the guests lead to 33-24. After a Knight lay in, Lamont Jones countered with a runner to cut the Ludwigsburg advantage to 35-26. The MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg had some big plays on the defensive end with Weiler-Babb and Knight blocks which led to a Knight trey and 39-27 lead. The guests got good energy from ex Team Ehingen American Tanner Leissner who made a few free throws and also was very aggressive on the offensive glass which led to 8 points and 9 rebounds in only 17 minutes. Hines continued to be active on the offensive end as was Kratzer getting buckets, but Ludwigsburg still led 47-34. Frankfurt was playing good defense on the team, but couldn´t slow down their 1-1 play. The MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg closed out the third quarter with a vital 6-2 run to keep a healthy distance from Frankfurt leading 53-36. In the run Frankfurt got free throws from ex Alba Brlrin guard Akeem Vargas and the guests got another high energy play from Knight with a hard one handed dunk and Carrington added a late trey. “We took advantage of Frankfurt´s mistakes and pushed the ball ahead. We got more transition baskets which opened up the game for us”, added Jaleen Smith. “You can see it on many of the guys faces that they aren´t having fun. We have had good and fun practices, but the games are different. We prepare so much, but can´t make adjustments. We lose the ability to play our game. We continued to defend well, but just couldn´t hit anything”, added Shaquille Hines.

                In the fourth quarter the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg made another step in their game upping their offense and execution rate while the Fraport Skyliners found some offensive consistency late in the game, but couldn´t get over the hump allowing the guests to score 26 points. Jones got Frankfurt on the board first in the fourth quarter, but the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg had seen enough and then annoyingly slammed the door shut on the Fraport Skyliners with a rude 14-1 run to extend their lead to 67-39. In the run, the guests got a couple of trey´s from Knight and Carrington while Leissner continued to be active on the offensive glass hauling down more rebounds and getting 4 points. At the 6,47 minute mark, Fraport Skyliner legend Quantez Robertson got his first point of the game with a free throw. He would end the day with 1 point, 5 rebounds and 5 assists on 0/7 shooting from the field.  17 year old 2017 JBBL finalist Len Schoormann broke the run with a three pointer to cut the Ludwigsburg lead to 67-42. Frankfurt then executed better on offense, but the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg had already done the most damage. Hines scored 5 points, Jones hit a runner and Mcquaid nailed a trey, but Frankfurt couldn´t get consistent stops as they still trailed 75-52. Little used young German Aaron Kayser made a pretty left handed lay in and the guests closed out the game with Konstantin Konga and Hans Brase free throws. “We played good defense for 35 minutes. They picked up their offense at the end. It wasn´t a pretty game, but we won the dog fight”, warned Jaleen Smith. “We finally got some good looks and made shots. We couldn´t get easy baskets and didn´t find Kratzer on the pick and roll. They did a good job closing in on our pick and roll. I can´t take anything positive out of our game. We had no energy. Even Tez wasn´t Tez today”, added Shaquille Hines. The MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg were led by Marcos Knight with 20 points. Nick Weiler-Babb added 14 points and Khadeen Carrington produced 12 points while the Fraport Skyliners were led by Shaquille Hines with 16 points and Lamont Jones added 15 points. The MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg shot 40% from the field and 295 from outside and had 46 rebounds and 11 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 34% from the field and 19% from outside and had 38 rebounds and 14 turnovers.