Gabriel Olaseni is a 27 year old 211cm center from Great Britan that is playing his fourth professional season and second in Germany and first with s.Oliver Wurzburg. Last season he played with Montakit Fuenlabrada (Spain-Liga ACB) playing 34 games averaging 5.2ppg, 3.1rpg, FGP: 51.0%, FT: 82.4. In 2016-2017 he split time with Banco di Sardegna Sassari (Italy-Serie A) playing 13 games averaging 6.1ppg, 3.8rpg, 2FGP: 70.8%, FT: 73.3%; and played 9 Basketball Champions League gameS averaging 6.0ppg, 3.9rpg, 2FGP: 67.7%, FT: 70.6%, left in Mar.’17, later that month moved to Entente Orleans 45 (France-ProA) playing 13 games averaging 10.2ppg, 8.0rpg, FGP: 52.9%, FT: 66.7%. In his rookie season he played in Germany for Brose Bamberg (Germany-BBL) playing 9 games averaging 4.3ppg, 3.1rpg; and played 5 Euroleague games averaging 2.4ppg, 2.8rpg, in Nov.’15 moved to Giessen 46ers (Germany-BBL) playing 24 games averaging 11.7ppg, Reb-3 (7.0rpg), 1.2apg, FGP: 62.6%, FT: 70.0%. He played at Iowa (NCAA) from 2011-2015 playing a total of 119 games and as a senior played 33 games averaging 7.9ppg, 4.7rpg, 1.6bpg, FGP: 51.8%, FT: 75.0%. He recently spoke to germanhoops.com about his basketball career.

Gabriel thanks for talking to germanhoops.com Your playing your first season with s.Oliver Wurzburg and with your sixth team in four seasons. Do you sometimes feel like a basketball globetrotter?

Sometimes I did at the start of my career, but I haven’t been upset to how my career has gone. I always saw the many opportunites as being positive playing for coaches and teammates that liked me. I have always remained humble and believe that I will have a long career playing somewhere between 10-15 years. I feel that I have established myself in recent years.

Your playing your second season in Germany and with your third team after having gained experience in Italy and Spain. Do you feel like that the German EasyCredit BBL fits your style in how you play the game best?


Yes I think it does. I feel having been able to play in Germany has been a big boost in my career. Knowing how coaches coach in Germany and how refs work has benefited me. I may not always be the strongest guy on the court, but I can be the quickest and most athletic. I have been fortunate of having coaching staffs be able to put me in successful situations.

How exciting is it playing basketball for s.Oliver Wurzburg? The team had problems finishing games in 2018, but have turned it around in 2019. What has been secret to the success?

I think that the secret to the success now has been guys buying into their roles. Early on every guy wanted to do everything themselves. There will be games when you will shoot and then in other games when you won’t. If you play the right way then good things will come. It also helps when we know where the other guy will be. A Cook knows where and what I will do and vice versa. 

How big of a reason coming to Wurzburg was because of head coach Denis Wucherer? How has his coaching skills improved from your rookie season with Giessen?

Back in Giessen he was a big confidence booster for me. I remember the first conversation I had with him when I came to Giessen. He told me that my time in Bamberg didn’t go as planned, but that he would give me a chance to prove myself. Now he knows what I can do and it’s time to step up. The main difference between Giessen and now is that then coach believed I could do it and now he knows I can do it. He will get angry at you, but also gives praise. I have grown up since Giessen and know what I’m capable of now.

Is it difficult keeping the hunger simply because last season you got experience playing in the top league ACB in Spain. How will your ACB time help you best in the BBL?

My time in Spain in the ACB was also a big confidence booster. I was able to practice against top guys each day and play against top teams every weekend and that helped. I was fortunate to have success in a difficult environment despite not having a big role

Let’s talk a bit about your teammates? How enjoyable is it playing with Jordan Hulls. For me he is a top 5 guard in the easyCredit BBL. Why do you feel is he so underrated?

It has been great playing with Jordan. I remember playing against him in College. I was at Iowa and he was at Indiana. We were a bit stand offish at first, but we have a great relationship here. He may be the best shooter that I have ever played with. He is underrated despite making the 50/50/90 stats. We know that he takes only the shots that he knows he can make while on the highlight films you always see those wild shots. He is more than just a shooter, but can pass the ball well and talks. We have the utmost confidence in him and he makes winning plays. 

This your second tour of duty with Cameron Wells. He is another won of those guys that had to work up from lower leagues. Did you sense that he had a chip on his shoulder back in Giessen and is it still there now?

His chip on his shoulder is bigger than ever. He is a great player and he always wants to prove that he is a winner. He also makes winning plays and we all felt that he should have been an allstar this season. He wants to be seen as a top point guard.

How important has it been bringing in Mike Morrison? Is your toughness rubbing off on him and how do you feel will you profit from his presence?

It has been great having Mike on the team. I remember when he came in that management said that they wanted a change and I totally welcomed it. He is one of the vocal leaders on the team and so passionate. He always pushes you in practice. I have profited from him in many ways. He has helped me with running the floor, drawing fouls and understanding mismatches and playing angles. 

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 211cm center. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?

I can’t compare my game to an NBA player. My favorite players are Serge Ibaka and Steven Adams

You’re a guy that has a versatile big man game. On what things do you continue to work on most as you continue to develop your game?

I’m working hard on my body and conditioning especially my lower body. I am also concentrating on working on running in transition and developing consistent post moves as well as working on my arc, free throws and angles.

What do you feel is still a hidden strength in your game that continues to get overlooked?

My passing. A lot of times I overpass. I like to see the floor and after an offensive rebound kick it out to my shooters. My teammates love my extra pass. My passing isn’t a hidden strength on my team, but it is on the outside. I’m a hockey assist guy.

Last season you played with Fuenlabrada and had some nice moments including the 80-75 win over Baskonia where you produced 10 and 6 stats, the 71-69 win against Estudiantes where you had 14 points and the 108-102 win against Zaragoza where you had 14 and 7 stats. Which win was your most memorable?


My most memorable game was against Estudiantes. I wasn’t fit at that time as I had a shoulder and neck injury. They told me to just go out and play. I was aggressive from the start and had a good game. I just wanted to contribute and win. 

Two seasons ago you played with Banco di Sardegna Sassari (Italy-Serie A) playing 13 games averaging 6.1ppg, 3.8rpg, 2FGP: 70.8%, FT: 73.3%; and 9 Basketball Champions League games averaging 6.0ppg, 3.9rpg, 2FGP: 67.7%, FT: 70.6%, left in Mar.’17, later that month moved to Entente Orleans 45 (France-ProA) playing 13 games averaging 10.2ppg, 8.0rpg, FGP: 52.9%, FT: 66.7%. How tough was this season playing for two teams again after doing it as a rookie in Germany? What did you learn from this experience?

That season was tough. I played decent at the start, but then we had a rough patch and the club brought in some new guys. I was very fortunate to have some very good teammates with Trevor Lacey, Darius Johnson-Odum and Josh Carter who always told me to keep working and to understand the ups and downs. It is difficult when you are a young player and are putting in the work, but not getting minutes. I remember I tried to always contribute in practice no matter what. I decided to leave and to establish myself for next season and went to France. I went there just wanting to contribute and help win games. I enjoyed the French league, but I realized that in 9 out 0f 10 times you won’t be the most athletic guy. I learned there that I won’t be able to out jump anyone, but I had to out smart everybody else. At the end of the season when I reflected on my season, I felt that I had improved my game regardless of what my stats were and if I had wins. I was able to sleep at night.

You played a few months in France. What memories do have playing with 35 year old veteran Marcellus Somerville who is still playing today in Israel. When looking back at that time how did you profit best from his presence?

His work ethic was amazing. I remember that he had a wife and several kids and he had to make breakfast and bring the kids to school, but he was still the first at practice. He was going early and leaving late. He also had an amazing passion. I can remember many games where we were winning well and he would still be screaming to us do even better. As a young player, I really looked up to him. He wasn’t old in age, but old in his basketball career.

As a rookie you split time with Brose Baskets Bamberg (Germany-BBL) playing 9 games averaging 4.3ppg, 3.1rpg; and played 5 Euroleague games averaging 2.4ppg, 2.8rpg, in Nov.’15 moved to Giessen 46ers (Germany-BBL) playing 24 games averaging 11.7ppg, Reb-3 (7.0rpg), 1.2apg, FGP: 62.6%, FT: 70.0%. You had some very good moments with Bamberg, but why do you feel were you not able to make more of an impact in that roster?


My time in Bamberg was a great situation. Going to a Euroleague team as a rookie is unheard of in Europe. It just doesn’t happen often. I wouldn’t say that I wasn’t ready, but moreover it had to do with my consistency. I was up and down with Bamberg. I started off well against Crailsheim and Ulm, but was up and down in between. They couldn’t wait for me to establish myself and make that step. I am very thankful for my opportunity wit Brose Bamberg. 

You were teammates with current Boston Celtics Brad Wanamaker and Daniel Theis and New Orleans Pelicans Darius Miller. Which guy had the biggest impact on you?

Brad Wanamaker had the biggest impact on me. He was a great overall leader. He was always in the gym and always kept giving me advice. He was playing in the second division in Italy, but he was always confident. He was always able to find his spots and never did anything crazy. He always told me stories about when he was in difficult situations, but always knew that he would make the elite level. He is such a humble guy that you would never know if he had won titles. I’m not surprised of the success he has had and I’m very happy for him. 

You finished the season strong with the Giessen 46ers. How vital was head coach Denis Wucherer in you achieving your BBL break through?

Besides high school and college, he was the first coach that truly believed in my abilities. I’m sure that I annoy him a lot, but he still trusts me. He puts me in successful spots. He has expectations for me now and he knows that I will step up. 

You seem to play your best basketball with the British national team. Does it mean more to play for your country than for a club team?

It is definitely different playing for your country than for a club team. It is great playing for Dennis and playing with guys like Wells, Bowlin and Hulls, but with the national team you are playing with guys that you grew up with and that is the main difference I have experienced so much with my British national team teammates. It just means so much more when you can reflect on how far you have come over the years with your national team teammates whereas with a club team you are only together for 10 months. You develop that pride and joy with the national team when you have success. 

You had amazing 18/11 stats at the 2017 European championships. Was your game at all noticed by big teams or even the NBA during this?

I had signed with Fuenlabrada before the Euro had started. I remember my agent telling me that I was getting more interest. I told him not to tell me anything, because I wanted to focus on the tournament and nothing else. 

You played NBA Summer League in 2015 with the Miami Heat and put up good stats. Did you get any kind of feedback from NBA teams where you had the feeling the NBA could actually happen one day?

It felt good playing there. I felt that I came from college to the NBA Summer League and was able to establish myself. I felt then that I could get to the NBA one day. I want to be able to show my skill set again some day and then show how I have developed so they see that I put in the work. I had interest, but it was for camp invites and The G-League. Since I was European, I wasn’t afraid to go to Bamberg. It was an offer that was too good to pass up. It made sense to make the jump to Bamberg. I hope one day I can make the jump to the NBA.

What kind of an experience was it being teammates with ex NBA player Ben Gordon? When do you remember first seeing him play and how important was his presence with your growing up?

The first time that I saw him play was when he played that crazy series against the Boston Celtics where he was hitting shots from everywhere in game 7. I remember a friend telling me that he was British. I didn’t believe him. He is a great guy and can shoot the ball. I remember when I heard rumors that he would join the national team, I expected an arrogant guy. The type of guy that won’t listen to the coach or make the extra pass. But it wasn’t like that at all. He was very talkative and it felt like we had been teammates for 10 years. He was that clutch shooter that we needed. He was a real fun guy and so down to earth. I never expected that.

You played at Iowa (NCAA) from 2011-2015 reaching the NIT final in 2013. What memories do you have of this run hat you will never forget?

There were many great memories at Iowa. I remember traveling to New York and playing at Madison Square Garden. But my most memorable moment was having the fortune of having three senior nights. It was great to have the extra opportunity ton play and be together with my teammates.

You played three seasons with current Euroleague Player Aaron White. Has his development and his rise up the basketball ladder surprised you?

No not at all. Aaron is one of the hardest workers I have ever seen. He wanted to be a professional player before he was a college player. He taught me how to act in a professional way. He is a very focused guy. He is all about family and friends, but then it’s all basketball. 

Was beating the mighty North Carolina 60-55 one of your biggest wins at Iowa? Playing against all those future NBA players who stood out the most?

What really stood out was their history. Winning against them was another big confidence booster. The size on the court also stood out. Every player on that team was versatile and was a NBA prospect. It was a very emotional game. Seeing all that talent on the court really opened my eyes to how much harder I had to work. J.P Tokoto and Kennedy Meeks stood out the most. I won’t forget how they were able to finish around the rim. 

