Sean Lloyd is a 22 year old 196cm guard/forward from Philadelphia that will be starting his professional career in Germany with Pro A team wiha Panthers. He got valuable early experience at schools The Haverford School, Imhotep Charter High School and Mt. Zion Prep School. He then had a stellar career at Southern Illinois playing a total of 106 games. In his junior season he played 31 games averaging 11.9ppg, 5.0rpg, 2.0apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 50.7%, 3PT: 35.7%, FT: 73.1% and in his senior year he played 32 games averaging 10.9ppg, 4.3rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 50.6%, 3PT: 38.7%, FT: 71.7%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after signing with the wiha Panthers. 

Sean thanks for talking to germanhoops.com Where are you at the moment an dhow has your summer been?

I am currently at home, but I will be returning to school early June to workout. My summer has been going great

I have the fortune to have your uncle Lewis Lloyd’s autograph. How often do you come upon somebody telling you that they have his autograph?

I have had a few people tell me they had my uncles autograph because the both of our colleges were in the same conference

What kind of relationship have you been fortunate to have with Lewis Lloyd and how influential has he been on your career?


Me and my uncle have a good relationship. He talks to me sometimes but the biggest influence on my career has been my father, he breaks down my games and tells me my flaws.

Congrats on signing with German Pro A team wiha Panthers. You signed very early into the off season. How did you experience your first transfer period. Did you have a good share of offers or was the Panthers the only one you had?

I had other offers but playing I wanted to play with a winning organization and the Panthers have been winning.

What was the deciding factor that made you decide to go to Germany? Head coach Alen Velcic is really high on your abilities.

The deciding factor was that I believe in coach Velcic and how he plans to use me as a player.

What do you know in general about the country and Germany. Did you know that some of former S Illinois players like Jermaine Dearman (Trier), Jamaal Tatum (Duesseldorf), Darren Brooks (BG Goettingen) and Josh Bone (Gotha 2) have played in Germany. Did you talk with any of them or get advice and information from others about Germany?

The only thing I know about Germany is the stuff I looked up on the internet, things like it’s a good country and people there speak English so that will make the transition easier. I have not talked to the former players that went to SIU, I don’t know them personally.

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 196cm guard/forward that can shoot very well and is a good defender. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?

I try to model my game after 2 guards in the NBA such as Victor Oladipo and Dion Waiters. Those 2 players I study the most.

You’re a player that can shoot very well, but a thing that stands out is your work ethic. How vital was adding more time in working at your game for 12 months a year. Was there something that sparked you to want to work harder or have you always had a very healthy work ethic?

My work ethic came from just being overlooked at times, I feel like I am a way better player than what I get credited for so that gave me motivation just to stay in the gym and keep getting better.

Head coach Alen Velcic is very excited about your attitude on the defensive end and your nerves of steal. Even if you are a very versatile offensive player, do you feel like you could become a defensive game changer at the professional level?

I think I can change the game on defense because I take pride on playing defense, defense is easy to me because I love to compete.

You’re a player that can fill the stat sheet with ease, but what do you feel has been a hidden strength in your game that doesn’t always get noticed?

A hidden strength that doesn’t always get noticed is my post up game, I’m very good in the mid post to low block area when I have a smaller defender on me.

How does a normal summer work out day look like for you? On what things will you be working on most this off season so you come to Germany in August ready to start your rookie season prepared?

Most summer days I’m working to improve my ball handling abilities and I just get up a ton of shots. Also working on making 3s off the dribble.

It isn’t always the coaches that are most influential for a player, but you credit former teammates like Mike Rodriguez and Anthony Beane as being crucial in your development at S Illinois. How did each guy help you best in becoming the player that you are today?

Mike and Anthony just pushed me to go hard, I played behind Anthony my freshman year and I had seen how hard he worked for everything he got and I wanted that. There has been countless nights when Mike forced me to go to the gym with him going into my sophomore year and that’s what made me a gym rat.

As a junior you scored 21 points in an exciting 81-80 victory against Missouri State. What memories do you have of that game and does it belong to one of your best game in school?

That game against Missouri state my junior was a fun game to be a part of, especially since 20 of my points came from the 2nd half and in overtime. That is definitely one of my better games in a SIU jersey.

How tough was it facing off against powerhouse Kentucky in the first game as a senior. You lost 71-59 and had 6 points. What memories do you have of that game and with so many talented Wild Cats on the court who will probably go to the NBA down the road, which guy looked the best to you and could be a good NBA player down the road?

Memories I have against playing against Kentucky was playing in Rupp arena, it was a great experience. I feel like we could have won if it weren’t for the refs lol. But the best player who will have a good NBA career is Tyler Hero because he’s a good scorer.

You were teammates with Kavion Pippen who has that famous name. Did he tell any stories about Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen?

Kavion is the nephew of Scottie and his relationship with his uncle wasn’t super tight so I really don’t remember him telling us any stories

How did head coach Barry Hinson groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

Coach Hinson taught me how to talk to the media and how to address people

Who won a one on one in practice you or Armon Fletcher?

Me and Armon played so many one on ones, it really depended who had the hotter hand that day, but I think I’m still up a few games.

You played at quite a few high schools like The Haverford School Imhotep Charter High School and Mt. Zion Prep School. How important was it for you getting that total high school experience. What kind of player were you already coming into S Indiana having seen so many different coaches and schools?

Coming into Southern Illinois I was prepared for the hard practices because I went to so many schools and all the schools had hard practices. By going to so many different schools I learned how to adapt to my teammates fast and learn their strengths and weaknesses and how to be a good teammate.

Please name your personal NBA Rushmore. Please pick 4 NBA heads that you feel make the perfect NBA Rushmore.

My Mount Rushmore of NBA players would be LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal

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

I think the greatest of all time is Lebron James, he’s been my favorite player since I seen him play in Philly when I was a child.

What was the last movie that you saw?

The last movie I saw was the intruder.

Thanks Sean for the chat.

Reed Timmer is a 23 year old 185cm guard from Wisconsin that completed his rookie season with Pro A team Tigers Tuebingen averaging 18,5ppg, 3,4rpg and 3,1apg while shooting 45,8% from outside. He had a stellar four year career at Drake where he left the school as it’s all-time leading scorer passing an ex Tuebingen player Josh Young. In his senior year at Drake, he played 32 games averaging19.3ppg, 3.5rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 48.4%, 3PT: 41.1%, FT: 87.9%. He spoke to germanhoops.com at the end of his rookie season.

Reed thanks for talking to germanhoops.com Where are you at the moment and what will be the first restaurant that you will visit when you get off the plane when you get home?

Thanks for taking the time to talk me I appreciate it! At the moment I am still in Germany and will be going back to the states on April 10th. The first restaurant I will go to when I get off the plane will either be Culver’s or Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Has the NCAA Madness taken your mind off not reaching the playoffs with the Tigers Tuebingen?

Not really, it was tough to come so close to making the playoffs and falling short, but at the end of the day I am going to use it as a learning point and grow from it in the future.

The club wanted to get back to the easyCredit BBL. How did you experience this season in Tuebingen with the team and fans? Is the disappointment high that the BBL won’t be back next season for the team? 

The club, team and fans were really great to me. I enjoyed playing in this city in front of their fans and it gave me great experience for my career. The club definitely wanted to get back to the BBL this year but I think they learned a lot this year about how to make that happen in the upcoming years. 

One can say it was a tale of two seasons for the Tigers Tuebingen. In 2018 things didn’t go well, but with the arrival of Georg Kampf in mid January the team was reborn. What was your summary of the season of Tuebingen? 

When Georg came in for the second half of the season, our team really pulled together and got things rolling. It took us a while to learn how to play together with all new players on the team. We definitely had a lot of ups and downs in the season and we ended up coming one game short of the playoffs. Overall I thought it was a positive experience for me personally and glad my first season as a pro was in Tuebingen. 

Before Georg Kampf came on board the club had a disappointing record of 7-11. What do you feel were the main reasons then for the club not being able to have more success? 

We had all new players so I think it took us some time to get used to playing to everyone’s strengths. Frustration was high, but we were doing everything we could to try and turn it around.

Ex head coach Aleksandar Nadjfeji was a legend in the BBL as a player and had had coaching experience as an assistant. Last season he had misfortune of not keeping Tuebingen in the BBL and this season he was let go. Is he one of those classic examples of a guy that is simply better suited to be an assistant than a head coach? 

With this being my first season as a pro, its difficult for me to compare and say whether or not he is better suited for a certain job. I though Sasa was a great guy and I always respected his coaching skills as he helped me in many ways. I wish him nothing but the best in the future whether that be in a head coaching position or an assistant position. 

Head coach Georg Kampf is one of those coaches that is very hard nosed, won’t take crap from anyone and has his own way of getting his message across. How vital was his presence for the turnaround of the team? 

His hard nosed style I think was huge for our team in turning the season around. Everyone respected his strategy and played hard for him and it ended up being a favorable season once he took over. 

What do you feel changed with the arrival of Georg Kampf? The team defended better, but also had games where they gave up many points and the offense seemed to score more. 

He changed our offense and defense in little ways that I think helped us. Encouraged us to score as much as we could and playing ball screens differently on defense helped us. 

Do you feel like if Georg Kampf had been brought in a month earlier that you would have made the playoffs or did the late season loses against PS Karlsruhe and the Artland Dragons cost you the season.

Its hard to tell whether or not we would’ve made the playoffs if he came in earlier. So I don’t know exactly what would have happened or if it would have been better. 

Obviously the Tigers Tuebingen want to get back to the BBL as soon as possible. Despite not having been able to accomplish it this season, what positives did the season bring the organization?

I think the organization showed resilience in the face of adversity and showed that they will never give up no matter the circumstances. That is something that I have a lot of respect for. 

Let’s talk about your teammates. What did you appreciate most from American Elijah Allen? Was he a guy that gave you not only tips on the court, but also about the German culture? 

My teammates were awesome in making me feel comfortable in my first season overseas. He was great both on and off the court with giving me tips and tricks to enjoying my time over here. I can’t thank him enough for that. 

Even if the team didn’t make the playoffs, how did the young guys profit most from 30 year old veteran Tyler Laser? What player do you feel gained the most from his presence? 

Tyler helped me a lot too. He helped me develop good habits and pushed me every day in practice to get better. I feel like I honestly gained the most from his presence this year. 

German Besnik Bekteshi has been around for ages, but is only 26 years old. How did his game develop further and is he still a guy that could make more of an impact in the BBL down the road?

Besnik is a great guy and a great player. He never makes the wrong decision and defends hard. He found his role on our team and did it very well game in and game out. 

German Enosh Wolf had a very strong season. One could say his break out season as a professional. How did you see the NCAA champion develop further this season and is he a late bloomer and still talented enough for another BBL run? 

He really showed to everyone this season that he can play at a very high level consistently. I think our team’s style of play helped his game a lot and it showed. I think he can definitely play and make an impact on the BBL level. 

How raw is Nemanja Nadjfeji? You saw him play every day. Did the absence of his father affect him or is he still on a good way as he continues to develop as a player? 

Nemanja is a really talented young player. He works hard every day and I think the absence of his father affected him a little bit, but he handled it really well overall. I think he will continue to get better year after year and he has a lot of potential.

Let’s talk about your game. You had a very good rookie season in Germany averaging 18,4ppg, 3,4rpg and 3,2apg and shot 45% from outside. How content were you with your season? 

I was very pleased with how I played personally this year. I managed to become more and more consistent as the season went on and I was happy with my percentages. I am never content however, I always want to get better and improve year after year. 

What was the toughest adjustment for you on the court coming from the NCAA in the Pro A? 

The adjustments I had to make were adapting to the strength of the pro players, speed of the game with the shorter shot clock, and knowing where my spots are to score and how to get them game in and game out.