How did head coach Fran Mccaffery groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

I remember coach holding everyone accountable. He would scream the same way to an Aaron White as he would to a walk on. He was able to get everyone established in their roles. He asked us to accept our roles and just be the best that we could be. Even if he would scream at you, he was the sweetest kindest guy. He spoke with great passion for life and really cared about his players. He must of screamed at me 1000 times, but it was all for a good reason. The day a coach stops screaming is the day he stops caring. Playing for him was the best thing that could have happened to me. I can’t thank him more for the opportunity.

Who won a one on one in practice you or Adam Woodbury?

Big Wood. Our games never ended because there were too many fouls. He helped me so much. He was the biggest player in the league. He made you think the game. When I played against him, it prepared me best against a big guy and when he played against me it prepared him best for an athletic guy. The contrast was perfect. He was also a cool guy off the court.

You played against many great players the NCAA, but who is the toughest guy that you battled ever on the court that made it to the NBA?

Cody Zeller was the toughest player I faced in the NCAA. I ran the floor a lot, but he ran the floor every time. He always attacked the rim and always finished around the rim. Another tough player to play against was Przemyslaw Karnovski of Gonzaga. I couldn’t move him. He was my teammate last season and he always reminded me of our last college game about how tough he made life for me on the court.

If you had to pick your personal favorite starting five of teammates over the years which players would you chose?


Anthony Clemmons, Peter Jok, Aaron White, Suleiman Braimoh, Ian O’Leary

If you had to construct your very own NBA mount Rushmore which 4 heads would you pick?

Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Magic Johnson, Shaq

What is your personal opinion about the never ending debate of who is the greatest between Michael Jordan and Lebron James?

This is a tough question. I grew up watching Lebron James, but I have seen Jordan play. I would have to pick Lebron.

What was the last movie that you saw?

Captain Marvel. I love Super Hero movies. This one was pretty good.

Thanks Gabriel for the chat. 

Elias Desport is a 26 year old 203cm forward from Stockholm, Sweden that completed his first season in Germany with the EN Baskets Schwelm (Germany-ProB) averaging 6,3ppg and 4,6rpg. Last season he played with A. Desportiva Sanjoanense (Portugal-Proliga) playing 13 games averaging 13.2ppg, Reb-1 (10.9rpg), 1.3apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 56.8%, 3PT: 11.1%, FT: 43.8%. He began his career with KFUM Blackebergs IK (Basketettan) and also played with Taby Basket (Basketettan). He then lived 4 years in the states playing with St.Peter’s (NCAA) playing 119 NCAA games. He spoke to germanhoops.com after the 2018-2019 season.

Elias thanks for talking to germanhoops.com Despite getting swept by the Bayer Giants Leverkusen, how proud are you of the extreme hard effort the team gave in the series?

I think we played some of our best basketball all season in Game 1 against Leverkusen but it simply wasn’t enough. They’re a great team and they are well coached. I think they have a chance to win it all this year. 

You guys came really close at the end and could of forced a third game had German Niklas Geske hit the last three. Do you feel like winning that second game could have made the big turnaround in the season?

I guess that’s just one of those ‘What If’ scenarios that will never truly know the answer to. But we all know the competition gets better and better the closer you get to the finals. 

The EN Baskets Schwelm really played the Bayer Giants Leverkusen tight in the series. When looking back at the series what do you think was key for them being able to advance?

They had a deep team and they seem to play well together. They only lost one game all year so clearly they had the blueprint figured out. They also have a lot of size and it was hard for us at time since we were one of the smaller teams in the league. As I said before, they are well coached too and disciplined. 

You played your first season with the EN Baskets Schwlem. How would you personally summarize the team season. Would it be fair to say that the team played it’s most successful and best basketball at the start of the season? 

I think we were inconsistent. We never really figured it out and we never truly played together with the exception of a couple of games maybe. And I would say that we played our best basketball in Game 1 of the playoffs. 

The team ended 2018 well with a three game winning streak, but then began 2019 slow with a four game losing streak. Why do you feel couldn’t the team keep it’s winning ways going into 2019?

This goes back to what I said before, we were inconsistent and therefore, we had some good stretches and some bad stretches. We were also hit with some tough injuries throughout the season, that didn’t help our situation. 

What do you feel was the season highlight for you? Possibly winning the derby game against Iserlohn or against top farm team Bernau?

Season highlight for me was definitely playing against my old college teammate, Quadir Welton. That was a fun game for me because we were both going at it back and forth. It’s always fun to see how much both of us have improved our games and I’m truly happy for his success at Bernau. It seems as if he’s ended up in a great situation. 

If you had to choose the toughest player that you battled in the Pro B this season who would you pick?

Pro B really has a lot of big guys that are tough to play against. Schmidt from Itzehoe was a lot to handle in the post, Mallory from Iserlohn always made me work hard on defense, Turudic from Sandersdorf was a very skilled and mobile big and Watkins from Dresden was athletic, it was unfortunate that he had to leave. 

Let’s talk about your teammates. How much of a pleasure was it playing with German Niklas Geske? After five years in the BBL, he took a radical step backwards and destroyed in the Pro B. What did you enjoy most about his play?

‘Nick’ has super quick feet and he can get into the tightest spaces on the court. He probably has the quickest feet I’ve ever seen on a guard. He was tough to guard coming off the pick and roll, especially for bigs in our leagues. 

How did you experience talented German Jean Louis Marley this season. How important was he for the success of the team and what will you never forget about his presence on and off the court?

Marley is a good shooter and plays very physical and we needed him to space the floor and knock down shots for us. 

How did you see the game development of American Erik Durham? What did you learn to appreciate the most about his game?

Erik plays at his own pace and his game is very smooth. Some of the guys on the team used to call him the ‘Silent Assassin’ because he was one of the most quiet guys on the team. But he’s also very unselfish, I think that’s one of the things I appreciated the most. 

How vital was it having Dario Fiorentino as a teammate. He was another guy with massive experience. How vital was he for you getting a grip on German basketball?

Dario was the oldest guy on the team so he was very vocal and always talking a lot. 

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

I’m not content at all. I worked extremely hard this summer, basically working out 2-3 times a day, 5 days a week since May and I was hoping to have a breakout year to really improve my stock going in to the following season. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. 

You’re a player that can impact the game in many ways. You did that in many games, but then in other games you didn’t show it always on the stats sheet. Do you feel you impacted the game on a consistent basis this season?

No, not at all. It’s difficult to have an impact on the game when one is not playing consistent minutes.

You were the sixth most efficient player on the team and did a good job mostly in the minutes you got. How do you feel did your game progress this season in the minutes that you got?

Really? I didn’t even know that. I just tried to go out there and do the best I could in the minutes I got. But like most players, it’s hard to be productive when one can never get into a rhythm. 

You’re a player that expects nothing for free and is always working hard in the gym. On what parts of your game did you work the hardest on in Germany and where did you see improvement the most?

I think I grew mentally this year. I did a lot of things off the court to improve the mental side of things. I read books, meditated, kept in touch with a mental coach that helped me out a lot, etc. I learned to accept things for what they are controlling the things that I could control. 

You had many good games, but what was your own personal favorite game? Perhaps your 14 point game in the win in the derby against Iserlohn?

Statistically speaking, it would probably be the Iserlohn game or the first game against Wolfenbutell. But like I said before, my favorite game was playing against ‘Q’. 

What is the next step for you? Could you imagine remaining in Germany playing Pro B or Pro A?

I have no idea what the next step is for me. Obviously, you want to continue to ‘climb the ladder’ every year and play at a higher level. Pro A would definitely be nice and I could even see myself playing in the Pro B again if I end up in a better situation. 

If you had to name your five best teammates of all-time which guys would you pick?

Desi Washington, Marvin Dominique, Tony Hicks, Trevis Wyche and Quadir Welton.

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? 

It’s possible, but as of now, I’d say that Mr. Nowitzki has that award. 

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

I don’t like to engage in that GOAT debate because I think it’s stupid and that’s all people do nowadays. I think we get so caught up in debating greatness and who’s better rather than appreciating the greatness that we are seeing. 

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

I don’t really see how one can even begin to compare the two, basketball and football are two completely different sports. That makes no sense to me. 

Do you think that the New England Patriots and Tom Brady Can Win A Seventh Super Bowl and where would Tom Brady then stand with the greatest athletes of all-time?

I hate to say this because I can’t stand the Patriots but as long as TB is in New England with Coach Belichick, they’re going to be contenders. 

What was the last movie that you saw? 

Green Book. Amazing movie! A must-see! 

Thanks Elias for the chat.

                               The last hurdle in the direction of reaching the 2019 NBBL Top 4 in Jena has arrived as usual a lot of the known big name teams are close to getting back to winning the title like powerhouse Alba Berlin who are defending champions, 2017 NBBL champion FC Bayern Munich as well as past winner Breitengussbach and the always dangerous IBAM that produced current Stanford(NCAA) standout Oscar Da Silva. Then there is also Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners that belong to the top youth programs having won the JBBL(U-16) title in 2016 and last reached the NBBL final in 2015 losing to FC Bayern Munich. This season they are stocked again with overwhelming talent like their two athletic wing players Len Schoormann and Maxi Begue that fly to the rim with ease the way birds do knowing when it´s time to fly south for the winter. But before they could book their ticket to the NBBL top 4 in Jena, they had to get past the always tough AB Baskets from Berlin. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners had an easy time in the first round of the playoffs with the Piraten Hamburg sweeping them smoothly averaging 94 points in the series on the offensive end and allowing only 51 points on the defensive end improving their season average of 57 points. The AB Baskets came into the quarterfinal series having had a solid regular season where they swept defending champions Alba Berlin and in the first round of the playoffs disposed of the Metro Baskets Ruhr with little difficulty. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners had home court advantage and came into game one confident, poised and ready for battle, but surely didn´t expect such a tough fight as the AB Baskets stole game one 87-81 and can wrap the series next weekend at home to reach the NBBL Top 4 in Jena. The AB Baskets played a spirited game with a lot of intensity and just never backed down in any situations against Frankfurt and exploded with emotions at the buzzer as if they had won the 2019 NBBL title. After the game AB Baskets top German player Max Stolzel who produced only 8 points, but made big plays in crunch-time was thrilled about the huge win and also comical. “One can classify this win as an upset. We have had these type of wins this season as we also beat Alba Berlin twice. Our coaches did a very good job scouting. Frankfurt gave us problems in the first half, but we played a lot better in the second half. At the end anyone could of won. There were two talented teams and we just had more luck hitting shots. I really like the Frankfurt team, but they have many young players and have two more years time. We have many guys leaving so please let us get to the top 4 this year”, smiled Max Stolzel. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners seemed shocked as the buzzer sounded as they surely never dreamed that they would lose this game, but they didn´t have a good day. Their defense wasn´t their old self as they gave up 30 points more than their season game average and their other strength press wasn´t used the way they would have liked. “We started well, but then let up. We didn´t play well against their offense. They wanted it more than we did”, warned Len Schoormann.

                Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners started off well, but the AB Baskets found their rhythm in the latter part of the first quarter and trailed Frankfurt only by 6 points after 10 minutes. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners got going quickly hitting the AB Baskets for a 11-1 run. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners did a great job attacking the boards and beating the guests with their game as they were the fifth best rebounding team in the NBBL. Ex Cologne youth player Jordan Samare scored twice, 16 year old ex BC Darmstadt guard Len Schoormann dropped a trey and captain Alvin Onyia made a steal and went coast to coast for the basket. The rapid start by Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners was nothing new for them as they had had leads like this all season long. Frankfurt had a good rhythm and played their usual aggressive defense and especially Leon Pullen played excellent defense on guys like Leonard Hampl who had some inches and kilos more. The AB Baskets finally got their first field goal at the 5,55 minute mark from 19 year old 187cm point guard Laszlo Cavalar. Frankfurt then struck as ex BC Darmstadt guard Maxi Begue scored with a lay in for the 13-3 advantage. But the AB Baskets finally got their ball movement going and hit some big shots as well as eluding their press.  Cavalar nailed another trey as did 18 year old German Ben Post who prefers the mid distance shot, but hurt Frankfurt on this afternoon with his trey as Frankfurt suddenly led only 15-11. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners got some big three point production from Schoormann and from captain Alvin Onyia who isn´t known for his outside shooting coming in at 19%, but drilled one home. But the AB Baskets matched Frankfurt´s precision shooting as Post had the hot hand and nailed two more, but Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners led 25-19 after one quarter. “We played our game well at the start and gave gas, but then just let up”, stressed Len Schoormann. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners shot 47% from the field and 57% from outside and had 12 rebounds and 2 turnovers while the AB Baskets shot 43% from the field and 50% from outside and had 7 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

                The AB Baskets began the second quarter strong getting their first lead of the game, but gave it up in the latter part as Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners erased their inconsistency and played a lot better at both ends of the floor stealing the lead back. The AB Baskets spanked Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners with a swift 8-0 run to gain their first lead of the game29-25. The AB Baskets mister everything Max Stolzel wasn´t a factor, but the club had other guys step up like Ben Post who refrained from his three in the run and scored twice in the paint. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners continued to be punished with their lax one on one defense and coughed up the ball while the AB Baskets looked confident and were hitting shots. A three by Schoormann didn´t scare the AB Baskets as they continued to execute and get good contribution from their bench from the Friederici twins. Athletic shooting guard Marc Friederici hit a trey and made a steal and went coast to coast for the lay in and 34-28 advantage. Basketball will always be a game of runs and Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners then demonstrated it best going on a swift offensive frenzy going on a 11-0 run to retake the lead 39-34. In the run, they got vital production from Maxi Begue who used his biggest weapons his mid range and driving game scoring three baskets in a row. Schoormann dropped another trey and Pullen scored in the paint. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners kept the momentum down the stretch getting another bucket from Begue and Schoormann while the AB Baskets got another trey from Marc Friederici and Post lay in. Schoormann had his own heroics as he scored at the buzzer with a lay in as Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners led 49-42. “Our offense was working better. We were playing quicker and getting out on transition better”, stressed Len Schoormann. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners shot 50% from the field and 38% from the three point line and had 21 boards and 5 turnovers while the AB Baskets shot 45% from the field and 44% from the three point line and had 16 boards and 7 turnovers.