In our first interview last summer, you stated this about your game. ‘It definitely took me some time to be able to find the balance between being aggressive but doing it under control and being able to make the right decision. The more I play and get experience the easier it becomes’. What kind of further step were you able to make as a rookie with the balance between being aggressive and making the right decisions? 

Just playing more games at a high level helped me recognize what decisions to make and the more I play and get experience the more I will improve. 

In our last interview you stated ‘Passion and competitiveness are huge parts of who I am’. How tough was your rookie season in terms of not always having success? How were you able to stay positive and focused best? 

I have always been a guy that never gets too high or too low. I went though some tough seasons in college so that definitely helped, and I just had to remind myself to continue to put the work in and everything will balance out in the end. 

What was your personal favorite game experience as a rookie? Possibly the 23/5/10 stat line in the win against the Artland Dragons? 

That game was definitely fun, I would either say that game or my first game at home as a pro when I scored 33 points and our team won.

Who was the toughest player that you battled against in the Pro A in your rookie season? 

The toughest player that I battled against is tough to say. A few guys that come to mind are Tevonn Walker and Sharon Ely.

What is the next step for you? I’m sure you will get good offers from Pro A playoff teams and possibly some BBL teams. Would Germany be a big option on your list or could you imagine taking on a new challenge and culture in another country?

I am not sure exactly what is next to me. I am looking forward to seeing what opportunities come in the next few months. I enjoyed my time in Germany and wouldn’t be opposed to playing in Germany again, but I have a completely open mind going into this off season regarding where I will go next. 

You have a long summer ahead of you. On what things will you be working on most in the basketball lab as you get ready for that next opportunity?

I want to continue to work on my shot both from 3 and the mid range, getting quicker and stronger as well as trying to play against /workout with other pros to learn from them. 

Please name your five all-time best teammates in college and pro’s 

Five of my best teammates in college and the pros are Enosch Wolf, CJ Rivers, Graham Woodward, Casey Schlatter and Aaron Brennan.

It’s still so early, but when all is said and done could Luka Doncic be one of the greatest Europeans that ever played in the NBA? 

I think he definitely has the talent to do so. Only time will tell but I am looking forward to watching his career and seeing what he can do. 

What was your reaction when you heard that Lebron James named himself the greatest of all-time? 

The greatest of all time debate will always be a changing one. I think if I was him I would say the same thing.

Charles Barkley recently proclaimed that Tom Brady Is more of a GOAT than Michael Jordan. Do you share his opinion? 

I think Michael Jordan is more of a GOAT than Tom Brady

Tom Brady won sixth Super Bowl. Where will he be if he wins a seventh next season? 

His legacy is unmatched already so any other super bowls that he wins will further cement in his hall of fame career. 

What was the last movie that you saw?

The last movie I saw was Bohemian Rhapsody

Thanks Reed for the chat.

Kyle Hines is a 32 year old 198cm power forward from Sicklerville, New Jersey that is playing his sixth season with CSKA Moscow. He is a powerful player who loves to attack the basket. Has a good 1-vs-1 game and likes to go inside. He is undersized to play the power forward, but his great wingspan (7-1) allows him to guard taller players and to intimidate. He’s also a great leaper and reads the opponent’s game well. He played at NC-Greensboro (NCAA) from 2004-2008. In his senior year, he played 31 games: 19.2ppg, 9.1rpg, 1.4apg, 1.8spg, 3.1bpg, FGP: 55.6%, 3Pts: 12.5%, FT: 62.8%. He was invited to play at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (Pre-NBA Draft): 3 games: 17.3ppg, 7.3rpg, 1.3apg, 2.3spg, 3.3bpg, FGP: 78.6%, FT: 72.7%. He then had pre draft workouts with Sacramento Kings and the Charlotte Bobcats (NBA). In 2009, he took part in the Orlando Pro Summer League (Oklahoma City Thunder). In 2009-2010, he stayed in Italy with Prima Veroli (Italy-Lega2) playing 40 games averaging 18.5ppg, 8.1rpg, Steals-2 (3.5spg), Blocks-4 (1.6bpg), FGP-3 (64.0%), 3PT: 18.8%, FT: 57.8%. He played NBA Summer League in Las Vegas (New Orleans Hornets) in the summer of 2010.In 2010-2011 he played for the Brose Baskets Bamberg (Germany-1.Bundesliga) playing 10 Euroleague games averaging 12.9ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.1bpg, FGP: 64.3%, FT: 46.7%; and in the German League played 46 games averaging 10.4ppg, 4.6rpg, Blocks-3 (1.2bpg), FGP-3 (61.1%), 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 52.4%. He won the double with Bamberg. He played for Olympiacos S.F.P. Pireus (Greece-A1) from 2011-2013 winning two Euroleague titles. germanhoops.com got an exclusive interview which was the sites 16th with him dating back to his days in Bamberg in 2010-2011. 

Head Coach Dimitris Itoudis and Kyle Hines after winning the 2019 Euroleague title

Kyle thanks for talking to germanhoops.com Before we start with the amazing 2019 Euroleague title, I have to ask you about a player you faced off against last week in the VTB game against Zenit. I know you have seen thousands of players in your career, but can at times a player that scored only 0 points make an impression on you? You faced off against Canadian sniper Philipp Scrubb a number of times this season. What memories will you have of him?

He is a talented player. He is a main reason why Zenit has been successful this season. He played very well against us the other times we played. He isn’t only a good scorer, but a great all around player. He does so much on the court that doesn’t translate to what you see on the stat sheet. He will continue to be a key player in the playoffs for them

Congrats on winning your fourth Euroleague. How good does it feel winning it again after doing it last in 2016?

It feels incredible to have won 4 titles. It just feels unreal. It’s already difficult to win just one, but to imagine winning 4 is hard. I still haven’t fully grasped this win. It has been an amazing journey. 

I am sure you got many many messages after the win. Did you get any special message from your ex coach Chris Fleming or was it just the normal blab la that one gets after a title like ‘great job Kyle or congrats Kyle?

I got a lot of different messages. I got a lot of messages from people from Bamberg. Tibor Pleiss also messaged me congratulating me on the win. Casey Jacobsen and his wife messaged me as did John Goldsberry. Chris Fleming didn’t directly message me, but one of his close friends on the Brooklyn Nets staff told me that Chris was really happy for me.

You last won the Euroleague with CSKA Moscow in 2016. How was this title different for you from the first one that you won with CSKA?

This one was different because we came in as underdogs. This Final 4 wasn’t an easy one for us. People doubted us or criticized us. Reporters were calling us too soft and didn’t think that we could come this far. Being able to win this title against Real Madrid is a huge achievement after our disappointing loss to them last year. This title showed just how much character we have and the type of players that we have. We showed that we could fight through adversary and be successful.

You have won so many titles in your career especially with CSKA. What did you enjoy most about the post game celebrations this time? I believe there were tears this time. 

Yes there were a lot of tears for this win. The thing I enjoyed most about this title was being able to celebrate with my family. This was the first time that I was able to have my whole family with me. My two kids were born in 2016. To have everyone with me now was great. To be able to share this experience with them made it truly special.

CSKA Moscow won a hard fought semi-final game against Real Madrid. One could say that that was like a final already. How vital was the semi-final win for the the team being able to cope better for the final game against Efes?

I think that being able to beat Real Madrid sparked us to be able to win the final. History has shown that we have had problems in semi-final games. This win over Real Madrid gave us extra confidence and momentum. Beating Real Madrid was huge. We showed so much passion coming back from 15 down and getting the win. We showed just how much character we have and the type of players we have that will do everything to get the win.

Did CSKA Moscow develop a special kind of self confidence and was able to up it’s mentality after getting the come from behind win against Real Madrid?

The win over Real Madrid definitely allowed us to take more weight off our shoulders. We had a difficult game last year where we had a lot of pressure. This year we showed that we could beat the defending champions and that definitely gave us extra self confidence going into the final. 

Real Madrid had the comfortable 73-68 advantage after 30 minutes. How key was the third quarter ending 7-2 run? The CSKA defense did a good job pressuring the Real Madrid guards and forcing some turnovers. 

That run was definitely key. Everybody on the bench kept saying that if we can get them to under 9 points then we will have a chance to win. That run gave us a huge boost. We have had similar games like that in the past like against Baskona and knew if we kept them under double digits that we could win. We knew that we hadn’t played our best basketball yet and it was still to come. We were fortunate that we showed our best basketball when it counted most against Real Madrid. 

How was the team moral after 30 minutes? Did you do anything out of the ordinary concerning your leadership skills?

I just did what I usually do which is keeping everyone positive and keeping the confidence up. I told them that we have been here before and that we could overcome the deficit. We knew going into the fourth quarter that we have been in that situation before and that we hadn’t played our best basketball yet that we still had a chance. It really helps is that we have so much experience on the team and guys that have won so many titles before. Guys have been in this position so often and just know what to do. 

How did head coach Dimitris Itoudis approach the few minutes between the third and fourth quarter. What kind of encouragement and tactical advice did he give the team?

He kept telling us that we hadn’t played our best basketball yet. We had been outhustled by Real Madrid and they had been beating us to the ball. They simply had been doing whatever they wanted with us. He made us realize that we were on the brink. This forced us to make the turnaround.

How vital was the huge offensive spark that Nando De Colo gave the team in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter? Could the game have become out of reach of winning had he not stepped up in a major allstar way?

Nando is our leader. I always tell him that we follow him. When he is at his best then the team is at their best. He was a little in foul trouble early and not playing his best, but then came his turnaround in the fourth and we followed him. His play was so important for us and showed just how important he is when he takes over. We followed his example and he led us to the win. 

How key was it keeping Spanish national player sniper Sergio Lull to 1/10 from outside? Was that one of the biggest key’s for the win?

He is such an explosive player and a guy that can score very much and help his team go on runs at any moment. We knew that we had to slow him down. We just tried to make everything difficult for him and make him have to work hard for everything. The stats showed that we made it hard for him, but it was a team effort. Slowing him down was a big reason for the win.

How proud were you of teammate Corey Higgins who iced valuable free throws at the end to the seal the win? He was one of the few guys that was with you during the2016 Euroleague win. Does an additional title like this cement that brotherhood feeling for life?


Corey was huge for us. We already had that special brotherhood feeling before this win. In my opinion he is one of the most underrated players in Europe. People really don’t give him the full credit for what he truly deserves for all the hard work and effort he puts in at both ends of the court. He has continued to develop each year. He went from being a role player in 2016 to being our best player in 2019. He leads us in many stats and is our most clutch player. 

In the final you beat Efes 91-83. This was a very hard fought victory for CSKA Moscow. They never ever let go and were always on your heels. What was key for getting the win over 40 minutes?

I believe key to getting past Efes was our ability to control the tempo, limiting their possessions and just putting them in difficult situations to score. They have a super balanced team with 8-9 players almost all averaging 10 points per game. We did a good job keeping them under average. We also did a good job putting more pressure on them causing more turnovers. 

Shane Larkin exploded for 59 total points in the 2019 Euroleague final 4. Do you feel like his explosive play and leading Efes into the final is his ticket back to the NBA?

I think that regardless of how he played in the 2019 Euroleague final 4 that he can play there. He has played well in Europe and also in the NBA. He is one of the most talented players in Europe. He has proven that with being able to make plays and lead his team to victories. 

In the big win over Real Madrid, the two stars Nando De Colo and Sergio Rodriguez exploded for 46 points combined, but in the final their combined points were shaved down to less than half at 21 points. What strides did the team character make in this Euroleague Final 4?

Our motto the whole season has been that we can’t depend on just one guy to do everything. We have a roster full of great players and have the deepest roster in Europe. We have that type of roster that when certain guys aren’t scoring then others will take over like a Corey or Will. Our roster was built that way that every guy can step up. 

With 21 seconds to go CSKA Moscow was leading 89-81 until Shane Larkin dropped two free throws. You knew you would win. What were some of your thoughts that were with you as the seconds were evaporating? Did the reflecting on your career go on later in the night?