                The third quarter was an exciting back and forth battle as there were 6 lead changes, but Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners had the very slim 68-66 advantage after three quarters. The AB Baskets were wide awake and hit Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners with a quick 7-1 run to cut Frankfurt´s lead to only 50-49. The AB Baskets received two quick baskets from their only true big man 202cm German Leonard Hampl and also got a basket from 18 year old German 197cm forward Leonik Wadehn. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners continued to have no cure for their inside defensive woes as the AB Baskets got easy baskets. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners had some fortune going on a mini 4-0 run as Begue made a quick steal at center court and made a hard one handed dunk. That was followed by a trey from 2017 JBBL finalist Calvin Schaum who began his career at TG Hanau lifting Frankfurt to the 57-49 lead. But the AB Baskets offense was flowing and executing as they let the long ball fly and got trey´s from Stolzl and Cavalar while Oniya hit another three, but Frankfurt still led 58-55. Both teams then played trading baskets and leads as Post hit a three which was followed by a Pullen lay in. Schoorman then answered with a massive block on Post which led to a Begue fast break basket and 62-59 Frankfurt lead. But the AB Baskets just continued to chip away and execute as the Friederici twins went on a 5-0 run as Vincent hit a trey and Marc made a floater recapturing the 64-63 lead. Onyia gave Frankfurt the lead back with a coast to coast sprint and lay in only to see that lead erased by a Stolzel off balance shot. Schoormann closed out the third quarter with another basket at the buzzer nailing another three as Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners led 68-66. “They hustled very well and we couldn´t come to terms with that. We were slow on transition and didn´t respect or get on their three point shooters”, added Len Schoormann. “We played good one on one defense and just continued to fight hard”, added Max Stolzel. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners shot 52% from the field and 42% from the parking lot and had 27 rebounds and 11 turnovers while the AB Baskets shot 48% form the field and 46% from the parking lot and had 24 rebounds and 10 turnovers.

                Both clubs gave it a great fight in the fourth quarter, but it was the AB Baskets that simply wanted it more and made the bigger plays and executed better at both ends of the court. It also didn´t help Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners cause getting out on a horrible start diming their confidence and heightening that of the AB Baskets. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners stopped the AB Baskets first two possessions until Wadehn scored to dead lock the game at 68-68, but Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners was stomped on their first 8 possessions, but the AB Baskets couldn´t take better advantage of it except for two buckets. Vincent Friederici made an amazing circus shot for the 70-68 AB Baskets lead. In the first quarter Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners was beating the AB Baskets at their game on the boards and in the first minutes of the fourth quarter the AB Baskets were playing the kind of aggressive consistent defense that Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners couldn´t play on this day. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners finally got their first field goal of the fourth quarter with a Jordan Samare offensive rebound and put back at the 5,18 minute mark. The AB Baskets rolled out on a quick 5-0 run to lead 75-70 as the Friederici twins did damage again as Vincent made free throws and Marc nailed a high rainbow trey. “At about the seven minute mark, we stressed that we wouldn´t loose this game. We left at 9am this morning and weren´t going to lose this game. This could have been the turning point had they made a few trey´s, but lucky for us we went on a run until the end”, stressed Max Stolzel. From this point on the AB Baskets played very smart and always had an answer when Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners threatened. Begue made a runner and Schoormann made three free throws to cut the AB baskets lead to 77-76. The AB Baskets stayed calm and executed their offense well. Hampl made a lay in getting a no look pass form Ben Post for the 80-76 advantage. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners didn´t give up getting a pretty turn around shot from Pullen and Onyia free throw to cut the AB Baskets lead to 80-79. Cavalar then nailed a huge three with 43 seconds remaining for the 83-79 AB Baskets advantage. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners couldn´t execute as the AB Baskets tightened up their defense and just made clutch stops. Schoormann free throws cut the AB Baskets lead to 84-81 with 21 seconds to go. Onyia then missed a trey and Stolzel closed out the game with free throws. “We never panicked. Cavalar made a huge three. We got stops and rebounded well. We were a bit more clever and made our free throws”, stressed Max Stolzel. “It was ok for Onyia to take that shot. Begue and I were closed down. “We didn´t communicate well and couldn´t close out the game. They wanted it more than we did”, stressed Len Schoormann. “I hope we shocked them a bit with the win. They will be very motivated in game two, but so will we. We want to go to Jena”, stressed Max Stolzel. The AB Baskets had 5 guys score in double figures and were led by Ben Post with 19 points. Laszlo Cavalar and Marc Friederici added 14 points a piece and Leonard Hampli, Vincent Freiderici and Max Stolzel added 11 points a piece. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners were led by Len Schoormann with 25 points. Maxi Begue added 19 points and Alvin Onyia contributed 14 points. The AB Baskets shot 45% from the field and 41% from outside and had 37 rebounds and 12 turnovers while Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners shot 43% from the field and 29% from outside and had 37 rebounds and 13 turnovers.

is a 26 year old 199cm forward that is playing his first season in the easyCredit BBL with the Telekom Baskets Bonn. In the BBL he is averaging 2,8ppg and 1,7rpg and in the Basketball Champions League he averaged 5,1ppg and 2,9rpg. Last season he played with PS Karlsruhe Lions (ProA) averaging 13,9ppg, 5,9rpg, 3,0apg and 1,8spg. Last season as a rookie he played with Vechta (BBL) and the Westchester Knicks (D-League). He was born in South Carolina and grew up in Frankfurt, Germany. He headed back to the states in 2008 and returned in 2016. He played at Pleasant Beach HS an dthen played for three NCAA schools with Rice, Rhode Island and E Kentucky playing a total of 125 games. He had his break out season as a senior at E.Kentucky (NCAA) playing 30 games averaging 17.9ppg, 6.8rpg, 3.2apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 53.4%, 3PT: 38.1%, FT: 78.4%. He spoke to germanhoops.com before the game against the Fraport Skyliners.

Jarelle thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and is hanging out at the Rhein river something you will do now when the weather gets warmer?

Hey thanks for interviewing me again I’m currently still in Bonn. I did go to the Rhein river over the weekend since we had great weather

Before we get to your current situation with the Telekom Baskets Bonn, let’s talk about the team’s season. The team is fighting for a playoff spot and competed in the Basketball Champions League this season. How would summarize the season to this stand point?

The season to this stand point has been a rollercoaster just like pretty much every basketball season. Our goals for each competition CL and BBL was to play in the post season which we did in the CL and now we want to accomplish that in the BBL as well

It has been a very interesting season for the club in the easyCredit BBL in that it has been completely up and down. It began the season with a three game winning streak then lost 8 0f 10 games and soon changed coaches. Then you won 9 of 11 games and currently have lost three of four games. You have had injuries, but why do you think has the team not been able to play at a more consistent rate this season?

I think that the league is so competitive and that at any given night anyone can beat anyone. We put down some great months winning a few games in a row and beating good teams. I think other teams had just better performances during certain games which we have to give credit to. Winning 9 of 11 games shows that we can be consistent when we show up focused and ready.

The club had to make a change and said farewell to head coach Predrag Krunic. Did the players lose faith in him during that first big losing streak

No we never lost faith in Predrag. He did a great job while he coached here. Losing streaks are part of Basketball we battled our way back and are now on course for the playoffs

How have you seen the further development of the club under new head coach Chris O’Shea? He has done a fine job making the adjustment from an assistant to a head coach. What have you appreciated most about his coaching style?


Coach Chris been in Bonn for a while and he knows the guys that have been there and has great relationships with everyone in the program. As a coach he pays close attention to details and makes it clear that the little things matter especially on a high level. He gives our guys a lot of freedom on offense but makes sure we bring it on defense as well.

The Telekom Baskets Bonn score a lot of points 86 on average, but also give up 86 points per game. A lot of the games you won were shoot outs. Why has the Bonn defense continued to be a work in progress this season? The club has very athletic and feisty guard defenders with Polas, DiLeo and Mayo. 

Those guys been great just like everyone on our team has been defensively. I think that’s an area we pride ourselves in. There has also been games where we held teams to low scoring. Sometimes the games become up tempo and with good players the scoreboard can run up quick. As long as we get the needed stops towards the end of the game and come up with a win we are all going to be happy.

It is a real dog fight for the last playoff spots as Wurzburg and Ludwigsburg are hanging on and at the playoff doorstep. The club has a tough schedule and the last home game against FC Bayern Munich could be the decider. How confident are you that the team will compete in the playoffs and what will be key to being successful in the last five games on the court?

I have confidence in us that we can make the playoffs as long as we stay focused. During the end of the season everyone is fighting for something and we have to keep doing the things that made us successful over the last months

The next game is against the Fraport Skyliners. They won the first game 83-79. What does it mean for you playing against the organization where you began your career with with Eintracht Frankfurt (2 regionalliga) in 2007. Do you ever wonder how your career would have gone if you would have stayed there a few more years instead of going to New Jersey?

It’s a regular game for me. We played against Frankfurt a few times now. I’m not sure how my career would have gone if I would if stayed in Frankfurt. But that team developed very good players so I’m sure it would also been a positive experience

The Fraport Skyliners have had a poor season and most likely won’t play in the playoffs bearing a miracle. The Telekom Baskets Bonn have another must win. What will be key to coming out with a win?

The key for tomorrow is to make them uncomfortable and take them out of their sets. They are very disciplined on offense and a gritty defensive team so our main goal is it to disrupt them

Let’s talk about your teammates. Josh Mayo is having another solid season and has been lighting it up from outside. He doesn’t always get the respect for his abilities maybe because he hasn’t been able to lead Bonn to a title. How valuable has he been this season for the team and will he ever get the deserved respect in the BBL?

Josh been great I think he got the respect he deserves from the players He’s very valuable with his shooting and his leadership

One of the big stories has been German Martin Breunig who has had his break out season after Charles Jackson was injured. What have you been able to appreciate most about his game and what do you feel has been most key in him having consistent success?

Martin is a guy who brings it every time with his finishing but also his passing has been great for us. I believe he’s always been that good he just took advantage of his opportunity with Charles having to sit out so long

The club recently got ex Euroleague player Nate Linhart who is as versatile as they get in the basketball business. What have you been able to soak up from his game in the short time that he has been there?

Just his feel for the game. Nate does so many little things that help our team win but his play making ability and basketball iq is what I soaked up the most while he’s been here

Let’s talk about your game. After a great season in the Pro A, you have struggled to get minutes averaging only 9,1 per game in the easyCredit BBL. How tough has this season been for you mentally?

It’s been tough not playing or having the role you want to have. But I think I improved a lot and I was able to show it the times I played a little longer. I understand it’s a process. I learned so much this season and I can’t wait to show it in the future

With what kind of expectations did you come into your first BBL season? Were they higher than the number of minutes that you have received?

I didn’t really have any expectations. I just wanted to come in early work hard and prove myself.

You have been efficient in some games like scoring 14 points against Bremerhaven and 8 points against Ludwigsburg. You have made the most of your chances in many games, but that didn’t help you get better minutes later. Obviously the team is stocked with talent, but do you at times feel like you haven’t got a fair chance of being able to play more minutes?

Like you said we have a lot of great players on our team. I did get my chances to play more and even start, I believe that I took advantage of the times where I did play more

How much of a learning experience has this season been for you. Despite the limited minutes, what positives have you been able to take from this season in your development?

I think I developed a lot physically. Our athletic trainer Yorgo does a great job. I did a lot of extra work with him after practice.

You averaged 15 minutes in the Basketball Champions league averaging 5,1ppg and 2,9rpg and have played very well. What kind of an experience has it been playing international club basketball and how has it helped your game most?