I am always thinking about what could happen on the next possession. I was fully focused at that point to make sure that nothing could go wrong that might jeopardize our lead. I was most concentrated on holding the lead until the buzzer sounded. I can reflect on my career when I’m done playing.

As always you gave 180% in the minutes you got and had solid numbers at both ends of the court scoring 9 points in the final. How instrumental was your play in your opinion and what do you believe was your biggest asset that you gave the team?

I think my overall leadership and experience was my biggest asset. For me it has never been about the stats, but just to be able to make winning plays and put my team in the best position to win games. I am always focused on trying to help my team win. If that means setting a screen, getting a rebound, loose ball or block, I will do anything to turn the tables and help my team win the game.

You’re the first American ever to win four Euroleague titles. How does that make you feel and how do you feel when you are called a living legend?

I have been very blessed in my career to have been able to play in many Final 4’s and win many titles. I haven’t had time to reflect on my career yet. I’m still worrying about the next game. When the time comes, it will be nice to have a long reflection on my career.

Every Euroleague title has it’s own charm and memory for you, but if you had to rate your four Euroleague titles from 1-4 where would this fourth one be?

This fourth Euroleague title is the sweetest. It is always hard to rank titles, because everyone is difficult. As I get older I cherish every title more. You never know if you will get another opportunity. Being able to celebrate this title with my wife and kids made it so much sweeter. I will remember it my whole life. 

Does a fourth title like this wet your winning Euroleague appetite or have you noticed that the fire will be there and even stronger next season to win another one. 

I’m a competitor at heart. As soon as I finish this season, I will go into the off season and then will think about how we can repeat. I’m never content with just winning that last one. I’m always hungry to compete at the highest level and win. When that hunger is gone, then I know it will be time to hang it up. 

Are you the American Tom Brady of Euroleague basketball? Do you understand a guy like Brady who wants to continue to keep winning more with each new title. Is that continued Euroleague title winning inside you like a Brady?

God willing. I would love to play as long as possible. I will continue to work hard and let things take shape and play until the wheels fall off. Brady is one of the all-time greats in all sports. He is the Mount Rushmore of Football. To be mentioned or compared to him is very special and humbling.

Your head coach Dimitris Itoudis said this about you ‘The reason I have this man to my left [Kyle Hines] is that he’s a living legend. He’s a guy that I not only admire, but I also cannot express my gratitude. The way he treats all this group, united in the locker room when they’ve spent a lot of hours – this man is my left hand, my right hand, my stomach, my heart. He’s a living example. He’s ready to become a coach. He said it: ‘Guys, we’re finished. We’ve got to come over here in that gym and finish the job.’ That’s easy to say, it’s much more difficult to get it done and they did an outstanding job, the effort they put in, all these guys.’ With so many incredible players on the squad, how was a coach like him able to get the best out of each player?

We recognize his passion for the game and know how much he cares for us. He proves that each day. We bring the effort for him each day. We understand what he brings for us and want to bring the same effort for him. We have a very special bond with him and he with us.

How special is your relationship with Dimitris Itoudis? This is your fifth season playing for him. You have played for many coaches in your life, but how vital has he been in your development now as you continue to get older in your thirties?

Coach is very important to me. It has come to the point now that we don’t really have to talk to each other so much anymore. A lot of our communication is non-verbal. He has done a tremendous amount for my career on and off the court. He has done a lot to help me grow as a man as a leader. When I came to CSKA, I didn’t necessarily think that I could be a leader, but he helped me become vocal. 

You teammate Will Clyburn was named 2019 Euroleague MVP. You have spoken highly of him in the past. Could a performance like this put him on the radar of the NBA?

We saw the best of Will at the Euroleague Final 4. One saw the token of his game and he has proven each year that he gets better from every level he was at. I see his work ethic and attention to detail each day. I hope he stays with CSKA for a long time. Any team would be very lucky to have him on their roster. 

The season isn’t over yet as CSKA Moscow is battling for the VTB title which it has won 8 times and you 5 times. How can you follow up a Euroleague title. Will it take the team long to get back down to earth after the win?

The first day after winning we had that title hang over time. We relived the win, but after that we began to focus on the VTB playoffs. We are all professionals and want to defend our title. We know that it is never easy to win a title. We want to take full advantage and win it again. We are all concentrated and know that we have a job to do which is win the next one.

Have you been surprised about the season of the Milwaukee Bucks. They were knocked out by the Toronto Raptors to reach the NBA finals.

Not really. I’m a big Giannis fan. I know how hard he works and know how much he wants to be the greatest. I saw his desire on the court a few years ago

What was the last movie that you saw?

The Gladiator. It is one of the all-time greatest movies.

Thanks Kyle for the chat.

The weekend of May 24-26 was an incredible weekend for FC Bayern Munich in many ways, while for basketball powerhouse Alba Berlin at least in the youth department it was a time to forget and could have been classified as black Saturday. The weekend started off great on Friday as EasyCredit BBL Team FC Bayern Munich woke up in the fourth quarter after receiving a scare in Braunschweig by the pesky Lowen and won game two 84-74 to up their playoff series lead to 2-0 while on Saturday the FC Bayern Munich winning ways continued while for Alba Berlin their U-16 team led by ex German national player Vladi Bogojevic was upset by home team Science City Jena 82-70 where the overall team play and cleverness overwhelmed them and in the U-19 semi-final game they were knocked out by arch-rival FC Bayern Munich 81-76 where they couldn´t handle the ruthless domination by Croatian beast Matej Rudan who exploded for 27 points on 8/16 shooting leading his team back to the final which they handed won since 2017 in Frankfurt. To make matters worst for any anti Munich fans only about 170 kilometers away, FC Bayern Munich were able to celebrate again in another sport football where the soccer department won their 19^th cup and had endless celebrations until the wee hours of the morning. On the basketball JBBL and NBBL final game day FC Bayern Munich went into the two final games motivated, but both teams had to overcome two competitive and focused teams with Science City Jena and TSV Troesster Breitengussbach. In the first final in the JBBL U-16 game, the FC Bayern youths took control in the second half and explosive 36 point performance by German Benjamin Schroder helped them capture the title. While in the NBBL final, FC Bayern Munich met a feisty and strong team basketball orientated club TSV Troester Breitengussbach and pulled out an amazing 84-80 victory thanks to a heavenly explosive dunk by Sasha Grant and the leadership by Bruno Vrcic in crunch-time. After the huge victory, FC Bayern Munich cut down the ropes led by ex Ulm forward Jason George and were overjoyed with a great performance despite having some serious injuries and key players out including their starting point guard. Bruno Vrcic played his last NBBL game and saved his best for last leading his team with 22 points and making key baskets in crunch-time. “This was a hard game to win, but we stepped up as a team. You can´t win these games alone, but come together and we did that. We didn´t defend well in the first half, but did it better in the second half playing smarter. We didn´t play as hectic in the second half. I took control in the second half and we came out with the win”, stressed Bruno Vrcic. TSV TroesterBreitengussbach last won the NBBL title in 2013 and had the roster to do it again, but just couldn´t execute offensively as well as they had in the first half and made crucial defensive mistakes at the end. After the tough loss, top Estonian talent Henry Drell Explained what the difference was. “We played a pretty good game, but our offense collapsed at the end and they had more luck”, stressed Henry Drell.

                The NBBL had a super turnout for the final with 1,500 plus basketball fanatics and witnessed TSV Troester Breitengussbach race out to a quick 6-2 lead. Matej Rudan did get Munich´s first points, but the opponent than displayed their beautiful ball sharing and getting solid support from 17 year old 185cm guard Elias Baggette who played 28 Pro A games for Baunach this season made a lay in, 18 year old 198cm forward Brandon Tischler who had a 6 point 5 rebound effort against Nurnberg made a lay in on transition and 18 year old 195cm forward Moritz Plesscher also scored on transition. TSV Troester Breitengussbach kept the lead continuing to get consistent support from Brandon Tischler and Moritz Plescher as their intensity was something that the FC Bayern Munich defense could slow down. Henry Drell hit a trey, but all in all was kept well under warps by FC Bayern Munich. But FC Bayern Munich kept up and found a replacement for the consistent offensive support that Rudan  gave them in the semi-final but couldn´t in the early going in the name of Jason George. George who sprouts massive athleticism and is the team´s best all around player did a great job on the offensive glass getting three offensive rebounds in a row and got three baskets keeping his team close as 17-14. TSV Troester Breitengussbach did a good job keeping Rudan out of his offensive game and annoyed FC Bayern Munich with their nonstop transition game. FC Bayern Munich had problems getting good shots and couldn´t take advantage of good scoring opportunities. TSV Troester Breitengussbach made a little push in the last few minutes getting some added support from Henry Drell who averaged 13,0ppg in the German Pro A with Baunach last season and got a last second trey from Baggette as TSV Troester Breitengussbach led  25-18 after one quarter. “It was great seeing how well prepared TSV Troester Breitengussbach was. I love how they share the ball and had this great ball movement. FC Bayern Munich played too simple. All I saw was feed the post, find the lifter or the side pick and roll”, stressed ex Dragons Rhondorf assistant coach Max Schwamborn.

                In the second quarter TSV Troester Breitengussbach continued to have the lead continuing to execute with ease on offense, but in the latter half of the quarter FC Bayern Munich made a furious come back to dead lock the game at 41-41 at the break. TSV Troester Breitengussbach started out the second quarter with a bang going on a 5-0 run to extend their lead to 30-20 as they got continued  great offense including a trey from Brandon Tischler, and a lay in from 19 year old 211cm, 103 kilo center Daniel Koppel who played for the Austrian U-18 national team. FC Bayern Munich continued to not be able to execute their offense the way they wanted to, but got continued good production from 2018 Albert Schweitzer winner Jason George who rattled down his fourth offensive rebound and put back in the game. FC Bayern Munich then got a lightening 6-0 run to cut TSV Troester Breitengussbach´s lead to 30-26. In the run, FC Bayern Munich got added production from Jason George as he made a soft floater, a floater from 2017 NBBL winner Bruno Vrcic and a lay in from 17 year old 204cm center Mohamed Sillah from Sierra Leon who has only been playing basketball since one and a half years. TSV Troester Breitengussbach lost some intensity in the run while FC Bayern Munich finally calmed  down and created better offensive scoring opportunities and also took something from TSV Troester Breitengussbach´s play book getting some transition baskets. Then came the big moment of Daniel Koppel who finished with 5 points and three blocks. He made a lay in in down low in traffic and blocked top players Rudan and Kilian Binapfel giving TSV Troester Breitengussbach the 33-26. FC Bayern Munich slowly began making their comeback doing a fine job getting to the free throw line and got a sweet catch and pop jumper from Matej Rudan who recently scored 26 points and grabbed 18 boards against Partizan Belgrad at the 2019 Adidas Next Generation tournament and a runner from Vrcic cutting TSV Troester Breitengussbach´s advantage down to 37-34. TSV Troester Breitengussbach wasn´t defending badly, but FC Bayern Munich made the most of their opportunities even if it meant hitting tough shots. Drell kept some added space between both teams with a lay in extending TSV Troester Breitengussbach´s lead to 39-34. FC Bayern Munich now was riding on their experience of their two captains Vrcic and Binapfel as they scored cutting TSV Troester Breitengussbach´s lead to 39-38. Brandon Tischler then made a key steal and coast to coast sprint and lay in for the 41-38 lead, but Jason George hit a clutch trey in the closing seconds dead locking the contest at 41-41 at half-time. “FC Bayern Munich played more aggressive and did a good job with second chances and Jason George was key for Munich making their come back. TSV Troester Breitengussbach had too many easy misses and free throws”, stressed ex Dragons Rhondorf assistant coach Max Schwamborn.