It was a great experience traveling around Europe and playing other good teams. I think just getting more playing time on that level improved my game a lot. There’s a difference playing in the Pro A and playing internationally

You have stated in a past interview with me that you always have a chip on your shoulder. After reaching a top league like the easyCredit BBl, does it make it easier to lessen the chip or do you have that phrase ‘once a chip always a chip’ in your thinking?

Yea that chip will always stay there. You can always improve and want more no matter how high you get. I’m in the first league now and I have new goals I want to reach and yes that chip is there

Please name your five best teammates of all-time including school and pro’s?

All my teammates are great I can’t just pick 5 everyone was special in their own way

Damien Lillard hit a crazy three sending the Oklahoma Thunder home. Why can’t Russell Westbrook lead his team to more success in the post season?

Damien was unbelievable all series and they couldn’t stop him

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

Lebron has the right to say that after all that he accomplished

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

No comment MJ is the goat

When all is said and done do you feel like Luka Doncic could become one of the greatest Europeans to ever ball in the NBA or will it be hard to surpass Dirk Nowitzki?

I think it’s hard to pass Dirk. He set the bar high but nothing is impossible

What was the last movie that you saw?

Walk Hard.

Thanks Jarelle for the chat.

Some habits and desires never change ove rthe years as somehow one will always love eating a hot dog at the ball park with all the works or remembering that first poster with that super model on the bed room or even getting autographs which tends to be a man thing. I remember getting my first NBA team the Houston Rockets during the 81 finals against the Boston Celtics and showing everyone at school the next day my crumpled piece of paper with Moses Malone´s signature. Getting athletes autographs became a huge hobby in the 80´s for me, but died down near the end of the decade and didn´t get reborn again for some reason again in 2012-2103 when I returned home for a visit to Boston. Since being involved with professional basketball for more than 15 years, seeing those professional players in Germany and having dealings with ex NBA players every so often, that autograph bug in me got hungry again. The hotel choices of the NBA teams had changed since back in the day, but I had the chance that short visit to relive encounters with two ex easyCredit players Brian Roberts who had made the jump from Bamberg to New Orleans and PJ Tucker from Bamberg to the Phoenix Suns. Brian Roberts even greeted me with the surprised phrase “what are you doing here”? I had interviewed Roberts some years earlier when he was leading Bamberg to BBL titles. I also met up with Tucker who remembered me from an Allstar encounter in Ludwigsburg in 2012. So what do these stories have to do with Maurice Ndour? Well when I was checking the Eurocup rosters of the Fraport Skyliners opponents this season, I was pleased to see the name of Maurice Nndour a guy I had seen a few years earlier in Boston when he had played for the New York Knicks. Usually it was ex BBL players that had gone to the NBA that I had seen again, but now I had this opportunity of seeing an NBA player again after he had returned to Europe. I also had that one experience when I got 2012 NCAA champion with Kentucky Darius Miller´s autograph in his rookie season with the Pelicans, then covered him in Germany when he was with Brose Bamberg and interviewed him in Germany and then saw him again this season back in the NBA. Now back to Maurice Ndour. I´ll never forget that late afternoon waiting for the Knicks to depart. As is often the case, the stars with Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose, Kristaps Porzingas and Joakim Noah went in a straight line to the bus not even hesitating to make the effort to turn their heads to the horde of autograph seekers hanging out behind the security belt. Even if Melo didn´t make a lasting impression on me in terms of his willingness to stop for a few seconds and sign for me, his play on the court definitely did for Ndour. “Melo is one of the greatest players the game has seen and he is even a better person. If you know me, you know I like to challenge myself and I don’t never back down. So one time we were on our east coast trip about to play the Golden State Warriors the next day and I challenged him up on a one on one. He beats me 7 to 2 and trust me during that whole time, he probably took 2 dribbles the most. He is one of the toughest players to guard especially on that low post, you are on an island with him”, stressed Maurice Ndour. II didn´t get any of the stars autographs, but had to settle for guys like Courtney Lee, Lance Thomas, and Kyle O´Quinn. Heck even two time NBA champion Sasha Vujacic who was about to step on the bus stopped and decided to come over as fans politely asked him to do so. Oh yes and then there was a tall guy with a salad in his hand who even bent down so he could fit into my selfie. His name was Maurice Ndour. I was so excited to see him again in Frankfurt and hand him our selfie and ask for his reaction. Unfortunately our new meeting would never happen as he didn´t make the trip due to an injury with his team Unics Kazan. I did get to interview him later when he was back in Russia, but just never got to meet him again in person. He played for two great addresses in his first two professional seasons with Real Madrid and the New York Knicks, but got lost in the mix, but with Unics Kazan now he is finally able to get minutes and feel wanted in the success of the team.

                Maurice Ndour is a 26 year old 206cm forward that was born in Sindia, Senegal and grew up in Mbour, Senegal playing football and basketball. He spent a good part of his young life in his home land Senegal, but then as a teenager got the rare opportunity to experience a total different lifestyle moving to Japan. He would live in Okayama which is about 100 kilometers north of Fukuyama. He would attend Okayama Gakugeikan high school and got to experience a new culture and lifestyle that very few Africans do. The ex NBA player still raves about his young teenager days in the far east. “They said the greatest gift you can give yourself, is the gift of traveling. Japan is like a second home to me. It helped me develop so much as a person and a basketball player than any other places I’ve lived so far. It was very important. I think it was the turning point of me believing that I could definitely play basketball professional. And as a person, the country has taught me what it really means to take care of one’s environment, to respect others, to always work hard and to never give up”, stressed Maurice Ndour. Even though he was an interesting young prospect, the African didn´t land in the NCAA right away and had to pay his dues first at junior college. He attended Monroe Coll. (JUCO) in New York City and got his first taste of basketball in North America. After his first season in 2012, he would only be 4 years away form the NBA via Real Madrid. If someone had told him in the summer of 2012 that four years later, he would be playing against the best players in the world and having daily conversation with Carmelo Anthony, he probably would of thought you were insane. “It would almost be unbelievable, but I had to see it for myself to believe it and back then I didn’t see myself playing at that level yet”,added Maurice Ndour. He was able to set his mark in the JUCO and was rewarded with playing in the NCAA in 2013 until 2015 with Ohio (NCAA) playing a total of 63 NCAA games. In his junior season, he played 34 games averaging  

13.8ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.6apg, 1.6bpg, FGP: 53.5%, 3PT: 32.7%, FT: 74.0%. In his senior season he was able to improve his points, rebounds and blocking as he played 29 games averaging 16.1ppg, 8.4rpg, 1.6apg, 1.1spg, 2.1bpg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 45.6%, FT: 77.9%. He remembers one game in particular where he blasted Buffalo for 31 points in a tight 63-61 win. “ We always had a tough battle against Buffalo but that game was one to remember. We won it by a touchdown pass from Antonio Campbell to me and I just turned around it and dunked the ball. It was incredible”, stressed Maurice Ndour. He will also never forget the one on one battles with Campbell in practices. “I think I had the upper hand back then probably due to him being young but if we had to do it now, I think it would be a fair fight, that kid is talented”, warned Maurice Ndour. In his senior season he scored in double figures in 25 games and registered 10 double doubles. He closed out his NCAA career in fine fashion as he averaged 25 points in his last four college games. He played at Ohio for only two seasons, but despite playing for two different coaches with Jim and Saul Christian, he was able to develop well and become the professional player that he is today. “It always hard to spend two years with two different coaches but I think they both prepared me for the future. Not only did they believe in me and put the ball in my hands a lot, they helped me understand the game and worked with me individually. I remember my first time on campus during the summer and Coach Jim Christian used to make me come early morning to do some individual workout with him before going to class. He was really hands on and available to the players”, stressed Maurice Ndour. He made the All-MAC 2nd Team in 2014 and 2015.

Before turning professional in 2015, he was already was able to compete against the best players in the world as he participated at the 2014 World Cup for Senegal playing 6 games averaging 5.8ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.3spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 23.1%, FT: 75.0%. His best game was scoring 13 points against the Philippines. In 2015 after leaving Ohio(NCAA), he played at the well known Portsmouth Invitational Tournament playing 3 games averaging 4.0ppg, 3.3rpg, 3.3 bpg, FGP: 30.0% and then played at the NBA Pro Summer League in Las Vegas for the New York Knicks playing 5 games averaging 9.6ppg, 4.8rpg, 1.0spg, 2.0bpg, FGP: 51.2%. He left a fine impression in Las Vegas and was signed by the Dallas Mavericks. He played pre-season for them, but had some major misfortune injuring his left knee and getting waived. After a few months of soul searching, he had to realize that the NBA was still a step too early, but what young 23 year olds can boast that they played their professional rookie season with Real Madrid one of the best clubs in the world. Ndour signed with Real Madrid in December 2015 and it would become an incredible challenging season filled with hardships. He came in mid season that was packed with incredible talent at every position and he found himself playing only 12 ACB games averaging 2.3ppg, 1.8rpg, and played 6 Euroleague games averaging 1.7ppg, 1.2rpg. Despite having such a tough rookie season, he stayed 100% professional and still was able to find positives from his rookie campaign. “I don’t think I have ever been that gloomy in my career. First time in Europe, playing for one of the best team’s and I didn’t really know what to expect. It was a struggle. I almost looked like I didn’t know how to play basketball. I was doubting myself and couldn’t really get the hang of playing basketball European style. Despite the fact that it didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to be, I was grateful. I quickly learned what it meant to be a professional, to always come in to work regardless of the situation and what you are going through, to have a strong mentality so you don’t get broken or frustrated. It’s never easy but after a while it becomes second nature, you learn to cope. I really appreciated the fact that they let me grow as a rookie and as a person. Being in different situations and getting out of my comfort zone is something that I always had to do and that I really value. I think it would be way different now, if I ever have a chance to wear Madrid’s jersey again”, warned Maurice Ndour. The African was able to get support from everyone on his team including top Euroleague player Trey Thompkins who battled against him every day at his position. “It always nice to have somebody that you can talk to and obviously that had more experience than me playing in Europe. So definitely he was a big help during my time in Madrid and so was everybody really”, added Maurice Ndour. Besides living in an amazing city, and playing against top competition every weekend, he also had the pleasure of witnessing the very early development of basketball wonder boy Luka Doncic. “He is such a joy to watch. I mean back then he showed flashes of what he could do and almost every time he had the ball in his hands, he will make the crowd go wow. I have witnessed him making defenders fall, making tough circus shots”, added Maurice Ndour.

After getting that first taste in Europe with Real Madrid, he made the trek back over the pond and split his sophomore professional season between the New York Knicks and G-League team Westchester. He showed his high basketball class with the Westchester Knicks playing 18 games averaging 14.7ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.2apg, 1.1spg, 1.4bpg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 27.6%, FT: 77.9%. He scored in double figures in 13 games and had three double doubles. His best scoring games were against Eire Bay with 27 points and 26 points against Grand Rapids. He also got his chance with the New York Knicks playing 32 games averaging 3.1ppg, 2.0rpg. His best games in the NBA was a 15 and 8 effort against the Memphis Grizzlies and a 13 and 12 game against the Chicago Bulls. “I think both games were amazing. In Memphis I started the quarter really hot scoring the first 8 points of the Knicks but I think against Chicago was more memorable simply because we won the game and my mother was there to see me play. So that was cool”, stressed Maurice Ndour. He got his feet wet in the competitive NBA and if he ever gets through the door, he will be ready for new challenges and knows that what he learned the first time around will help him the second time around. “It’s not easy being on a team and not playing much but if there is one thing that I took from that experience is that you always have to stay ready so you don’t have to be ready. You could get subbed in at any given moment and that can just be the chance that you have been waiting for, you have to cease the moment. I think any organization where there is a lot of money involved, is going to be about business first. A team might play somebody who is less talented than you but they pay him more money than you do so of course he will get more minutes, that’s just business and you can’t get caught up with that”, warned Maurice Ndour. He also wouldn´t mind battling against James Harden a second time around since he was his toughest cover and demonstrate what he had learned in Europe after his first tour of duty in the NBA. “James Harden is the first name that comes to mind. We played them in preseason when I was with Dallas back in 2015. My length speed and quickness was no match to him. He made tough shot after tough shot”, warned Maurice Ndour.

Ndour who has the legendary Bill Russell on his personal NBA Mt Rushmore returned to Europe in 2017 and chose the lifestyle and the cold winters of Russia suiting up for Unics Kazan (Russia-VTB). He played in the second best European international club league Eurocup and top league VTB. In the VTB, he played 22 games averaging 10.4ppg, 4.7rpg, 1.1spg, FGP: 68.8%, 3PT-3(50.0%), FT: 86.4%. He scored in double figures in 11 games and had two great games against N Novgorod with 30 and 24 points. He played 12 Eurocup games averaging 5.1ppg, 4.2rpg, 1.3spg, FGP: 42.9%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 72.2%. He had a 11 point seven rebound effort against top Turkish club Darussafaka. He had a solid season in Russia reaching the Eurocup quarterfinals and VTB Final 4. “I think my season highlight was in the playoffs against Nizhny Novgorid. We played a tough game on their court and we battled all the way to the end and came with the last shot to win the game on an offensive rebound fade away shot by Melvin Ejim, it really showed our character”, added Maurice Ndour. After having only a few professional seasons under his belt, the African already can name his personal favorite starting five of teamamtes with Drimir Ferguson , Jaycee Carroll, Luka Doncic, Andrei Nocioni «El Chapu” and Hamady Ndiaye decided to remain with Unics Kazan. There is also a very plausible reason why he did. Why get into another situation where he won´t be playing and contributing when he can stay put with Unics Kazan. “It’s just the fact that I am playing compared to when I was in Madrid or New York. I think being able to play and being a part of the team’s success, has made Unics Kazan special”, stressed Maurice Ndour.

This season Ndour and Unics Kazan have been enjoying continued success as the club continues to belong to the top teams in the VTB league and currently in second place behind the mighty CSKA Moscow with a record of 20-5. They reached the semi-finals of the Eurocup losing to eventual winner Valencia. The African describes what the secret to the success of the club has been. “I think the talent is here, no doubt about it but what makes us so special is that we almost had everybody back from last year and we had the same coach so there were no adjustments period. We are all familiar with the system and above all, I think we defend and play as a team, we move the ball pretty well and anybody on our team can pretty much read the game and make a play”, added Maurice Ndour. It also helped the team dramatically that they were able to add two great players with Pierra Henry and Erick Mccollum who could make the difference between a title and not. “I think Henry has been a great addition, one of the most selfless point guards I know. He has the ability to make unbelievable plays and get his teammates shots. Eric is not new to the European scene. I think he established himself winning a Eurocup and Eurocup mvp so his experience and scoring ability will definitely be needed for our team”, warned Maurice Ndour. Despite battling some injuries, his stats have been solid as in the VTB he is averaging 10,7ppg, 4,5rpg,and 1,3bpg while in the Eurocup he averaged 9,6ppg, 4,2rpg, 1,1spg and 1,2bpg. He has benefited greatly from daily duels with ex easyCredit BBL MVP Raymar Morgan who has been a force where-ever he has played in his career. “He got the skills of a point guard in a big man frame. I have been impressed with how he plays with his back on the basket. I like competing with him“, warned Maurice Ndour. Seasons. Maybe their paths will cross again in Europe or in the NBA, but for now the African big man is happy to finally be playing again and being in a situation where he can help and be a factor in the success of a team something he couldn´t do in Madrid or New York.

A few weeks ago the odds of the Dragons Rhondorf to remain in the German Pro B were minimal and about as possible as it is for NBA veteran Jamal Crawford to make another 51 point game in his career, but the club wasn´t totally down and out, but needed to play their best basketball as well as get a lot of help from the other teams to slow down Wurzburg. In that time the Dragons Rhondorf were alive and kicking and finally got some good production from more German guys like Bo Meister and the team seemed to have found their overall rhythm. Their two imports Zygimantas Riauka and Kwam Waller had carried them the whole season and now all of a sudden you had that third and fourth scoring option pull through and suddenly the club was having that long awaited success.  Better late than never? That is a fine phrase that you can use in many occasions, but the way the Dragons Rhondorf season went, that better late than never phrase should have come a few months earlier and if it had, the reality of their season and their future would most likely have looked a lot different. The Dragons Rhondorf season was alive and kicking on March 13^th, but now in mid April and the playdowns having ended, they are finished and have been trampled on. Had they won in Coburg instead of losing 99-90, then there season may have looked a lot different, but in hindsight Wurzburg did win the games they needed to. The last game in Coburg is one that top Pro B big man Zygimantas Riauka doesn´t look back fondly at. “We had some injuries going into the game with Kwam Waller being out and Julian Jasinski got kicked out. The officiating wasn´t in our favor. I grab the offensive rebound after being held down and I get called for the offensive foul. It was no fun playing in that game. We did what we could. We had many tough calls. We wanted to finish the season with a two game winning streak and did. Unfortunately  we couldn´t gather more winning streaks during the regular season. The RheinStars didn´t help us either”, stressed Zygimantas Riauka. After 20 years of competing in the second Bundesliga, the Dragons Rhondorf say farewell for now. It was a season to forget and there were substantial reasons why the club won´t be playing in Frankfurt next season, but in smaller locations like in Langen.

                The first big obstacles that the Dragons Rhondorf had to contend with was not only losing their top player Kameron Taylor, but losing three vital German players with Viktor Frankl-Maus, Thomas Michel and Valentin Blass. This was something they had to accept going into the season but never recovered from as it put them into a hole right away as that usual consistency was not being compensated by the other German players. That was a huge problem that kind of accompanied the Dragons Rhondorf all season long and in a way affected them on the court as well as mentally even if nobody really wanted to admit it. The season was a tale of two as one had the awful regular season, but then was rewarded at the end with a positive 4-2 playdowns record, but then again punished as it wasn´t enough. After the last home win of the season over the RheinStars one could see that Zygimantas Riauka was super proud of how his team performed in the playdowns and in the last win, but that overall concern for the future wasn´t there mainly because he will be moving on to possibly a top Pro B team or even pro A team or to bigger and better things in another country. Riauka left it all on the court each night and did all possible to put the team in a winning position each night. Even if the club will move down, the organization was enriched by his positive attitude and special character that rubbed off on everyone and his role model features were felt every time he was on or off the court. He reflected as best he could about the tough season. “We had an awful start and guys were being sent home. We struggled with finding our identity. The young guys then finally figured it out how to get wins. But when that did happen it was unfortunately too late”, stressed Zygimantas Riauka.

                The first problem right at the start was that the two young imports Raekwon Miller and Joe Mvuezolo were let go before mid October and  as other teams were finding a quick rhythm like Leverkusen, Schwenningen and Frankfurt, the Dragons Rhondorf seemed like they had to start all over as they had to look for new players and work on getting that team chemistry right which never did happen. Miller had been a very solid NCAA player at UNC Asheville, but a young rookie. It didn´t help that he was hurt and also had personal problems he had to deal with at home. He left after two games and Mvuezolo lasted only one game more and has bounced around his rookie season having played in Austria and currently with his second team in England with Surrey where he currently is averaging 7,6ppg, 4,5rpg and 1,2apg. Sometimes it just takes longer for players to get adjusted to the professional ranks. Perhaps it would have been more clever to have picked up two guys with more professional experience, but often it is like playing the slot machines as finding the right player for the right price and what you have in your budget is easier said than done. “Miller was a good competitor and a good guy. He had that killer mentality and we missed having that when he was gone. Mvuezolo was also a good guy, but was young. It just didn´t fit”, stressed Zygimantas Riauka. Kwam Waller was brought in and he proved that he was worth every penny as he was consistent and filled the stat sheet like a Russell Westbrook. A Waller and Riauka can only do so much, but if they combine for 60 points, but the rest of the 10 players muster only 9 points then you could end up losing more games then you want to. Anish Sharda also came in, but very much later. He had his moments, but didn´t score as much as the club would have liked. But he stepped it up in the playdowns also a bit too late.

                Two very important ingredients that Pro B teams need to be successful is to have very strong imports and very solid German role players. The Bayer Giants Leverkusen were a good example of having top import players Ron Mvouika and Nick Hornsby, and had very potent German players with Tim Schonborn, Alexander Blessig, Dennis Heinzmann and Marian Schick. The Dragons Rhondorf had talented German players, but youth and inexperience played a huge part for them not bringing the consistency and production that a Frank-Maus, Michel and Blass would have brought to the table. The organization had some talented guys like Julian Jasinski who has 26 BBL games and 10 Basketball Champions League games on his resume, Bo Meister who had gotten BBL experience with Bremerhaven, Yannik Kneesch who had years of Pro B experience with Speyer and Rhondorf and big body Alex Moeller who also had BBL and Basketball Champions League experience. Of the lot, Jasinski brought most of the production, energy and flair, but he also missed important games due to injury and games with BBL team Telekom Baskets Bonn due to his double license. Alex Moeller couldn´t improve his stats really and Kneesch upped his scoring a bit. Meister was solid with 7,2ppg, but all in all, the latter three just didn´t bring the consistency and what really hurt the team was that third and sometimes fourth scorer in double figures was missing on many occasions. The best example was in the playdowns where they lost to the RheinStars and only 9 points of the 68 points was scored by the team that wasn´t named Riauka or Waller. One couldn´t rely on consistent production from David Falkenstein and Joachim Koschade simply because they hadn´t had much Pro B experience. Falkenstein had his share of good moments giving the team energy and points, but one has to tip their hat to captain Koschade. A few years ago he had been playing Oberliga in Baesweiler and then came to Rhondorf getting a huge chance. Last season he averaged 0,7ppg and this season upped it to 5,3ppg. He definitely was the clubs most improved player. A guy that didn´t have the most talent on the squad, but definitely the biggest heart. Two other Germans who came on strong late in the season were 34 year old Lotola Otshume and the young buck Karl Dia. These guys made huge strides and made the most of their minutes. “No one really knew how to play with each other. A big problem was that when the players gelled, we lost players and then we had to start all over again which took it´s time to gel again”, stressed Zygimantas Riauka.

                The other major problem was the team defense. It was rated dead last in the Pro B at 24th giving up an average of 81,9 points per game. The team gave up 80 points plus 15 times. A big problem was that even when they were able to defend a little better, they still lost because they couldn´t put up enough points on the board. In seven games, they gave up between 70-80 points, but still lost. They finally put it together a bit more on the defensive end at the end of the season holding Wurzburg to 61 points in the last regular season game and in the playdowns had consistent outings against Coburg giving up 71 points and in the last game in the win against the RheinStars with 75 points. You don´t need the most talent when defending, but just have intensity and the will to want to stop your defender. The team had some very feisty and consistent defenders with Zygimantas Riauka who swatted away 1,4 balls per game and had 1,3spg. Kwam Waller was the leader on defense with 3,5spg and was a force making big plays on defense that led to transition points, but unfortunately his stellar play didn´t infect the other teammates. The other top defender was captain Joe Koschade who never gave up on a play. Even if he got beat on a play, he would return on the next play and erase his past mistake with a hustle play. He was not only the type of defender every coach dies for, but the character and mentality guy that the Dragons Rhondorf could have had a few more copies of. The two biggest sore points were the easy points allowed in the paint and just keeping your man in check as the one on one defense was often nonexistent. “We got beat a lot. Our help defense wasn´t very good, but it got a lot better in the last games. We had problems shutting down three point shooting teams no matter how bad they were”, stressed Zygimantas Riauka.

                Of course there were some good points in the season. The biggest and most exciting win was the 88-87 victory at home against the Lowen, where the Dragons Rhondorf stopped their last possession as the last 14 seconds felt like a few minutes as the guests had five chances, but couldn´t get the winning bucket. Other high points of the  season was having another top player in the Pro B for the third year in a row with Zygimantas Riauka who followed Kameron Taylor and Aaron Nelson. The continued development of captain Joe Koschade was refreshing and the capping of the end of the season with a 4-2 playdown record and winning three of the last four games. “The playdowns were great. We had team chemistry, everybody played their roles, and everybody sacrificed. It was fun playing together in this time. I will miss it”, stressed Zygimantas Riauka. So what is next for the Dragons Rhondorf? They will compete in the tough Regionalliga west. Of course the goal has to be to return after a season back to the Pro B. But that won´t be easy. The Regionalliga west is a very competitive league with some very traditional teams like Herten, Dorsten and Recklingshausen that all have Pro B experience as well as other strong teams like the two clubs from Hagen with BG Hagen and Hagen-Haspe or teams like Dortmund, Herford and Grevenbroich. It definitely won´t be a boring season for the Dragons Rhondorf, but one where they will have to be ready for. The question will be what route will they go? Will they concentrate on getting many EU players to force more of a return or concentrate on German players with a mix of an American and a few EU players. There is so much tradition with the Dragons Rhondorf, that the organization will work extra hard to construct a winning culture. CEO Alex Dohms is back on board after taking a short absence in the season. He is very motivated and focused to get the organization back on track. Zygimantas Riauka won´t be back next season, but is confident that the Dragons Rhondorf have a healthy future ahead of them. “They are a great organization with a great past. I hope that they will be able to gather themselves and see the big picture and continue to develop German players and grind themselves back to the Pro B where they belong”, warned Zygimantas Riauka.  The Dragons Rhondorf were alive and kicking ending the season with a 2 game winning streak and had only two all season long and they occurred in the playdowns. They may be done now after getting Trampled on all season long, but at least they ended the season in the playdowns alive and kicking with their much improved play. They will start the new Regionalliga season alive and kicking and give it their best because the Regionalliga west won´t be a cake walk and they will need all the energy to keep kicking. So they can be a top team and be alive at the end of the season and be ready to move back to where they belong in the Pro B.