                In the third quarter FC Bayern Munich really turned the game around and controlled the play on the court, but could never shake TSV Troester Breitengussbach´s away as they stayed on their back door steps. FC Bayern Munich came out strong going on a 4-0 run to extend their lead to 45-41 as they scored in the paint from Jason George and Matej Rudan also flashed his brilliant athleticism getting a bucket. Elias Baggette who has those piercing green eyes and sometimes reminds one of a Steph Curry with his looks, but also with his quickness and style on the court made a pretty basket as he picked his spot in the paint, made a stutter step and then sank the pull up jumper as if it was the easiest thing in the world. This shot temporarily slowed down the FC Bayern Munich run, but the 2017 NBBL champion then struck back again with an annoying 6-0 run to extend their lead to 51-43. Rudan led the run with two buckets as he made a lay in and picture perfect step back jumper almost as pretty as his shot in the semi-final against Alba Berlin. The run was fortified by a Grant runner. TSV Troester Breitengussbach´s was exerting much energy, but still had much left in their tank as they continued to fight back with success. Basketball is a game of runs and TSV Troester Breitengussbach demonstrated that cruising on a 7-3 run to sneak back into the game. In the run, TSV Troester Breitengussbach got valuable support from 17 year old 200cm forward Leon Brcic who has the Croatian/Austrian citizenship and averaged 7,4ppg and 4,6rpg in the NBBL this season leading up to the weekend as he brought severe energy from the bench. The big forward scored two baskets, made a key rebound and gave intensity on the defensive end. Brandon Tischler also hit a runner in the run. TSV Troester Breitengussbach raised their intensity and found other options as FC Bayern Munich keyed in more on Drell taking away his offensive touches. Vrcic continued to take responsibility and take charge on offense scoring twice giving FC Bayern Munich the 57-52 advantage. But TSV Troester Breitengussbach continued to execute and loiter around on FC Bayern Munich´s heels getting free throws from Drell and a clutch three pointer. FC Bayern Munich also were able to keep their lead getting  a huge offensive rebound from Sillah and put back and Grant lay in to lead 61-59. FC Bayern Munich closed out the third quarter with a Vrcic  runner to lead 63-59. “Both team´s were at eye level. It went back and fourth and we were unable to break away”, stressed 2019 NBBL MVP Bruno Vrcic.

                In the fourth quarter TSV Troester Breitengussbach turned the game around again regaining the lead, but FC Bayern Munich never gave up and came back and would turn the game back to their favor. TSV Troester Breitengussbach came out red hot going on a brutal 9-0 run to steal the lead back 68-63. In the run it was Henry “Mr clutch” Drell who scored 7 of the 9 TSV Troester Breitengussbach points and just dominated like no other. He understood that he had to take responsibility and FC Bayern Munich allowed him to. He refrained from displaying his three and scored twice in the paint with penetration and nailed a jumper while Baggette used his superior basketball eye Q scoring over a handicaped Matej Rudan who had to hold back on defense as he had four fouls. Rudan then hit  a free throw, but TSV Troester Breitengussbach struck again with a Plescher three extending TSV Troester Breitengussbach´s lead to 71-64. TSV Troester Breitengussbach was back to being able to play their controlled offense while FC Bayern Munich lost intensity and just couldn´t find back to their strong play of the third quarter. FC Bayern Munich head coach Andreas Wagner who knows about performing under pressure as he has helped teams like Nordlingen and Vechta move from the Pro A to the BBL didn´t show any signs of losing his composure on the sidelines, but stayed calm as crunch-time was approaching. FC Bayern Munich finally got out of their rut and showed again why basketball will always be a game of runs as the turned they game around to their favor going on a key 15-2 run breaking the back of TSV Troester Breitengussbach to lead 79-73. In the run they got crucial support from their captain Bruno Vrcic who upped his intensity scoring two huge baskets. The first basket was also the first field goal for FC Bayern Munich in the fourth quarter at the 5.03 minute mark. His second hoop was probably his most prettiest of the game as he came from the left wing  and made a reverse lay up under 2-3 TSV Troester Breitengussbach players using the glass to his advantage. Rudan also continued to be a vital part of their success hitting a huge trey to tie the game at 73-73. Rudan continued to hold back on defense on account of four fouls and on offense was a spark with his versatile play. “Rudan is such an important player for us. He can play the positions 1-4. He has had problems this season with foul trouble, but he really took responsibility today. I always keep telling him that even if you are in foul trouble just keep your head up and keep playing. He was very controlled in the fourth quarter”, stressed 2019 FC Bayern Munich MVP Bruno Vrcic.

                           Then came the deciding play and most spectacular play of the game. Sasha Grant who was born in Sardenia, Italy and lived four years in Coventry, England showed what true athleticism and basketball power is. The 17 year old 198cm kid hasn´t played basketball for a long time and when you look at his body you wouldn´t wonder why. He has the body of a bull and played rugby and lacrosse in England and came quite late to basketball. He showed his moments during the game on offense and defense, but he kept his absolute best for last. Vrcic had the ball and found a cutting Grant coming from the  right wing and he jumped and flew to the court jamming the ball down with both hands. The dunk will surely be remembered in NBBL circles for centuries. The dunk was great and memorable, but at the same time he also came down hard on a TSV Troester Breitengussbach player. This resulted in a technical handed down to TSV Troester Breitengussbach due to arguing the call  as FC Bayern Munich sunk two free throws for the 77-73 lead. “I was trying to find our center, but he was covered, but then I saw Grant and threw him the ball and he jumped to heaven. That dunk gave me goose bumps”, smiled Bruno Vrcic. Sillah closed out the run with an easy lay in off the perfect lob pass from Vrcic. TSV Troester Breitengussbach totally got away from their offensive game in this phase as they couldn´t cope with the fierce aggressiveness of  FC Bayern Munich while they also were unable to make stops as FC Bayern Munich was playing their best offensive basketball of the game which was fueled by the intensity of Vrcic. TSV Troester Breitengussbach had 1,32 minutes to play and tried a comeback getting free throws from N Tischler and Bulic, but FC Bayern Munich also supplied a basket from Rudan for the 81-77 advantage with 27 seconds to go. Then the game look decided as B Tischler made a bad turnover, but TSV Troester Breitengussbach stayed strong and forced FC Bayern Munich to a turnover getting the ball back. They were rewarded with a huge trey from Moritz Plescher with 3,7 seconds remaining cutting FC Bayern Munich´s lead to 81-80. But the two FC Bayern Munich captains Vrcic and Binapfel closed the door on TSV Troester Breitengussbach for good with free throws securing the 84-80 win and title. Key for the success in the crunch-time was the massive leadership of the two veterans Vrcic and BInapfel. “The difference at the end was our defense and the free throws that we made and they didn´t. We also didn´t allow any easy baskets.  Me and Killian play at a high level and we have so much experience that playing in these situations makes it a lot easier. We are able to see the many options better than others”, stressed Bruno Vrcic. FC Bayern Munich was led by Bruno Vrcic with 22 points while Matej Rudan added 20 points. Jason George contributed 15 points and Killian Binapfel had 13 points. TSV Troester Breitengussbach was led by Henri Drell with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Brandon Tischler added 13 points while Nicholas Tischler and Elias Baggett contributed 11 points a piece. FC Bayern Munich shot 49% form the field and 14% form outside and had 42 rebounds and 17 turnovers while TSV Troester Breitengussbach shot 48% from the field and 41% from outside and had 34 rebounds and 19 turnovers.

Elijah Allen is a 29 year old 195cm swing man from Columbus, Ohio that completed his seventh professional season and first season with the Tigers Tuebingen averaging 8.8ppg, 3,5rpg and 1,2apg. Last season he played with the Kirchheim Knights in the Pro A averaging 9,8ppg, 5,0rpg and 1,6apg. In the 2016-2017 season he helped Gotha move up to the easyCredit BBL averaging 5,7ppg, 2,0rpg and shot 42,3% from outside. He is one of the few guys that has gone from the German Regionaliga to the BBL He played two seasons for Lich and in his last season there played 27 games averaging 13.0ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.9apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 49.5%, 3PT: 36.2%, FT: 69.3%. He started his basketball career at NW Missouri St. (NCAA2) in 2007 where he played until 2011 playing a total of 103 NCAA games and as a senior played 26 games: 14.9ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.1apg, FG: 44.8%, 3Pts: 23.1%, FT: 74.8%. He came to Germany in 2012 and played his first two seasons for the VfB 1900 Giessen Pointers (Germany-Regionalliga) and in the 2013-2014 season played 26 games averaging 20.0ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.3apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 58.7%, 3PT: 30.7%, FT: 68.4%. In the 2014-2015 season for the Licher Basket Baeren he played 28 games: 10.4ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.5apg. He spoke to germanhoops.com after his season in Tuebingen.

Elijah thanks for talking to germanhoops.com Where are you at the moment and what will be the first restaurant that you will visit when you get off the plane when you visit the States this summer?


Hello Miles, Thanks for the interview. I am currently in Lollar, Germany spending time with my family. I am not sure if I will have time to make it back to the states this summer. I am currently working on my business ProgressYourGame.com basketball summer league and trainings.

Has the NCAA Madness taken your mind off not reaching the playoffs with the Tigers Tuebingen?

Not really. I didn’t watch many NCAA games this year.

The club wanted to get back to the easyCredit BBL. How did you experience this season in Tuebingen with the team and fans? Is the disappointment high that the BBL won’t be back next season for the team?

Tubingen as a city and club were awesome. The location of Tubingen was great because there was good shopping and places to visit within a short 30-40 min drive.

One can say it was a tale of two seasons for the Tigers Tuebingen. In 2018 things didn’t go well, but with the arrival of Georg Kampf in mid January the team was reborn. What was your summary of the season of Tuebingen?

We definitely had our ups and downs this season. The league being very even this year did not help things also. Defensively we gave up to many easy baskets the whole season. We started to find a identity with Georg Kampf but came up short in the end.

Before Georg Kampf came on board the club had a disappointing record of 7-11. What do you feel were the main reasons then for the club not being able to have more success?

I personally liked playing for Sascha a lot. We lost to many games that we weren’t supposed to lose. We had many unnecessary losses and bad defensive outings. Sascha deserved a better effort from us players. That’s the tough part about coaching. You can be a good coach but if the players don’t perform when the time counts then ultimately you have a chance of losing your job. Sascha is a good coach and will get another opportunity to prove that. 

Ex head coach Aleksandar Nadjfeji was a legend in the BBL as a player and had had coaching experience as an assistant. Last season he had misfortune of not keeping Tuebingen in the BBL and this season he was let go. Is he one of those classic examples of a guy that is simply better suited to be an assistant than a head coach?

I do not think so at all. Not everything is Sascha’s fault. I wouldn’t judge him on that. At the end of the day it’s the players responsibility to step on the court and do their job. A coach is just there to guide and give motivation along the way. I think he did a good job of that. Just unfortunate the result.

Head coach Georg Kampf is one of those coaches that is very hard nosed, won’t take crap form anyone and has his own way of getting his message across. How vital was his presence for the turnaround of the team?

I think it was good for us. We had some very hard and long trainings. Instead of focusing on details of other teams, we focused more on us and our execution of performing well offensively. This worked for us and helped turn things around.

What do you feel changed with the arrival of Georg Kampf? The team defended better, but also had games where they gave up many points and the offense seemed to score more.

I think us playing big helped changed things a lot. We basically played with two 5 men most of the game. This helped us score inside and control the paint defensively. We did not focus on defense as much as offense. We just wanted to outscore our opponent.

Do you feel like if Georg Kampf had been brought in a month earlier that you would have made the playoffs or did the late season loses against PS Karlsruhe and the Artland Dragons cost you the season.

Maybe it would have but who knows right? The losses to Karlsruhe and Artland were just unnecessary. In control the whole game and then lose the final seconds from errors that we forced.

Obviously, the Tigers Tuebingen want to get back to the BBL as soon as possible. Despite not having been able to accomplish it this season, what positives did the season bring the organization?