Shaquille Hines is a 26 year old 203cm forward from Chicago, Illinois playing his third professional season and first with the Basketball Loewen Braunschweig (Germany-BBL) currently averaging 7,1ppg and 3,9rpg. He began this season with Yulon Luxgen (Taiwan-SBL) and last season played with ASA Koroivos Amaliadas (Greece-A1) playing 26 games averaging 10.0ppg, 5.4rpg, FGP: 54.5%, 3PT: 39.0%, FT: 71.4%. In his rookie season he played for Boras Basket (Sweden-Basketligan) playing 33 games averaging 11.2ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 51.2%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 75.3%. He began his career at UTRGV (NCAA) in 2012 and played 122 NCAA games in a four year span and as a senior played 30 games averaging 13.9ppg, 5.5rpg, 2.7apg, FGP: 50.6%, 3PT: 35.6%, FT: 74.4%. He recently spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball

Shaquille thanks for talking to germanhoops.com Your playing your first season in Germany with the Basketball Lowen Braunschweig. What kind of experience has it been for you playing for a surprisingly successful team?

My experience here in the BBL with Braunschweig has been great so far. I like it a lot here ,it took me a while to get adjusted with the team but now I’m more comfortable than ever. Every one plays their role and I think That’s why we have been successful.

What has been your impression of the easyCredit BBL? Last season you played in the competitive Greek League that has 4-5 very strong teams. Would you say the overall competitive level of the teams in Germany is higher than in Greece?

Playing in the BBL has been very competitive I think that’s the biggest difference from the Greek league. Is that every team from top to bottom is very competitive

It has been a roller coaster ride for the Basketball Lowen Braunschweig. You started off with a five game losing streak, then won nine of ten games, but then lost five of six games. Three of those loses were tight games. What did the club get away from in the last month that has caused them to lose more games?

Yes the season has been a roller coaster especially over the last 6 games. We went away from being completely locked in defensively I think, but every team in the league is good and are capable of beating each other on a good night.

The club will have to look very far back to see if they ever beat Alba Berlin and Bamberg in one season. The Bamberg win was huge, but what did the Alba Berlin victory mean to the team?

Yes those wins was vs Bamberg and Berlin were huge. We played great defensively those games. That game was great as a basketball player you live for games like that. We were excited after beating them

It would be huge if the Braunschweig could make the playoffs again. The league is tight and competitive. What do you feel will be most key for the team making the playoffs?

The key for us to make playoffs is to protect home court and get back locked-in on defense

Let’s talk about your teammates. How much of a pleasure has it been playing with Deandre Lansdowne? Where would the team be now if he wasn’t on board?

My teammates are great. We all bring something to the table that helps us win games. But Dre is great and he’s a PROFESSIONA.L I learned a lot from over this short time on how he approaches everything. We definitely wouldn’t be where we are with our him

Deandre Lansdowne came from the Pro B and has become a top easyCredit BBL player. His journey proves that guys playing in D-2 can make it to the top. Do you feel his chip on his shoulder still there now as he is enjoying success in Germany?

Yes the Dre story and grind is tremendous. But yes I think he still has a chip on his shoulder as we all do. As a basketball player you never want to get to high and never too low.

You have seen many great centers in Germany, but where do you rank Scott Eatherton? Is he behind Giessen’s John Bryant or do you see him as the best center in the league? 

For me I will say Scott is number 1, I’m bias because he is my teammate but he’s great he’s a work horse on the court. He’s so skilled and has great hands with a great touch. He is also a great teammate.

How much of a pleasure has it been being teammates with German Christian Sengfelder? How beneficial was him having an NCAA career helping him be the player he is now?

Christian has been great so far. playing NCAA has helped him a lot. He played against great competition and many pros during his time in college and that has prepared him for now.

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 203cm forward. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit that description?


I would compare myself to Luol Deng in his prime. I’m trying become a Jimmy Butler type player now That’s a hard question for me to answer lol

Talk a little about your strengths as a player and how your game has developed in Europe via your stops in Sweden and Greece? 

My strengths are that I am versatile. I am able to do many things on the court. I can guard and play multiple positions on the court

You have never shot under 38% from outside in a season as a professional. How confident are you that you could become a 40% shooter as a professional? 

I am very confident that I will become a 40 percent shooter. I work so hard towards it. I just have to take smarter shots

On what things are you working on most this season so you can continue to develop in a good way as a professional basketball player?


The things I’m working on the most this season is my shot. I want to become a 40 percent shooter and also my ability to drive and attack the basket and make plays for others

Last season you played with ASA Koroivos Amaliadas (Greece-A) playing 26 games averaging 10.0ppg, 5.4rpg, FGP: 54.5%, 3PT: 39.0%, FT: 71.4%. How important was your second professional season. You proved coming form the weaker Swedish league that you could make an impact in Greece. How did your game grow most last season? 

Last season in Greece I was determined to show that I can play at a top level I had to prove that too myself and I was up for the challenge I was focused and I worked hard that year to have a good season individually. My game grew just from the experience, experience is the best teacher

You played twice against top Euroleague teams Olympiakos and Panathinaikos getting crushed each time. You did have a strong 16 point 8 rebound game against the latter. What memories will you always have of playing against the two best teams in Greece? 

My experience from playing against Olympiakos and Panathinaikos was great those are the teams and level I one day want to play for. I will always have the memory that I played well individually against both clubs. That’s good for my confidence.

You were teammates with Kevin Langford. Do you remember ever hearing any stories about his brother Keith Langford who was an Euroleague star in Europe for many years? 

Yes Kevin Langford was a teammate of mine and I heard about his brother quite often while he was with us. His brother is a euro league legend is what I was told lol

In the summer of 2017 you played NBA Summer League with the Oklahoma Thunder. What kind of experience was this and which teammates and opponents impressed you the most?

Playing with the OKC summer league team was great. I enjoyed every minute of it. I learned so much in a short period of time. Domantas Sabonis was very impressive and he was so skilled and strong and athletic. Great guy as well

As a rookie you played for Boras Basket (Sweden-Basketligan) playing 33 games averaging 11.2ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 51.2%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 75.3%. What was your wake up call to being a rookie in Europe where you knew that you were very far away from home? 

As a rookie is Sweden my wake up call was the time difference not being to talk to your family on the regular basis.

What memories do you have of Swedish teammate Christian Maraker? How key was he for introducing you to the European game and what could you soak up from him most? 

Christian Maraker was a great player and teammate. I learned a lot from him as well. He was very smart. He invested in things to take care of his body, he ate healthy all time. Those are the main things I took with me

You played four years at UTRGV (NCAA) from 2012-2016 playing a total of 122 games. You were very consistent in your last three years. What were you fondest memories there? 

My fondest memories at UTRGV was developing as a player and getting that experience to play a lot. Like I said earlier experience is the biggest teacher I learned so much from just playing.

You had many great games in the NCAA, but was your 23 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks and 1 steal in the win against SE Missouri State one of your most memorable games there? 

Yes the game vs SE Missouri was one of my best overall games. That game showed the player I am and what I can do on the court.

How did head coach Dan Hipsher groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career? 

Hipsher made me mentally tough, He challenged me and made me better and forced me to get better. He expected me to show up every game and I thank him for that.

Who won a one on one in practice you or Dakota Slaughter?

Me and Dakota Slaughter never played 1 on 1 before but I would’ve murdered him easy lol

Who is the toughest guy that you battled in the NCAA that is in the NBA today? 

The toughest guy I battled In NCAA was Pascal Siamkam. He had a motor that didn’t stop and he was everywhere.

If you had to pick your personal favorite starting five of teammates over the years which players would you chose?

My personal favorite starting teammate is a tough one but I’ll go James Washington, Deandre , Quentin Decousy, Scott and Maraker lol

If you had to construct your very own NBA mount Rushmore which 4 heads would you pick?

Mount Rushmore MJ.Kobe.LBJ.Shaq

What is your personal opinion about the never ending debate of who is the greatest between Michael Jordan and Lebron James?

My opinion is the MJ is the greatest ever but my all-time favorite is Kob.e I grew watching and wanting to be him. So my argument is MJ or Kobe 

What was the last movie that you saw?

Bird Box.

Thanks Shaquille for the chat

It is usually normal procedure in the easyCredit BBL for two teams to meet only twice in the regular season, but sometimes those extra games pop up when teams get the luck of the draw in other competitions as the Fraport Skyliners and ratiopharm Ulm witnessed this season. This should have been only the second meeting between the two clubs, but instead it was already the fifth as they faced off early in the season in a cup duel that Frankfurt won 78-74 thanks to a combined 39 points from now departed players Erik Murphy and Brady Heslip and met also twice in the Eurocup. The Fraport Skyliners didn´t have much luck with the Ulm as they came into the last regular season season game with a 1-3 record. Frankfurt lost on the road 70-63 and then got crushed 83-68 in their training facility which was the first ever professional game that the Fraport Skyliners had to carry out in their home away from home BCM gym. The Fraport Skyliners also lost the first regular season game on the road 82-72 as American Dwayne Evans was on fire netting 20 points in the win. The Fraport Skyliners entered this contest in 12^th place and three wins away from the last playoff spot and had another do or die game while ratiopharm Ulm entered the game in sixth place only a win more than the eighth place team and also needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. On a beautiful Easter Monday spring day, both teams were hoping to have had their Easter Sunday meal digested and both were hungry for a victory, but only ratiopharm Ulm came to play destroying the Fraport Skyliners 91-63 for the fourth time this season. After a very convincing victory over Brose Bamberg three days ago, the 2000 BBL cup winner Fraport Skyliners stunk up the Fraport arena and left behind some rotten eggs for the fans as they couldn´t get anything going on both ends of the court. “We came out terrible. We didn´t have focus or intensity. Everything that we had against Bamberg we didn´t have against Ulm. When you dig a deep hole, it is always tough to come back no matter how talented you are, you will have a huge mountain to climb. We had way too many turnovers and no communication on defense. It seemed like they hit almost every shot. We weren’t there mentally or physically. You can have bad offensive days, but not bad defensive days”, stressed ex Georgetown guard Jason Clark. The Fraport Skyliners have been a welcomed and favorite target of ratiopharm Ulm as they have won four of five games and after playing them so often, it makes it easier getting a good handle on their plays. “We were very aggressive on defense. We were able to bother their guards which led us to go on transition and get easy baskets. We did a good job getting open shots and finding the open man and our defense gave us easy opportunities for transition baskets”, added ex Radford(NCAA) guard Javonte Green.

The Easter weekend wasn´t over yet coupled with amazing early spring weather, only 2,680 fans ventured their way into the Fraport arena. Frankfurt head coach Gordon Herbert had rising center Leon Kratzer back in the starting lineup, but left Jason Clark on the bench as a possible spark plug. On the first play the Fraport Skyliners seemingly did everything correct on the play except score as Leon Kratzer missed an easy give me lay up which served as a bad omen as scoring would be a big problem on the balmy afternoon. On the next play, Frankfurt defended tough and aggressively, but weren´t rewarded as German/Serbian center Bogdan Radosavljevic who was sporting a dark blond dew hit a desperation trey to give ratiopharm Ulm their first lead of the game 3-2. Frankfurt did a good job executing on offense on the next two plays as Tyler Larson scored in traffic and Kratzer made a hook shot, but Frankfurt trailed 5-4 due to ex Tennessee State guard Patrick Miller´s lay in in traffic. Then came the turning point of the game as ratiopharm Ulm upped their offense and defense crushing the Fraport Skyliners with a brutal 16-0 run to extend their lead to 21-4 which Frankfurt would never recover from. Ratiopharm Ulm did a fine job spreading the ball around getting good production from many heads. Ex Trier forward Dwayne Evans who fancies and knows how to draw fouls with the best of them nailed a trey, Radosavljevic hit a 20 footer, Green scored on a massive one handed dunk and ex Alba Berlin guard Ismet Akpinar made a lay in. ratiopharm Ulm´s offense was rolling and displaying great ball movement while their defense was giving Frankfurt big fits getting their guards of guard which led to turnovers. “They did a good job on ball screens and packing the paint. They are a very athletic team and guys have long arms that know how to get into passing lanes”, stressed Jason Clark. After almost six minutes played, Frankfurt finally got a field goal as Kratzer made an offensive rebound and put back. Ratiopharm Ulm closed out the first quarter in fine fashion and just continued to play aggressive defense which led to another dunk from Green, an Evans lay in and David Kramer trey from the corner. Jonas Wolfarth-Bottermann who would foul out in 11 minutes played finished the first quarter with a lay in with two seconds remaining, but Frankfurt trailed big 30-9. “We had too many turnovers which led to easy Ulm points which helped their rhythm and self confidence. They also had good ball movement. When a team like that gets going, then it´s tough to stop them”, stressed Jason Clark. Ratiopharm Ulm shot 73% form the field and 60% from outside and had 5 rebounds and 0 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 36% form the field and 0% from outside and had 6 rebounds and 9 turnovers.

In the second quarter ratiopharm Ulm wasn´t as potent as in the first quarter, but due to their big lead were able to manage it well, while the Fraport Skyliners were up and down and had no real offense except from ex Auburn(NCAA) guard Quantez Robertson who got hot. Ratiopharm Ulm got on the board first with a David Kramer lay in, but the Fraport Skyliners then really poured it on going on a 13-2 run to cut the ratiopharm Ulm lead down to 34-22. Quantez Robertson became aggressive and hot scoring 11 points including three three´s. Leon Kratzer also scored a hook shot over two Ulm Players. Ratiopharm Ulm relied to much on their big healthy lead which led to some dumb mistakes which allowed Frankfurt to cut into the big Ulm lead. But Frankfurt would show just how up and down their season has been as their beautiful Tez run was tortured with a ratiopharm Ulm 11-0 run as suddenly Frankfurt was thrown back down into a deep hole as they trailed 45-22. In the run ratiopharm Ulm tore apart the paint area doing whatever they wanted scoring easy buckets from Miller, ex Marquette(NCAA) guard Katin Reinhart, Evans and Radosavoljevic. Jason Clark continued to have misfortune missing shots and when their shooting guard sniper has an off day then the Fraport Skyliners look like an ugly mess. Ratiopharm Ulm just didn´t let up executing well and establishing fine inside play with cutters and crisp passes that Frankfurt couldn´t stop. Down the stretch Jason Clark scored twice, but it didn´t help much in the Frankfurt comeback attempt as ratiopharm Ulm also executed well getting lay ins from ex Hawaii(NCAA) forward Isaac Fotu and from ex Michigan State (NCAA) center Gavin Schilling to lead 50-27 at the break. “My shot wasn´t falling, but I know that I can shoot the ball. There are always nights like that where the shot isn´t falling. Tez as always gave us a spark on offense and defense. We need to play off his emotions, but we didn´t”, stated Jason Clark. Rtaiopharm Ulm shot 64% from the field and 44% form the three point line and had 13 rebounds and 5 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 42% from the field and 27% from the three point line and had 15 rebounds and 13 turnovers.

In the third quarter the Fraport Skyliners couldn´t get over the hump as ratiopharm Ulm always had that 20 point lead cushion. The Fraport Skyliners tried to go inside again to Leon Kratzer which worked again as he connected on a hook shot and lay. Kratzer had another solid game with 11 points and 9 rebounds on 56% shooting. At times he makes wrong decisions, but that is something common for a young player. For example in the first half, he was triple teamed and instead of kicking out the ball tried a desperation shot through the three man wall and failed. “He needs to understand that the way he is playing now and dominating that teams will throw more bodies at him. The next step in his development is being able to find the open guy on a consistent level. Once he can do that he will be a great player”, warned Jason Clark. The Fraport Skyliners couldn´t take advantage of the Kratzer buckets as their defense failed time in and time out allowing a trey to Evans and a Green jumper as Ulm still led 55-34. Frankfurt´s defense had taken a break the whole game, but so did ratiopharm Ulm´s as Frankfurt scored a lot easier, but couldn´t make any ground because of their unstable defense. In the past ratiopharm Ulm had let some teams like Crailsheim come back after leading big especially when their bench was in, but this didn´t happen in Frankfurt. The bench came up big and Ulm´s starters like Miller and Green had consistent games. Highly talented German national players Akpinar and Kramer combined for 20 points in the game. In the third quarter Kramer did a good job picking his spots and scoring twice while Akpinar scored in the paint. The Fraport Skyliners also got better offensive production as guards Clark and Larson hit runners, Zeeb went on his own personal Easter Monday stroll through the Ulm zone for an untouched lay in and Robertson continued to nail three´s left and right connecting twice, but ratiopharm Ulm still owned the commanding 70-48 advantage. “We knew that basketball is a game of runs and didn´t want to letup and just continued to do what we did in the first half”, stressed Javonte Green. “Coach Herbert told us the story of when his team was down 25 points to a Russian team in the Fiba Europe Cup and were able to come back. Everything is possible in the game of basketball and you just need to believe it. We all have to believe it. We can´t come out as individuals, but play as a team”, warned Jason Clark.

In the fourth quarter ratiopharm Ulm had their fourth consecutive 20 plus points quarter in the game while the Fraport Skyliners mustered only 15 points. Frankfurt did a good job executing their offense, but had no defensive stops. Frankfurt got good production from Kiel and Kratzer with baskets in the paint and Clark dropped a trey, but ratiopharm Ulm also showcased their amazing deep roster as Fotu scored three times displaying his knack for scoring in bunches. Ratiopharm Ulm also got a basket from Gavin Schilling as Dwayne Evans showed his unselfish play making the extra pass for the 78-55 Ulm lead. Down the stretch, ratiopharm Ulm never let up on defense continuing to force Frankfurt to costly turnovers while on offense their next weapon was ready to explode as Reinhardt hit for three three´s. The Fraport Skyliners couldn´t take that “team basketball” label form ratiopharm Ulm for their play as they opted for more one on one play. Finish national player Shawn Huff connected for two trey´s, but that was about all Frankfurt could muster in the last minutes. The German bachelor Andrej Mangold once again sat, sat and sat for the 40 minutes wondering when his time will come. 48 hours earlier he had had another Bachelor engagement in Vienna, Austria and missed a practice. His missed practices are obviously not going to help him get on the court any quicker. “We are a very deep team and when we play the way we do tonight then we can play with the top teams of the league. It was good to see Reinhardt knock down three´s. He was injured this season and for him to come back like that is huge. He is the type of player that when he hits one, then there is a good chance that the second and third will also fall”, stressed Javonte Green. “It continued to be tough seeing the way Miller and Akpinar moved the ball. They play very well together. Ulm is the type of team that when one guy isn´t hitting shots, then they have another guy that will. They were rolling the whole game and did a good job keeping the energy the whole game”, stressed Jason Clark. Ratiopharm Ulm had five players in double figures and were led by Katin Reinhardt with 13 points. Dwayne Evans added 12 points, 7 boards, 4 dimes and 3 steals, while Isaac Fotu and Ismet Akpinar had 11 points a piece and Patrick Miller added 10 points while the Fraport Skyliners were led by Quantez Robertson with 17 points and Leon Kratzer had 11 points. Ratiopharm Ulm shot 54% from the field and 38% from outside and had 32 rebounds and 8 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 41% from the field and 29% from outside and had 34 rebounds and 19 turnovers.

Virgil Matthews is a 35 year old 188cm guard from Federal Way, Washington that is playing his 12th professional season and fourth with the Niners Chemnitz. He has given his massive experience and helped the club reach the Pro A semi-finals and are on their way of getting to the BBL. Last season he played with the Nuernberg Falcons BC (Germany-ProA) playing 24 games averaging 8.3ppg, 4.0rpg, 3.9apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 50.5%, 3PT: 28.4%, FT: 71.4%. Two seasons ago he almost led Chemnitz (Germany-ProA) into the BBL playing 40 games averaging 9.4ppg, 4.2rpg, 4.8apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 63.0%, 3PT: 32.1%, FT: 86.7% He played at Montana (NCAA) and in his senior year played 31 games averaging 10.1ppg, 4.6rpg, 4.0apg, 1.7spg, FG: 49.8%, 3PT: 48.4%, FT: 76.1%. In 2006-2007, he turned professional and came to Germany and played for KICKZ Muenchen Basket (Germany-2.Bundesliga) playing 29 games averaging 18.0ppg, 6.1rpg, 5.2apg, 2.6spg, 2FGP: 57.3%, 3FGP: 31.8%, FT: 66.5%. In 2007-2008, he played for Tacoma Jazz (IBL). In 2008-2009, he returned back to Germany and played for Schwelmer Baskets (Germany-Regionalliga). In 2009-2010, he played for Olympia Reign (IBL) playing 28 games averaging 23.1ppg, 7.2rpg and for Seattle Aviators (NABL).In 2010-2011, he played his first season for Erdgas Ehingen playing 32 games averaging 11.6ppg, 5.3rpg, 3.6apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 57.6%, 3PT: 29.4%, FT: 71.3%. He would play until 2014 with Ehingen playing 126 games with three seasons in the Pro A and one in the Pro B. He spoke to germanhoops.com after the win against Ehingen.

Virgil thanks for talking to germanhoops.com You have met many people in you life, but where does the meeting of German chancellor Angela Merkel rank?

Its definitely up there. When you can meet the leader of any country it is a pretty big deal, and for me being in Germany for about 10 years it’s like a second home to me so meeting her was pretty cool.

She took a photo with the team after the win over Ehingen. Was there any other conversation with the team or was that all the time she had? 

We just took a photo no time for questions really. We also had just won an important game so we were also just pretty excited. 

If you were able to have a dinner with her what main topic would you love to have a conversation with her? 

I would of loved to ask her about her struggles to become a person in such a high position as a woman. Also, her thoughts about socialism, and what she thinks America could do better as a country.

Congrats on the super season that Chemnitz is having. There aren’t many faces left from 2017, but at first glance how is this season’s team different than two years ago where the BBL was so close? 


Thanks, I think we are more experienced than two seasons ago, we were more of a surprise that season and this year I think we saw our potential early and we haven’t looked back. The players that were here before have also gotten older and gained some experience. 

The team started off so well winning it’s first 12 games. How much of the early success can one only attribute to head coach Rodrigo Pastore considering that there were 6 new Americans on the squad? 

We only had 5 Americans we added on when we had injuries and once we got healthy we went back to 5 again. Coach has a lot do with our success. He works really hard and tries to put us in situations to be our best and to make everyone look good. He knows what he wants and pushes us to try to be at that level every day.

Even if the defense was solid in the winning streak what really stood out also was the offensive consistency and winning some close games. What did you attribute the early winning streak most to? 

I think confidence, we had a really good preseason and I think we just felt like no one could beat us. We carried that into the start of the season and we played well. I also think our depth is really big I think we have had 8 or 9 guys all lead us in scoring in a game, we are a dangerous team when you can’t just focus on stopping 1 or 2 guys. 

Around Christmas came a down time where you lost three of four games. The defense averaged 85 points per loss. What did the team mostly get away from in that losing phase?

I think after that first loss our confidence took a hit, but also we had had some big injuries and people coming back, it just threw our rhythm off a little bit. Rotations and things change and you’re playing with different guys and stuff like that, just took us some time to adjust.

In February the team lost two straight, but since have won three of four. You have four games remaining with an easy schedule. How confident are you that the Niners will win the Pro A regular season?

In this league this season there isn’t a such thing as an easy schedule anyone can beat anyone. With that being said we plan to stay focused and finish the season strong, I’m very confident that we will finish the regular season in 1st. 

You split with Rostock and did the seemingly impossible winning in their place. You have seen many Pro A arena’s over the years, but how special does their basketball culture seem to be there? 

They struggled at winning at home early in the season, it is a really nice atmosphere there, but I don’t know if their basketball culture is better than other teams in the Pro A such as ours here in Chenmnitz or a place like Trier, but I think maybe they felt some pressure to want to be so good there early on and they just couldn’t get it done, but they have gotten better and played really well. 

You have played under Rodrigo Pastore before. How do you feel has his coaching developed further than two seasons ago? He is two years older and has more experience and now must be ready to land in the BBL. 


I think he has grown and gained experience just like all of us players. They had a rough season last year after two really good ones, I know he’s probably harder on himself than he should be for that, but I know he’s always putting in effort and trying to improve not only the team but himself as well. I think that is a big reason for the success is his focus on always improving not only the player but himself as well. 

Let’s talk about your teammates, Last season Malte Zigenhagen led the team and he is doing it again. How has he developed this season and is he ready to lead this team in the BBL next season? 

Malte is a knockdown shooter, if he’s open its pretty sure to go in, we all have the most confidence in him. He’s also added to his game to work on becoming a more complete player, he improves on that every day. I think he has made huge steps in leadership, he’s the captain of the team and I think everyone is behind him and that is important and you don’t always see that from the German players in the Pro A. It will be nice to see him in the BBL. 

How important has American Kavin Gilder-Tilbury been for the success? He had a tough Pro A rookie season with the RheinStars. What kind of player has he become this season having this winning culture present?

Kavin has been really important for us, he’s won us some games with his ability to score, there are times no matter what teams do they can’t stop him. I don’t think he even knows his potential sometimes. He can do everything on the basketball court. I think those are the players any coach would want or would take. 

Talk about the worth of the two Germans Robin Lodders and Jonas Richter? These are two players that have been infected positively by the winning culture and have been important offensive players. What have you appreciated most about their games? 