As a club I think Tuebingen is a great place to play. The club treats the players great and with much respect. I think the club will have great success in the future. Its great that they have Enosch Wolf coming back. That gives the team a nice big to build the team around. 

Let’s talk about your teammates. American Reed Timmer had a great rookie season. After being his teammate for a season, does he have the talent and if so is he ready for the BBL or is another season in the Pro A or a season in Austria more beneficial for his development?

It was pretty fun playing with Reed. At times it did not feel as if he was rookie at all. He plays extremely confident. As far as development goes, I think a lower BBL team would be a great fit for him. He is the type of player that has a ton of room to grow. I expect him to have a long and successful career.

Even if the team didn’t make the playoffs, how did the young guys profit most from 30 year old veteran Tyler Laser? What player do you feel gained the most from his presence?

Having the opportunity to compete against him every day in practice will only make the young guys better. I think Nemanja learned the most out of everyone. Just the experience enough was good for him.

German Besnik Bekteshi has been around for ages, but is only 26 years old. How did his game develop further and is he still a guy that could make more of an impact in the BBL down the road?

I remember Besnik from when I used to train with the 46ers. I felt we had a comfortable relationship because of it. Besnik really shot the ball well this year. He is a good player who doesn’t make many mistakes. He gives you offense and is a good defender. I will not be surprised to see him back in the BBL.

German Enosh Wolf had a very strong season. One could say his break out season as a professional. How did you see the NCAA champion develop further this season and is he a late bloomer and still talented enough for another BBL run?

I really wasn’t surprised by the type of season Enosch had. He is a good player and is always efficient in the minutes that he plays in. He had a bigger role in Tubingen and could show what he could do. I definetly think he could play BBL. He can shoot and play well around the basket with a soft touch. There is always room for 7 footers that can play!

How raw is Nemanja Nadjfeji? You saw him play every day. Did the absence of his father affect him or is he still on a good way as he continues to develop as a player?

Nemanja will be a good player. He has an old mans game at a young age. He always made plays in practice that showed his talent level. He does some things that just can’t be taught. I think he is on a good way. I think its important he just keeps focusing on getting better. He has a bright future.

Let’s talk about your game. With Tuebingen you averaged 9,0ppg, 3,6rpg and 1,2apg. How content were you with your season?

I feel I can score a bit more with a bigger role offensively. I’m always doing things that don’t particularly show up on the score sheet. I think I showed that I can score and be consistent in the second part of season. Switching from playing position 4 to 3 helped me show that. I think I can do a lot more offensively and defensively playing the 3 position. 

Your scoring average was pretty identical to last season with Kirchheim. Do you feel like you could become that player to average double figures in the Pro A if you were to get more of a central scoring role?

I can score the ball and I’m very confident about that. Averaging double figures is very attainable. I probably could have this year. At times I feel it’s not just about statistics. The last two seasons I played with two very ball dominate guards. Both being in the top in the league in scoring. Scoring many points is all about what situation you are put into. At the end of the day I just want to do what it takes to win.

In our last interview you stated this about your time with Kirchheim. ‘ I think mentally I grew the most. When tough times came I handled it better than I would in the past’. How was it with Tuebingen. Did the experience in Kirchheim help you with the tough times with Tuebingen?

I think it helped a lot. I basically had the identical season as I had last year. Missing playoffs by 1 game both years. Been very tough to deal with after having helped Gotha move up two years ago. 

After shooting over 40% from outside last season with Kirchheim, you shot only 32% this season and took the least three’s since the 2014-2015 season in Lich. Were disappointed with your three accuracy this season?

As a competitor I always think I could have did better. I did not shoot that many 3s this season.

In your last interview you stated that last summer you would do this. ‘I will focus on watching film and trying to learn the game more. It is a never ending process’. How do you feel did you develop as a player further with Tuebingen?

I think it helped me a lot. I see it most on the defensive end. Defensively I felt I made a lot of big plays in key situations.

What was your personal highlight? Possibly your 19 point game in the win against Phoenix Hagen or your 18 point effort in the win over Trier?

I don’t have a game that really sticks out. These games were good but always room for improvement.

Who was the toughest player that you battled this season in the Pro A?

I would have to say Shy Ely. Kid is tough and experienced.

What is the next step for you? Will you remain in Tuebingen or will your basketball journey take you to a new place again?

I just want to improve and win. I am not sure where I will play next.

You have a long summer ahead of you. On what things will you be working on most in the basketball lab as you get ready for that next opportunity?

This summer I will be working on different finishes at the rim and also adding more of a mid-range pull up to my game. I think these two things will be key going into next season.

Please name your five all-time best teammates in college and pro’s

Hunter Henry, John Hawkins, Deshawn Cooper, Daniel Doerr, Dane Watts, 

It’s still so early, but when all is said and done could Luka Doncic be one of the greatest Europeans that ever played in the NBA? 

He has the tools to be. Has a long way before he catches up to Dirk.

What was your reaction when you heard that Lebron James named himself the greatest of all-time? 

Not surprised he thinks this at all. 

Charles Barkley recently proclaimed that Tom Brady Is more of a GOAT than Michael Jordan. Do you share his opinion?

Its hard to argue that point. Jordan gets the edge because he changed the culture also.

Tom Brady won sixth Super Bowl. Where will he be if he wins a seventh next season?

I think its amazing what he has done throughout his career. If he wins in his 7th season that would be special.

What was the last movie that you saw? 

The siege of Jadotville

Thanks Elijah for the chat.

Kris Davis is a 25 year old 188cm guard from Detroit that finished his fourth professional season and first with Phoenix Hagen averaging 13,6ppg, 2,4rpg and 3,5apg. He played the last three seasons in Spain. Last season he played with KIA Sakimovil Navarra de Pamplona (Spain-LEB Silver) playing 35 games averaging 14.1ppg, 3.1rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 50.6%, 3PT: 35.5%, FT: 75.0%. Two seasons ago he played with Arcos Albacete Basket (Spain-LEB Silver) playing 30 games averaging 15.9ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.7apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 48.7%, 3PT: 39.7%, FT: 72.5%. As a rookie he played with Penas Huesca (Spain-LEB Gold) playing 40 games averaging 7.1ppg, 1.4rpg, FGP: 49.7%, 3PT: 30.9%, FT: 65.3%. He started his basketball career with SIU Edwardsville (NCAA in 2011 playing a total of 110 NCAA games. In his senior year he played 28 games averaging 14.3ppg, 3.7rpg, 1.4apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 44.2%, FT: 69.9%. He spoke to eurobasket.com about his season in Germany.

Kris thanks for talking to eurobasket.com. Where are you at the moment and what will be the first restaurant that you will visit when you get off the plane when you get home?

Miles, thank you for taking the time to reach out to me again. Right now I am still in Hagen enjoying some down time with my teammates. The first restaurant I will visit when I get home will be 8 mile Grill Coney Island. Straight from the airport, no stops!

Has the NCAA Madness taken your mind off not reaching the playoffs with Phoenix Hagen? 

Actually it has the opposite effect. Watching the NCAA tournament only reminds me that we should be playing post-regular season games too but it didn’t work out for us this season. 

The fight for the playoffs in the Pro A was fierce as the teams 9-12 were very close behind not more than two wins less. How disappointing was it not making the cut into the top 8?

It was very disappointing for everyone a part of the Phoenix club. With the same exact record last year, Phoenix was able to secure a spot to the playoffs but there was so much parity in the league this year that 15 wins was not enough for us this time around. We only have ourselves to blame because we had multiple chances to secure our spot in the play-offs; We just didn’t get it done. 

What is your summary of the team season. Were a few import players missing and what could the team have done better to have reached the playoffs?

It was definitely an up and down year for us. Firing our first coach after 6 games, then not having a head coach for the next 3 games, and finally adjusting to Coach Harris’ style of play was a lot to deal with in one season. Given the circumstances, I thought we did pretty well with handling most of the adversity. We had everything that a playoff team needed but we let too many chances slip away in games that we should have won. 

Phoenix Hagen had a very roller coaster season. It’s best stretch of the season was from mid November to Christmas. Why couldn’t the team find that success again in 2019? 


I think during that stretch we were playing so incredibly hard because at that point we had nothing to lose. I believe we won 8 games in a row before we eventually ended up losing to Ehingen. It’s hard to say exactly why we couldn’t harness that energy again to go another streak. The truth is we were winning on the road but couldn’t manage to win a home game in 2019. 

The club lost four of five games to end the season and miss the playoffs. Was the bitter 92-90 loss to Trier at the start of this five game skid the game that mentally broke you guys? 

Mentally everyone was still activated even after the loss to Trier because we knew we still had a chance to make the playoffs. Everyone was always optimistic and positive until the very end of the season. Coach Harris did a great job of keeping us motivated before, during, and after the games too, win or lose. I think during this skid we just had a bit of bad luck. 

Phoenix Hagen scored points and was one of the top rebounding teams, but despite giving up 80 points still ninth best. It seems like the Pro A is becoming more of a scoring league. Why do you feel are clubs having more difficulty keeping points off the board?

I think it’s more so to do with the quality of players in the Pro A. Compared to other leagues I have played in, the Pro A is more of a fast paced/one on one type of league. Of course there are some teams who are great at executing set plays but for the most part guys put their individual skills on display each game. So I wouldn’t say clubs are having trouble playing defense, it’s just the quality of players in the Pro A is at an exceptional level.

Despite missing the playoffs, what positives can the club take from this season? 

Even though we didn’t make the playoffs, everyone remained relatively healthy. Only one major injury with Marco and his knee. We managed to turn a 2-6 start around with 8 straight victories in a very close/competitive league. Through all the ups and downs of the season the team managed to stay together and not point fingers at each other when things didn’t go our way. I’d say these were the most positive things that we could take away from this season. 

Let’s talk about your teammates. What kind of a pleasure was it playing with Alex Herrera? How good is he and what stories from Spain did you tell each other?

I absolutely loved playing with every guy in that locker room, including Al. Al has a lot of weapons that most guys his size do not have. He can back you down on either block, finish with either hand, shoot the pick & pop mid-range shot, and he can even step out and hit an occasional three when he wants. Down on the defensive end the guy is a great rim protector. It’s interesting because we both had similar experiences from playing in Spain and we would always talk about how grateful we were for the situation at Phoenix. 

You played with many German players. Which player do you feel made the biggest jump in their development this season?

It’s hard to say because I didn’t get to see any of them play last year to have this year to compare it to. Just off of the top of my head, I think the younger guys who would practice with us sometimes (Emil, Tobi, Jonah) really learned and improved a lot this year. 

What was your impression of German Jonas Grof? He has had BBL experience. What do you remember from your duels with him in practice and what did you appreciate most about his game? 

With Jonas being 6’5, he has a size advantage that most point guards you’ll run across won’t have. He does an excellent job of getting into the lane and using his size/body to get where he wants to in the paint and finish strong. On top of his body control, he also has great court vision in transition and when reading pick & rolls. Above all of his qualities as a basketball player, Jonas is a great guy on and off the court. At all times he remained positive and he probably has the most contagious laugh I’ve ever heard. Just a fun guy to be around. 

Another German who had a solid season was Jannik Lodders. How did you see his development and what did you appreciate most about what he was able to display on the court? 

The thing is appreciated most about Jan is that he always give his maximum effort when he stepped on the court. He brought the same energy that he used offensively to the defensive end as well. He’s very athletic, can guard positions 1-4, and can shut down the opposing team’s best wing player. Jannik is a very good two-way player. 

What kind of impression did German Dominik Spohr who has BBL experience make on you. Was his glue guy like abilities one that helped the team most?

Dom’s leadership aura is the first impression I had of him. He’s just the kind of guy you want with you when it’s war time. Dom always put the team first when it came to anything basketball related. His basketball IQ and veteran savvy helped us out a lot when games were close down the stretch. 