Both guys are so important for our team. Robin has improved a lot from what I saw in the one game where I played against him last season. I feel like he makes every shot when he’s in the paint. Jonas is another guy who has no idea his potential. He has NBA level talent he can do everything on the court. I think he will end up at a very high level by the time he finishes playing. 

Let’s talk about your game. Your 35 year old and in your eighth Pro A season. I’m sure you can remember how you were feeling in March in Ehingen years ago. How do you feel now and does you body feel a year older each season as the playoffs slowly approach?


I’ve been really focused on trying to keep my body healthy whether it be from eating or treatment or whatever so that when playoffs come I’m ready. I definitely feel older though. Games are exciting though and my adrenaline gets me through it even when I don’t feel great. Surprisingly though my body has felt good I even feel a little better than I did at the end of last season. 

You said in our last interview that I’m ok with any situation as long as we’re winning. I think I can be effective in any role I’m put in. I don’t really look at minutes or things like that’. Have you been surprised at having averaged 27 minutes this season? 

I think everyone is surprised at the minutes I’ve had to play. Again we’ve had injuries. I think that more than anything else has been the reason I’ve had to play so much. I’m ok with the playing time though we play well when I’m on the court I think, and I think the guys all trust me so that makes it easy. 

Your filling up the stat sheet well. How happy have you been with your play? Your averaging close to six assists per game.


I’m satisfied with my play but there are always things I can do better. I had a bad shooting stretch in the middle of the season so that’s always frustrating but passing and reading the game is something that I’ve always been able to do well so the assists aren’t so much of a surprise for me. 

How has your communication been with head coach Rodrigo Pastore this season on and off the court? Do you sense like that a coaching job could be something for you down the road? 

I would love to coach down the road for sure, I don’t know where or if it will happen, or when! Coach definitely has taught me things that I think I will carry on into my coaching career when I start. We have a good relationship, I think we think sometimes very similar so we don’t have to communicate too much and we both know what the other is thinking. It is a really good relationship I’m lucky that I’ve had the chance to meet him and be coached by him. 

You also stated in our last interview that you would do anything for the win, but wouldn’t hope that you would have to be a consistent scorer. You showed against PS Karlsruhe that you could lead the team with 22 points. Do you feel like there is still that switch that when you get the green light you can go off on anyone?

Hahah, I don’t know if there’s a switch, but I think that game against Karlsruhe just put me in a situation to have to do that we didn’t have many players available and they did some things defensively that I thought helped me be more aggressive, and I also made a couple of outside shots which helped, but I still stand by my statement I would rather not have to do that every game! 

Against PS Karlsruhe you had 22 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists in 35 minutes. You had triple doubles in your Pro A career against Leverkusen, Nuernberg and Ehingen. Early in your career you achieved one triple double with Ehingen. How crazy is that being so close now at age 35. Even if you don’t shoot for triple doubles, does a performance like this give you added fire to possibly continue wanting to play some more years? 

I think its very crazy to have stats like that at 35 but I think with my understanding of the game I can do some things on the court better with my mind which allows my body to not have to do so much. As far as still playing who knows I just go on how I feel and how my mind feels while in the off season, but games like that lets me know I can still do it if I want to. 

You said in our last interview that you have to work harder now at age 35 to be able to stay at the level at where you are now. What do you appreciate about playing the game most now than say when you were at the start of your career with Ehingen? 

I appreciate wins more. It is a lot a sweeter to win when you never know when your last game will be. When you are young you feel like you can play forever, but as you get older you value wins more and time hanging out with your teammates. 

You have seen Ehingen’s big man Kevin Yebo the last two seasons. Three years ago he was an unknown player in the German Regionalliga. How have you watched his game develop and when will he be in the BBL? 

I have heard he is a hard worker which would explain his development, I still think he has some big holes in his game that he has to improve before he is able to be an effective player in the BBL but his talent level is hard I hope he continues to work and gets that opportunity to play at the next level. 

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

Ajay Calvin I played two season in Ehingen with and in Chemnitz Chris Carter in Chemnitz Joe Lawson in Chemnitz Kavin Gilder-Tilbury this season Dan Oppland last year in Nuernberg. I gave 6! That’s a hard list to make there’s been so many teammates over the years 

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? 

Definitely he reads the game so well watching him the past two season in Europe I knew he would be special in the NBA. It’s good to see him doing well! 

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

I think all great players think that way especially when they are still playing he is incredible. He’s probably not wrong either. 

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

I don’t think I do I think Michael among his peers was so highly revered as not only a great player and winner but also one of the best talents at the time. I think a lot of people wouldn’t say those things about Tom Brady but he is a great player and a great winner. 

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

There will be no arguments about his greatness as a football player if he wins again. It’s just hard to give so much credit to one person on a football team.

What was the last movie that you saw?

The Sisters Brothers interesting film!

Thanks Virgil for the chat.

is a 24 year old 198cm guard from Hyattsville, Maryland that is playing his third professional season and first with Pecsi VSK-Veolia (Hungary-A Division) currently averaging 18,3ppg, 7,8rpg, 3,6apg and 2,4spg. Last season he played in Germany with the Dragons Rhondorf and tore up the Pro B averaging 23,4ppg, 7,9rpg and 5,6apg, and 2,6spg. As a rookie he played with Team Ehingen Urspring (Germany-ProA) playing 29 games averaging 10.8ppg, 3.9rpg, 2.3apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 43.9%, FT: 80.2%. He started his basketball career at DeMatha Catholic and in 2012-2013 started his career at Seton Hill (NCAA2) and as a freshman played 28 games averaging 7.8ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.0apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 40.6%, 3PT: 27.3%, FT: 70.0%. In his second season at Seton Hill (NCAA2) he played 27 games averaging 12.6ppg, 6.3rpg, 2.6apg, 2.0spg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 43.5%, 3PT: 35.3%, FT: 77.9%. In his junior season at Seton Hill (NCAA2) he played 16 games averaging 13.1ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.1apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 43.3%, 3PT: 39.6%, FT: 70.6%. In his senior year at Seton Hill (NCAA2) he played 27 games averaging 20.8ppg, 8.7rpg, 4.1apg, 2.2spg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 49.6%, 3PT: 36.1%, FT: 76.8%. He spoke to germanhoops.com recently about his new experiences in Hungary.

Kameron thanks for talking to germanhoops.com Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life at the moment for you?

I’m in Hungary playing my third professional season. Doing what I love, so no complaints.

Your playing your third professional season and first with Pecsi VSK-Veolia (Hungary-A Division). After playing your first two seasons in Germany in the Pro A, Pro B and BBL, you are now in the Hungarian first division. What kind of experience has this been for you?

The experience has been great so far. I am still trying to affect the game in all facets at a high level while winning in the process.

Has the Hungarian culture been an adjustment for you considering everything is pretty much Americanized in Germany?

Personally I love getting to know and embracing new cultures. It’s one of the advantages playing overseas. I get to make new friends and create new relationships while getting hands on experience with new traditions. So for me no, the adjustment was pretty quick.

Pecsi VSK-Veolia (Hungary-A Division) is in the middle of the pack and fighting to reach the playoffs. 

Yes. The league is very competitive. One or two games can decide if you are top of the league or bottom of the league.

The club started off very well winning six of seven games, but since then have a 3-9 record. What do you feel have been the main reasons for the club not being able to have more consistency?

I think we got away from what we were doing in the beginning of the year and that was playing basketball without thinking so much. We are at our best when we just make what we feel is the right play along with tough defense. I think we will end the season the way we started.

You lost two games by one point. Do you feel loses like that could mentally hurt the team more than it might ever realize?

Those losses are the worst feeling because one less mistake from anyone could determine the game a different way. But dwelling on a loss doesn’t help, so we focus on the next opponent and focus on getting the next win.

How confident are you that Pecsi VSK-Veolia (Hungary-A Division) has the talent and desire to reach the playoffs?

We will reach playoffs. No question.

Let’s talk about your teammates. How important was the pick up of Canadian Ryan Wright?. How key is his experience and what kind of an effect has he had on you since his arrival?

Ryan has played all around the world and played with some pretty big names in college as well. Him bringing that type of experience, along with his willingness to do anything to help us win has been great for the team.

What has it been like playing along side 38 year old Andrija Ciric who has played in many countries and won titles in four countries. What have you learned to appreciate most about his game this season?

His Longevity is amazing. For him to be at that age and still to be playing on a high level is crazy. What I appreciate most from his game is his competitiveness. He hates losing and you can see through the way he plays.

Let’s talk about your game. Last season you ended the season in the German easyCredit BBL with Wurzburg and demonstrated that you could play and hold your own in that league. Having offers in Germany why didn’t you stay in Germany and why did you opt to go to Hungary?

Hungary was the next step in my career. I’m always anxious to see my next step.

You have played in three leagues in Germany. Where would you rate the Hungarian A Division in comparison to the German leagues? Could one say it is somewhere between Pro A and Pro B in skill?

I think more in between BBL and Pro A, but regardless of league, if you can play basketball high level coaches/scouts will always be able to recognize it. I feel last year, the only thing different for me in Pro B and BBL was my role.

Last season with Rhondorf you were one of the oldest players on the team and now your one of the younger ones again. How does it feel being the team’s top scorer while being one of the younger guys on the team?

My coach brought me to the team because he knows I can score with the best. I do anything to win whether it be on the youngest team or the oldest team.

Last season you were the top Pro B player in Germany and was the main go to guy with Rhondorf. Do you have a similar role this season or do you feel like it is a bit different?

My role is pretty similar, the only difference is I have older players that have already been through what I have been through adding new moves and giving me advice/experience on what to improve.

Last season with Rhondorf you produced two triple doubles. This season you were very close once?. After getting triple doubles does one think about it during certain times of a game when one is producing all over the court?

Triple doubles are nice but has not really been important to me. The way I play does make it simple to get one but I’m not striving for a triple double I’m striving to win every game.

After you strong season last year where you went from the Pro B to the BBL, how did you go into this season in terms of where you wanted to take your game? Was it a tough adjustment not seeing the BBL type of skill level in Hungary this season?

I’m the type of guy that motivates himself. I never needed a big name on the other side of the court to give me motivation or raise my game. I continue to improve as a player no matter what league I play in. The league doesn’t make me a better player. My constant hard work and working to improve my weaknesses make me a better player every year.

Two things that you were working on at the end of last season in the BBL was the three dribbles and disrupting the other team’s offense without being overly aggressive. How did last season’s experiences in Germany make you a better player?

Playing with Coach Bauermann last year was a great experience. He wanted to get the most out of me and the team every single day and just experiencing that allowed me to know the level of basketball had to expect from myself.

On what things are you working on most this season in your quest of continuing to improve your game and bring it to the next level?

This year I have been playing a lot of back up point guard because one our guards got injured earlier this year. So being able to bring up the ball, read defenses, and getting my teammates involved have been more important this year

You had two successful seasons in Germany. What things on and off the court have you missed the most?


There are some German foods I miss but most of all just my teammates and friends that I have made over the two years. The fans were also so great and I miss them as well.

What are your feelings of your ex team’s Ehingen and Rhondorf? Ehingen is surprisingly playing a very strong season while Rhondorf is in danger of moving down. How do you think they will end their season’s?


Ehingen can hopefully do really well in the playoffs, they gave me my first shot so they will always be special for me. And Rhondorf I’m really hoping they don’t move down because I have been a part of the hard work on and off the court by the fans, players, coaches, and organization. So I really hope they can stay in the league.

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

1. Victor Frankl Maus – I’ve been told multiple times we were the best duo in Pro B. We definitely wouldn’t have had the record we had without him or any of my other teammates on the Rhondorf team. 2. Damjan Sredanovic – he was a Montenegrin on my college team and was really pushing me on and off the court to be the player I am today. And now one of my best friends. 3. Devon Moore – He was the best teammate in pushing and challenging me to be better. My first year playing against him I knew I could improve on so many things just because he made everything look so easy. And we both had a competitive fire to win. 4. Cliff Hammonds- he just knew everything and had everything in his arsenal. I really am not sure what his weakness is. He was always very professional when it came to the job. With him it was always a team first mentality. 5. Miles Cartwright- though I only played with him for one game, he was the type of guy that always motivated you. In Wuerzburg we were always practicing with each other. If he is playing 40 minutes or 5 minutes he remains the same guy and continues to give the team energy. He was also one of those players that just made the team better by just being on the court.

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? 

Easily everything is up to him he just has to keep playing at a high level.

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

Lebron is one of those special players not only on the court but off the court as well. If I was him I think I would call myself the GOAT too.

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

Hard to compare sports…Championships in any sport are extremely hard, and they both are in top of GOAT talk.

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

He’s already the greatest of all time he’s just extending his legacy if he gets 7

What was the last movie that you saw? 

Last movie I saw was Green Book.

Thanks Kam for the chat.