Let’s talk about your game. You averaged 13,6ppg, 2,4rpg and 3,5apg. How content were you with your first season in Germany? 

We didn’t make the playoffs so it was not enough. I should have done more to put our team in position to be playing in April. I’m not sure how most Americans do in their first year in the Pro A so it’s hard for me to say if I’m content with those numbers. I just know it was not enough for to make the playoffs so I have to be better next time around.

In our last interview you stated, ‘It’s always a challenge trying to keep your shot on point. Especially with the 3 point line being a little further back, you just have to adjust. However, practice makes perfect and I’m confident that I will reach 40% shooting from Three again’. You were so close at 39,8%. How much of a challenge was being a good three point shooter in the German Pro A compared to the Leb Silver in Spain?

The difference in level became clearer to me as each game of the season came and went. I found myself having to focus a little more and to pick my spots better because of the level of individual defense and team defense in the Pro A; So shooting well in the Pro A was a little bit more of a challenge. 

How do you feel were you able to grow as a player in the German Pro A. As a point guard it is vital to make the right play. Was this something that continued to grow in your game? 

Absolutely. I feel my ability as a playmaker/decision maker was the one quality that increased the most this season. I was given more opportunities to create for my teammates by making defensive reads and quick decisions. 

What was your personal best game this season? Possibly your 22 point effort in the victory over top Pro A team Chemnitz? 

I think this game against Chemnitz was probably my best game too. Not only because of the stats but because of the timing of the win. It was a very important road game for us and we needed the W badly. I was glad I was able to perform well and help us get the win. 

What is the next step for you? I’m sure you will get good offers from Pro A playoff teams and possibly some BBL teams. Would Germany be a big option on your list or could you imagine taking on a new challenge and culture in another country? 

Staying in Germany is definitely a big option. I don’t know exactly how this summer will unfold but I will talk with my agent and make the best decision for myself and my family. Seeing new cultures is always fun and exciting but sometimes it’s best to remain where things are familiar and comfortable for you. 

You have a long summer ahead of you. On what things will you be working on most in the basketball lab as you get ready for that next opportunity? 

Well I’ll start going to the weight room about a week after I fly back home. I need to become a little stronger and work on my core a lot in the off season. As far as in the lab, I’ll work on shooting off the dribble a lot and continue developing point guard/playmaking tendencies. I’m also going to prepare mentally a lot more to get over the hump from being good to being great. 

Please name your five all-time best teammates in college and pro’s

Wow haha this is a tough one. I think I would have to go with these five guys: Mike Torres, Derian Shaffer, Ray Lester, Joel Aminu, Rozell Nunn 

It’s still so early, but when all is said and done could Luka Doncic be one of the greatest Europeans that ever played in the NBA?

I don’t see why not. He has everything that an all-time great possesses. His offensive skill set is unbelievable and he thinks the game really well too. I guess it all comes down to if he will win enough to be considered an all-time great European player. 

What was your reaction when you heard that Lebron James named himself the greatest of all-time?

I admire the confidence he has in himself and the journey he has taken to be able to say something like that. I’m not in a position to say if he is right because I was too young to see Jordan’s era but LeBron is the best player I’ve ever seen. 

Charles Barkley recently proclaimed that Tom Brady Is more of a GOAT than Michael Jordan. Do you share his opinion? 

Of course I do. Tom Brady went to the University of Michigan so by default he is more of a GOAT than MJ (I’m a huge Michigan Wolverines fan). But all jokes aside, I agree with Charles. MJ took a break in the middle of his career to go and play basketball. Tom Brady has been consistently great for as long as I can remember. I think his longevity gives him the edge over Michael. 

Tom Brady won sixth Super Bowl. Where will he be if he wins a seventh next season? 

He is already considered to be the greatest quarterback of all time so if he wins a seventh in the following season, I think that places him in a stratosphere all by himself. 

What was the last movie that you saw? 

The last movie that I saw was a classic called Money Talks. One of Chris Tucker and Charlie Sheen’s funniest movies to this day.

Thanks Kris for the chat

Shavar Newkirk is a 23 year old 183cm guard from the Bronx, New York that played his rookie season in Germany with FC Schalke 04 (Germany-ProA) averaging 15,4ppg, 4,2rpg, 2,8apg and 1,5spg. He began his basketball career at Cardinal Heyes HS /Bronx, NY. In 2014 he began his NCAA career with St.Joseph’s (NCAA) playing 31 games averaging 3.3ppg, 1.7rpg, 2.3apg. In his sophomore season with St.Joseph’s (NCAA) he played 37 games averaging 8.1ppg, 2.4rpg, 2.7apg, FGP: 41.8%, 3PT: 31.2%, FT: 73.8%. In his junior season at St.Joseph’s (NCAA) he played 12 games averaging 20.3ppg, 4.8rpg, 3.5apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 49.6%, 3PT: 39.6%, FT: 84.7%. In his senior year with St.Joseph’s (NCAA) he played 32 games averaging 17.4ppg, 4.3rpg, 3.9apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 42.3%, 3PT: 32.7%, FT: 76.4%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after the season

Shavar thanks for talking to germanhoops.com Has the NCAA madness distracted you a bit from not reaching the pro A playoffs?

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk. I haven’t been able to watch any college games since I been out here, so the March Madness didn’t have any effect on us reaching the Pro A playoffs.

After having a 9-21 record and knowing the talent that the team had. Do you feel like the club underachieved this season or was the many players coming and going and inexperience factors that would justify the team not underachieving?

There is no reason why we didn’t have a better season than what we did have. The team were full of great talent and basketball players with high IQ. Players coming and going was one factor to the struggling performance we had. It was a rocky start , but when the team found consistency, you saw it in the game play. We played more fluently on offense and our team spirit was very high.

The team was up and down in the first months of the 2018-2019 season, but at least was winning games, but in 2019 the club won only 3 games, but lost 11 games. Why was winning so difficult in the second half of the season?

Winning was difficult in the second half of the season due to us not closing out games correctly. It is hard to beat teams twice because game plans are changed and intensity picks up. Plenty of games were close and came down to crucial possessions when we needed stops and key buckets. We just didn’t handle it very well at the end of the game. 

In basketball and many other sports you are always confronted about what could have been. You lost four very close games to Baunach, Trier, Rostock and Hanau. Was crunch-time a time this season a type of disease for the team in being able to make the right offensive plays and get stops?

As I mentioned in the previous question , the end stretch of the game was difficult for us. The last few minutes came down to who wanted it more, can get key stops and put the ball in the basketball. We just didn’t execute well in crunch time.

Despite not making the playoffs, the team was one of the top rebounding teams in the Pro A and had the seventh best defense in the league. The offense seemed not to score enough points this season. What do you believe was missing from the team offense that disallowed the team to score more points on a consistent basis?

We were missing execution. Coach Raffi did a great job with coming up with plays and sometimes we didn’t run it to a T, but when we did , we managed to score pretty easily .

Despite not making the Pro A playoffs, what positives do you feel could FC Schalke take from this season?

Schalke can take that we still remained in Pro A. The community instill in their people , ‘Schalke No Fear’ and lives by it. Just have to stay together and make strides next season.

Despite losing some tight games, you also had some big wins against Ehingen and Trier. What do you believe was the team highlight this season?

The team highlight this season was when we beat the number two seed at home and everyone knew that they were going to win. That was a great feeling .

Let’s talk about your teammates. In our first interview you stated this about Courtney Belger ‘Because of his experience I’m getting a lot of wisdom which will help me at game time. He has taken me under his wing like I’m his little brother. I can’t wait to war with him. I haven’t experienced game time with him yet, but what I’ve seen in practice is amazing. With his experience and my youth and me being a blur, I think we will make a dynamic duo’. What kind of experience was it being his teammate and how did you see his development this season? What one experience with him will forever remain with you as you keep your rookie season in your memories?

Courtney Belger was a great teammate and is a remarkable man. He taught me so much off the court while my time at Germany. It was also great playing a long side him on the basketball court, he was a true teammate . He did what it took to get the win and knew all the right things to say to his teammates I will never forget the late night shooting sessions we had, working on our game when we thought the previous game we played bad .

German center Adam Touray made the next step in his career making the jump from the Pro B to the Pro A. How did you witness his development and do see him becoming a very good consistent Pro A player?

Adam Touray is a true center. He has a high motor and is great defensively . His timing on blocking shots is impressive. His presence is felt inside.

You were also teammates with American Brandon Parrish. What did you appreciate most about his game and how did he improve his game?

I loved Brandon Parrish’s game. He was an underrated defender and came up big for us when we needed to lock down the key player. He also has a great shot and if he gets space he will knock it down.

German Bjoern Rowher who had been playing for years in the Ulm organization came to Schalke and made the most of his opportunity. Is he still a raw talent or has he reached his potential?

He hasn’t reached his potential and he’s not raw. He’s a good player and getting better everyday . He has a lot of upside.

Let’s talk about your game. You had a very strong rookie season with FC Schalke and needed no adjustment period coming to a losing team. What do you feel helped you most being able to be strong on the court despite not having success as a team?

The coach really helped me with that. He said he liked my talent and didn’t want me to be timid. He wanted me to play my game and do whatever it took to help the team win. So everyday I laced up my shoes and went to work .

What was the biggest adjustment that you had to make coming rom the NCAA to the German Pro A?

The biggest adjustment didn’t come on the court, it came off the court. It took me a while to get adjusted to the time difference.

You averaged 15,4ppg, 4,2rpg and 2,8apg. How content were you with your shortened rookie season in Germany?

I made the best of my opportunity in the time frame I was given. I’m never content with what I do because I know I can always do more. I feel like my numbers could have been way better.

You said in our first interview that you wanted to be the best player that you could be with FC Schalke. Do you feel like you achieved that?

No I do not feel like I did that. Being a player is more than what you do on the court. I feel like I can work on my leadership skills more .

You had some big games, but they came in loses. What was your personal highlight on the court as a rookie in Germany?

My personal highlight came in the last possession of the Rockstock game, the coach put his faith in me to take the game winning shot. Even though I was successful in that moment that meant a lot that he wanted me to take that shot.

Who was the toughest player that you battled in the Pro A this season?

The toughest player I had to go against this season was the Point guard from Tuebingen. 

What is the next step for you? You were able to perform well and make a name for yourself in Germany. Would you welcome returning to Germany or could you imagine finding a new challenge in another country?

The experience of Germany was great and I can see myself coming back next season.

You have a long summer ahead of you. On what things will you be working on most in the basketball lab as you get ready for that next opportunity

The mind and body is key to having longevity . This summer I will be enhancing my body and mind.

It’s still so early, but when all is said and done could Luka Doncic be one of the greatest Europeans that ever played in the NBA?

I don’t think hewill be just be one of the greatest Europeans to play the game , but one of the greatest period. The kid has talent .

What was your reaction when you heard that Lebron James named himself the greatest of all-time?

My reaction was as he should be, but when you make that claim you have to back it up . This season as a Laker he didn’t do that .

Charles Barkley recently proclaimed that Tom Brady Is more of a GOAT than Michael Jordan. Do you share his opinion?

I do not share the same opinion due to the fact , they are in two different sport categories. Now if they were playing the same sport then I would might share that thought.

Tom Brady won sixth Super Bowl. Where will he be if he wins a seventh next season?

Tom Brady will just be adding on accolades to solidify him being in the Hall of Fame.

What was the last movie that you saw?

The last movies I saw was Us. 

Thanks Shavar for the chat.

Demetrius Ward is a 28 year old 188cm guard from Detroit, Michigan that played his seventh professional season and first with Pro A team uni Baskets Paderborn and averaged 9,1ppg, 4,4rpg and 5,6apg. He played his first six professional seasons with MTV Wolfenbuettel Herzoege (Germany-ProB) playing a total of 138 games. He played at Western Michigan from 2008-2012 playing a total of 129 NCAA games and as a senior played 31 games averaging 12.1ppg, 4.6rpg, 3.0apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 41.3%, 3PT: 31.5%, FT: 76.2%. Currently he is averaging 17,4ppg, 6,4rpg and 4,7apg. He spoke to germanhoops.com at the end of the 2018-2019 season.

Thanks Demetrius for talking to germanhoops.com Where are you at the moment and has the NCAA Madness helped keep your mind off not reaching the playoffs with the Uni Baskets Paderborn?

Hello Miles, I’m currently still in Paderborn. The NCAA tournament is really interesting this year. I’m going for Texas Tech to win it all.

After five Pro B season and one in the Regionalliga, you made your debut in the Pro A at age 28. One could say better late than never. After playing Pro B for so many years and never getting an opportunity in the Pro A, were you able to fully enjoy it and appreciate the opportunity despite the tough season? 

Yes I was able to enjoy the opportunity this season. It was a blessing after so many years finally getting the chance to prove myself in the Pro A. I really enjoyed the live streams of the games. After 6 years in Germany my mom could finally watch a game.

With what kind of expectations with your game did you go into the Pro A? Talk about your experiences on the court and what were the biggest differences between the Pro A and Pro B? 


I wanted to be myself and just play my game. The experiences I had were pretty good, our home crowd was unbelievable. I would say the differences from the Pro B to the Pro A is there are more referees and more imports on the court at one time.

It wasn’t a very good season for the Uni Baskets Paderborn. Did the 77-64 win against FC Schalke ease the woes of the season a bit? At least you closed out the season on a winning note.

Winning the last game was so important for us. It was Uli’s last game coaching after 5 seasons. We wanted to go out and win for him he deserves it.

There was a short span at the end of January where the club won two of three games against Trier and Hanau. But then the club went on a seven game losing streak. What do you feel went wrong in that time?

It was also one quarter where we didn’t play our brand of basketball. We had a lot of mental breakdowns and wasn’t able to recover from it.

A big problem this season for the Uni Baskets was the inability to get stops. The team gave up 84 points per game. Playing good hard defense has to do with passion and effort. What were the biggest problems this season in not being able to defend better?


Playing hard defense does has to do with passion and effort and it also has to do with being focused. Many times I think we would lose focus and let people get easy buckets. Or we turn the ball over and they score this way. I think we wasn’t focused for 40 minutes.

Do you feel like the club was able to take some kind of positives out of the season? Will the win in Rostock and sweeping playoff team Trier be some of the more memorable moments?

Yes I think there is always something to take positive from a season no matter the outcome. I think this season we were able to stay in the league. The Trier sweep was also positive for us.

Let’s talk about your teammates. How did it feel playing among so many rookies like Matt Klinewski, Darnell Foreman and Grant Benzinger. Did you at times feel a little old? Did you have a special kind of extra role with your experience?

It felt a little different, last year I had only one rookie this year 3. I did feel old at times during some of our conversations. It was good to have them around, I experienced a good time with the guys on and off the court.

What kind of an impact did Darnell Foreman have on the club. He came in late but put up great stats. Could the season have gone differently had he been there from the start?

Darnell is very competitive and he brought it every day. The season could’ve went different if he was there from the start but nobody really knows.

How did you see the development of Connor Wood. He had a solid rookie season. Do you think that he could play at an even higher level than the German Pro A?

Coming in we all knew that Connor could shoot the ball. We didn’t know how athletic he was and that he could play defense. His development over the season was good, he didn’t only shoot the ball but he was one of our best defenders. I think he could play at a higher level than the Pro A if giving a chance.

Another guy that had a very solid rookie season was Grant Benzinger. How bitter was it seeing him go down for the season prior to the seven game losing streak? What did you appreciate mostly about his game and did he tell any stories about his baseball dad?

Before Grant’s injury he was leading the team in points and rebounds. He was off to a good season. It sucks seeing I’m go down with an ACL injury. He always worked hard and was always in the gym getting in extra shots. He never told me any stories about his dad but I did meet him when he came to visit. He’s a cool guy.

What kind of experience was it battling Darnell Foreman on a daily basis. Do you think that that kind of mentor student relationship developed or was there more of that competitive nature there?

It was a fun experience, we both are very competitive and don’t like to lose. We both talk a lot of trash during practice so it got pretty intense.

What kind of an experience was it playing for German coach Uli Nachster? You have played for other German coaches. What was something that you could take from him that you hadn’t seen from other coaches that you have witnessed in Germany?

I would say that coach was very patient with us. He didn’t yell or scream much but you understood when he was mad. I had a great experience with coach Uli, he gave me the chance to play in the Pro A. He believed in me from day 1.

Let’s talk about your game. You averaged 9,0ppg, 4,3rpg and 5,6apg How content were you with your debut season in the Pro A?

I like winning more than stats. The season could’ve went a lot better. The personal achievement for me was I was able to play all 30 games without any injuries. My numbers weren’t the greatest but it shows I’m an all around player

What was the biggest adjustment that you had to make coming from the Pro B? You shot only at 22% from outside. Did the faster pace of the game make it more difficult to shoot the three or was it other factors?

It was a mental things for me shooting 22% from 3 this season. 

You played 7-8 minutes less than what you usually did in the Pro B? Was it difficult at first getting used to playing less minutes and still be effective in the minutes you got?

It was difficult getting used to playing these minutes but I made the best of the opportunity.

You averaged only about half the points 9,0 per game than what you did the last years in the Pro B. With so many scoring options did you have more of that playmaking role than in previous seasons?

Scoring wasn’t my role for the team, I didn’t need to go out and score this season. 

A big issue we have had in previous interviews was your goal of not taking too many shots or taking a hundred dribbles. How did that part of your game continue to develop in the Pro A?

I didn’t take many dribbles and you could see that in my assist to turnover ratio. I want to be efficient without the unnecessary dribbles and taking so many shots. 

You averaged nearly 6 assists in the Pro A which proved that you can be that good playmaker at the Pro A level. How did your playmaking improve in the Pro A and with the harder competition do you feel like you also are a better passer?

I think I’m a good passer, I like to share the ball. I think my passing improved on watching a lot of film and learning from my mistakes the past season.

Are you in your prime? You had a solid Pro A season? Do you feel like other Pro A teams took notice? Are you confident that you will get another chance in the Pro A?

I’m in my prime for sure. I think I will get another chance in the Pro A. I didn’t have the best season but I didn’t have that bad of a season. I think some teams noticed me. 

What was your season highlight? Possibly your 15/6/7 game in the win over Tuesbingen?

I would say the game against Baunach were I didn’t score a field goal but had 14ast and we won.

On what things will you be working on most this summer as you prepare for next season? After playing your first Pro A season do you feel like you will be working on other things than usual to get you ready for a higher level than the Pro B?

I will work on my body and nutrients, that will be my main focus this summer.

What is the next step for you? I can imagine that you will stay in Germany. Or would that challenge of seeing a new culture and style of basketball in another country be appealing to you? 

I will apply for the German passport and would like to continue playing in Germany.

Please name your five all-time best teammates in college and pro’s

Keith Appling, Deon Dismuke, Khalil Kelly, David Kool, Donald Lawson

It’s still so early, but when all is said and done could Luka Doncic be one of the greatest Europeans that ever played in the NBA? 

Yes I think he will be one of the best .

What was your reaction when you heard that Lebron James named himself the greatest of all-time? 

I think he deserves it 

Charles Barkley recently proclaimed that Tom Brady Is more of a GOAT than Michael Jordan. Do you share his opinion?

I don’t believe in anything Charles says 

What was the last movie that you saw? 

Girl with the dragon tattoo 

Thanks Demetrius for the chat.

Years come and go in Bonn and in the end it is never them heaving that BBL plaque in the air, but moreover watching on the other side of the court as their opponent is doing the celebrating or watching on television. Since reaching the BBL in 1997, they are still seeking their first professional title despite having reached 8 finals. With so many opportunities of being better than their opponent over 40 minutes, one has to wonder if the basketball God is doing something to keep them from getting that championship. If one look at their neighbors Fraport Skyliners, they came into the BBL a few years later and in 7 finals have won three titles. Basketball life can be very difficult in Bonn and it doesn´t get any easier when you have to battle the EWE Baskets Oldenburg who have been a nasty thorn in their sides for many years. The Telekom Baskets Bonn have played the EWE Baskets in three playoff series since the 2008-2009 season and lost all three in five games. They lost back to back series in 2013 and 2014 and were always so close, but just couldn´t make the right decisions and small things cost them each time. Their most bitter series was in 2009 where they were as close to winning that first title, but then let it slip away losing 71-70. Basketball can be so curious and fascinating and who knows what their future would have looked like had they won that first title back then. Current Telekom Baskets Bonn guard TJ DiLeo wants no part of a curse, but then again he is from New Jersey and not from Boston and never had to deal with unwanted long losing or stupid curses. He never thought of a curse being present in Bonn. “ I can’t speak for others. But I look at every season as a new opportunity. I think everyone just wants us to go out and fight and make them proud”, stressed ex Giessen guard TJ DiLeo. Usually three is a charm, but Bonn lost that third straight playoff series to Oldenburg in 2014. Maybe the Telekom Baskets Bonn can start a new trend with four is a charm? The only bad news is that Mr Oldenburg and BBL legend Rickey Paulding was present in all three series and has a 3-0 playoff series record against Bonn. If that isn´t a bad omen.

            It was a very strong season for the EWE Baskets Oldenburg who for the first time in many many years didn´t have the extra load of inter week international club competition. They had the luxury of being able to prepare extensively each week just for BBL teams which they definitely profited from. They finished the regular season with a 28-6 record. The Oldenburg troops had a very consistent regular season winning 12 of their first 14 games to get a good grasp with the top teams in the league. It then lost two of three games including a bitter buzzer beater in Frankfurt at the hands of Skyliner legend Quantez Robertson, but then proceeded to finish the season strong going on a 15-2 record despite slipping and losing the last game on the road against the weak Crailsheim squad 99-87. Their biggest wins was the thrilling 83-82 victory against FC Bayern Munich, sweeping Brose Bamberg and also winning against Alba Berlin. The team was able to shine at both ends of the court as they had a lethal offense that averaged 92 points per game best in the league scoring 90 points or more in 18 contests. But after scoring an amazing basket, they didn´t let up on the defensive end, but continued to give it their all allowing only 83 points on average third best in the league. They also belonged to the top rebounding teams grabbing 31 on average fifth best on the club. There was already a healthy team chemistry as the season started as only three new players were hauled in. The team featured five players scoring in double figures and head coach Mladen Drijencic had the right feeling getting point guard Will Cummings(20,5ppg,3,0rpg,4,3apg) who led the team with the perfect combination of scoring/playmaking and won the MVP award. With him as a go to guy, the club also had two others that can decide games at any time with Rashid”Mr triple double” Mahalbasic(13,8ppg,8,9rpg,4,8apg) who belongs to the top centers in the league and Mr Oldenburg Rickey Paulding(13,3ppg,3,9rpg,1,8apg) who at age 36 still plays at a extreme high level. Three other versatile offensive forces that shoot above 40% from outside is American Nathan Boothe(12,1ppg,4,5rpg,1,0apg 48,5% 3pt) who is also a force on the defensive end, energizer Franz Massenat(11,5ppg 40,5% 3pt) and experienced sniper German Philipp Schwethelm(8,8ppg,3,4rpg, 43% 3pt). Ex Alba Berlin guard from Macedonia Vojdan Stojanovski(8,2ppg) also gives scoring punch. The club has a number of young German players with Marcel Kessen, Haris Hujic, Marko Bacak and veteran Karsten Tadda, but don´t get many minutes as the club has concentrated on giving it´s top players the majority of the minutes and limit the development of further role type players.

            The Telekom Baskets Bonn experienced a turbulent regular season that saw head coach Predrag Krunic have to pack his bags as assistant coach Chris O´Shea took over, have players come and go as well as underachieving in the Basketball Champions League. But in the end, the club was able to give their fans another playoff appearance extending their season a few weeks more. Often when a season starts off one can´t always understand it, but then again can´t understand how a quick good start translates into sudden losing. Bonn won it´s first three games, but then lost 8 of 10 games as Krunic obviously wasn´t reaching his players anymore and it seemed like they didn´t know how to win anymore and had difficulties beating weak teams like Science City Jena and the Crailsheim Merlins. The team brought in O´Shea who made changes and the team responded playing better team defense and letting the transition game shine more again. The team then won 9 of 11 games to get back on track. They had a weak April losing four of five games, but got the needed wins at the end against Braunschweig and Jena to get into the playoffs. They closed out the regular season with a big 102-98 win against FC Bayern Munich, but with the playoffs starting got a bit lost in the shuffle and upcoming challenge against the EWE Baskets. They are a good offensive team averaging 86 points per game eighth best, but also allow 86 points per game 12^th best in the league. The team do a good job under the boards getting 31 per game sixth best in the league.The team has a nice 9/10 man rotation led by guard Josh Mayo(14,3ppg,50%3pt) who is really shooting the lights out this season. Center Martin Breunig(10,6ppg,4,6rpg) who had his break through season after Charles Jackson got injured. Charles Jackson(13,0ppf,6,2rpg) was injured for some time, but is back giving the club the needed extra physicality and stability in the paint. The guard duo of TJ Dileo(8,5ppg,4,9apg) who made another step as a playmaker and athleticism and defense continues to be vital and Yormon Polas(9,0ppg,4,3rpg) who belongs to the best defenders in the league can always change the impact of a game in seconds with their energetic play. They have two further big men with Bojan Subotic(8,6ppg, 3,8ppg and Stefan Bircevic(7,1ppg,3,8rpg) who spread the floor with their inside/out game. Ex NBA player James Webb(6,0ppg, 4,2rpg) didn´t become the consistent scorer, but can explode at anytime and is a key helper under the boards. Ex Boston College guard Oliver Hanlan(8,3ppg) has been a solid player from the bench and ex Euroleague player Nate Linhart(4,6ppg,3,3rpg,2,4apg) hasn´t exploded, but gives energy and superb basketball IQ from the bench.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Rickey Paulding in 2019 in Frankfurt

            The EWE Baskets Oldenburg swept the regular season series without problems winning 98-78 with Rickey Paulding exploding for 32 points at home and 109-95 on the road where Will Cummings had 32 points and Rasid Mahalbasic a 28/13 outburst. In their home win, they shot out the lights from the two point range while Bonn made only 1/3 of their shots from there. On the road, Bonn rebounded better, but their inability to take care of the ball hurt their chances of winning. The EWE Baskets have the best offensive machine in the league and if the Telekom Baskets Bonn aren´t able to set some vital impulses on defense then this could even result in a sweep by Oldenburg. The Telekom Baskets Bonn are a good rebounding team, but so is Oldenburg and will have to take advantage of the extra chances. Even If Bonn can slow done 1-2 of Oldenburg´s best players which isn´t a given, Oldenburg still have enough options to get enough scoring from other guys. Bonn has a lot of talent and are deep and have to come together for once and play consistent. Josh Mayo is having his best season with the Telekom Baskets Bonn and it´s time that his leadership qualities get rewarded with a brilliant series from him. But the EWE Baskets Oldenburg simply have too much fire power that the Telekom Baskets Bonn won´t be able to stop in a five game series. History and luck have been on the side of the EWE Baskets Oldenburg in the last three playoff series against the Telekom Baskets Bonn and nothing will change this time as they will lose for the eighth time in a row in the quarterfinals.

One can easily say that both impact players Derrick Williams and Deandre Lansdowne have seen it all in their professional basketball careers as they both belong to the top players in the easyCredit BBL, but their paths have been as completely different as night and day or the NBA and the Czech Republic professional first division. Deandre Lansdowne is a guy that has truly lived the Cinderella basketball life and would warrant making a movie about with a Denzel Washington type actor playing him. Only three years ago he was about as far away from the easyCredit BBL as the Boston Celtics are from a NBA title after their mind boggling pathetic display of basketball in the Milwaukee series. The American had just come off a brilliant Pro B rookie season with Pro B team Herten where he was second in league scoring 22.9ppg, 8.1rpg, 3.6apg, 2.6spg, but he hasn´t been the only guy in the past that have dominated the league as two years ago it was a Kameron Taylor or this season a Tucker Haymond, but it is simply not only rare to make the jump form that league to the BBL, but to become the third best scorer in the league is an unbelievable feat, but one that Lansdowne mastered. His amazing rise in the last three years in the Pro A with the Hamburg Towers and the last two years with Braunschweig just shows that there are players off the radar in lower leagues and those talented guys should never lose faith in the process. With nonending hard work and having that healthy self confidence and continued drive to get better has brought him to the level of player he is today. Early in the season he explained why he is where he is today. “I have an obsession of being great. I’m never satisfied with where I am, I always want to keep climbing. I want to continue learning more, getting better, and playing basketball at a high level. But I also never lose sight of how far I’ve come and how much I’ve enjoyed the ride”, warned Deandre Lansdowne. The path of Derrick Williams has been totally different and one where he was never doubted, but was a star already at La Mirada High School and needed only two NCAA years at Arizona where he averaged 19,5ppg,8,3rpg as a sophomore and then prompt was drafted at #2 by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He then played parts of six NBA seasons totaling 377 games for teams like Minnesota, Sacramento, New York, Miami and the Los Angeles Lakers. He put up solid stats and was teammates with guys like Lebron James, Kyrie Irving and Dwayne Wade and played against the best players in the world. This playoff series has to be the biggest challenge and most enjoyable for a guy like Lansdowne while for Williams it will be just another day at the office and not rate anywhere as big as what he saw in the NBA. The FC Bayern Munich-Braunschweig series has that David vs Goliath effect, but so does the Lansdowne-Williams careers.

            Despite some turbulence during the end of last season with the coaching change, FC Bayern Munich came together and won the BBL title and this season cruised through the BBL regular season to a commendable 31-3 record. Their two sore spots in the season was getting ousted in the cup competition and not getting farther in the Euroleague competition. In the BBL the club didn´t suffer their first loss until Valentines Day losing a bitter 83-82 contest in Oldenburg after winning their first 20 games. After a non spectacular 91-80 win at home against the floundering Eisbaeren of Bremerhaven, they prompt suffered their second loss in three games on the road against Cinderella team Rasta Vechta. They then closed out the regular season winning 11 of their last 12 and go into the playoffs having lost in Bonn 102-98. The team is without a doubt the best team in the league with the best players and deepest and most versatile bench. They may of only had the fourth best offense that averaged 88 points per game, but glittered on defense allowing the fewest points in the league at 76. The club have five players that average in double figures and when they need a rest have a second five that could start for any other team. It was amazing to see the kind of quality the team had on the bench, but only normal for a team with the highest budget. The potent offensive attack starts at the guard position with top pick and role player Stefan Jovic(6,4ppg,4,4apg), speedy Maodo Lo(7,1ppg,2,8apg) versatile Braydon Hobbs(6,0ppg,2,4apg) in only 13 minutes per game and a guy who should have had more minutes and sharp shooter Petteri Koponen(8,9ppg,40%3pt). At the forward position Danilo Barthel(12,1ppg,4,6rpg,2,5apg,44%3pt) has become the best German forward playing in the BBL, versatile Vladimir Lucic(10,3ppg, 4,0rpg, 45%3pt), the energy machine and sniper Nihad Djedovic(12,4ppg,3,0rpg 45% 3pt) and ex NBA player Derrick Williams(12,0ppg,3,4rpg,45% 3pt). Devin Booker(10,0ppg,3,4rpg) who played only 15 games due to injury and experienced Leon Radosevic(5,9ppg,2,2rpg) round out the center position. All in all so much fire power scoring 80 points or more in 32 games, and three point accuracy shooting 41% as a team and but also that willingness to defend with heart and passion as they gave up 70 points or less seven times. The club simply has all the ingredients to defend their BBL title with their amazing athleticism, length in the back court and can at anytime dominate little teams like Vechta with their inside game or demoralize big teams with their quickness.

            For the Basketball Lowen Braunschweig just reaching the playoffs has been an amazing accomplishment. Just 48 hours before the start of the playoffs the hope wasn´t great to get there, but it was there. The small miracle happened due to beating the Fraport Skyliners at home with a big second half and a crushing 100-85 win against medi Bayreuth slipping into the playoffs with a respectable 17-17 record.  However at first the playoffs looked like a serious reach as a few days before Halloween 2018, the team was 0-5 and reeling to find that first win. They finally found out of their seemingly growing hole rattling off 9 wins in 10 games. Everything seemed to work for them in this phase as they defended strongly as a team kept three teams under 70 points, won a 100-99 nail bitter against Ludwigsburg and surprisingly did the impossible beating Bamberg and Alba Berlin. But that was the end of their consistent success as they then lost 11 of 17 games, but didn´t always play that bad, but just suffered misfortune. They were the recipients of the short end in six games losing by 6 points or less and lost by three points or less in four games. Their biggest strength is their rebounding as they pulled down 33 a game best in the league and had pretty good team chemistry which helped them win their last two games and secure the playoffs. They have four players that average double figures in scoring. Even if no where in the league it will be like this, but in Braunschweig they have the best center with Scott Eatherton(17,1ppg,9,1rpg,2,2apg) who excels on the pick and role and best guard with Deandre Lansdowne(19,3ppg,3,6rpg,3,8apg) who´s versatile offensive game made him the third best scorer in the league. Austrian national player Thomas Klepeisz´s(10,5ppg,4,7apg,403pt) combination of playmaking and shooting has been instrumental on the offensive execution and German rookie Christian Sengfelder(10,7ppg,5,9apg) has been vital on the boards and with Eatherton getting more space with his lethal outside shot. American Brayon Blake(9,1ppg,4,0rpg) has given the team added scoring expertise and added muscle on the glass while Shaquille Hines(7,4ppg,4,1rpg) has been a defensive enforcer and contributed solidly on offense and American Joe Rahon(6,4ppg,4,6apg) has been that pass first guard that has shown flashes of skill on the offensive end. “Reaching the playoffs is a huge accomplishment for this club and everyone apart of it. No matter who we may play against it’s just a great feeling to be apart of the post-season. We’re the underdogs, we’re just going to go out there and continue trying to play our style. With a high amount of intensity, have fun, and just play basketball”, stressed Deandre Lansdowne.

            The question isn´t by how many games FC Bayern Munich will win the series by since a 3-0 sweep is the best bet unless the starting five gets sick and three bench players lose their skills, then Braunschweig could have good chances to win the series. But the question is by how many points will FC Bayern Munich win each game by. FC Bayern Munich had no difficulty sweeping the season series winning each game by an average 16 points. FC Bayern Munich have no real flaws except their rebounding where they were only 17^th best in the league grabbing 28 per game. Even if they have an off day shooting, they probably will still shoot better than Braunschweig as they have seven players that are shooting 40% or better from the parking lot. Braunschweig have a lot less options on offense as they live by the pick and roll and aren´t the best three point shooting team in the league. Braunschweig has a solid 7 man rotation, but after that they have many talented Germans that lack the minutes and experience in the playoffs. FC Bayern Munich will sweep this series with ease and be a warmup for their most likely semi-final meeting with Brose Bamberg. Even if Lansdowne pulls a Damien Lillard or Scott Eatherton makes like Anthony Davis and score 40 points apiece, Braunschweig still won´t win. Even if it will be a real big challenge for Braunschweig, Deandre Lansdowne is as optimistic as he can be. “Hopefully the series will be a fun, and full of good basketball, with us coming out on top. But we’ll have to be detailed on defense and be disciplined on offense, we’ll really have to rebound the ball though”, stressed Deandre Lansdowne.