Sometimes miracles do happen in sports as over the years there have been some amazing feats that nobody would have ever dreamed of like the 1980 USA Ich Hockey Gold, Boris Becker´s 1985 Wimbeldon win at age 17 or even Germany´s Ice Hockey team 2018 Olympic silver medal in Korea, but mostly one sees surprises that don´t necessarily classify as a miracle especially in the German Pro B. This season there had been some big time games that teams won that nobody would have expected like Giessen winning at Rhondorf with only seven players or last weekend as the Fraport Skyliners Juniors snuck into Bochum with only a seven man rotation and two NBBL(U-19 league) players and came away with an amazing, but also somewhat surprising 87-83 win in OT against the much deeper VFL SparkassenStars Bochum. The favorite Bochum had a 12 man rotation and filled with nonstop talent and experience with imports like Ryon Howard, Jarvis Davis and Davon Roberts as well as many German role players, but totally underestimated the Frankfurt team and now had to win a do or die game on the road. Sometimes it doesn´t matter who you have, but if the attitude and effort isn´t there, then a team like the Fraport Skyliners Juniors who had nothing to lose can make the seemingly impossible become a reality. A negative aspect to game two against Frankfurt for Bochum was that now the home team had the opportunity to have many of their BBL license players on board, because the BBL team didn´t play until Sunday. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were a lot deeper than in game one against Bochum and wanted to slam the door on them and end their season with a sweep, but the opponent lived another day as they forced another do or die game for them winning in Frankfurt 78-70. The VFL SparkassenStars Bochum did a great job  to overcome a big deficit in the second quarter and overpower the Fraport Skyliners Juniors in the second half with solid team basketball and good defense. After the win ex EWE Baskets guard Marco Buljevic had a huge simile on his face and content with the huge road win as competing in the Pro B is still a big thrill for him. “We had many highs and lows in this game, but our will was there to win after a bad second quarter. We were motivated to win as we were up 8 points with 1,30 to go in game one and playing against a team seemingly half our age. We reduced our turnovers tonight, played good defense and played with heart. I´m looking forward to game three. We saw two road wins and there is still a lot of fire in both teams”, warned Marco Buljevic. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors departed the floor after the buzzer faster than one could blink and eye, but soon players returned to stretch and top Frankfurt scorer Konstantin Schubert reflected on the loss. “We had a good lead in the second quarter, but then we tried to keep the lead over time, but only saw it shrink. At the end we didn´t play to win, but played not to lose. We gave up too many easy points and gave up too many offensive rebounds and didn´t play good 1-1 defense. We rebounded better with seven men in Bochum. It´s not a good excuse, but we were a bit tired. Many of us practice with the BBL team and we had a two hour practice this morning. We were tired mentally”, stressed Konstantin Schubert.

In the first quarter, the 20-30 Bochum fans who made the trip to Frankfurt saw a very balanced game where Marco Buljevic got the hot hand quickly while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors lived from their strong rebounding on the offensive boards. VFL SparkassenStars Bochum got off to a fast 5-0 lead as Buljevic who played 7 Eurochallenge games with Oldenburg dropped a trey and ex NBBL allstar Felix Engel scored inside on the penetration as Frankfurt´s lazy 1-1 defense would be lacking all day long. However basketball is a game of runs and the Fraport Skyliners Juniors quickly stepped up their defense and made 5 stops while going on a 8-0 run to lead 8-5. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors became aggressive inside and ex Bremerhaven guard Garai Zeeb made a reverse lay up and lay in and Schubert also scored twice. Buljevic continued to get the ball and dropped two more trey´s while Armin Trtovac who started his career in Mainz scored inside and made a free throw to deadlock the contest at 11-11. Jules Akodo who was with the British national team last summer got aggressive and led the Fraport Skyliners Juniors on a 9-3 run scoring twice and finding Tobias Jahn who once scored 35 points against Hanau with an easy basket. Bochum fought back as American Jarvis Davis who averaged 20,0ppg with Rostock last season nailed a trey and ex Rhondorf center Alex Angerer hit free throws to cut the Frankfurt lead to 20-19. Akodo scored again and the Fraport Skyliners Juniors led 22-20 after one quarter. “We moved the ball well and Schubert and Trtocav played well in the paint. We slowed down Buljevic at the end and got some transition baskets”, stressed Fraport Skyliner Quantez Robertson. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 53% from the field and 33% from outside and had 12 rebounds and 4 turnovers while VFL SparkassenStars Bochum were shooting 46% from the field and 50% from outside and had 4 rebounds and three turnovers.

In the second quarter the Fraport Skyliners Juniors made their move and led by as much as 14 points only to lose focus and intensity and see their lead evaporate two three points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors played Frankfurt basketball getting a quick rhythm on offense and slowing down the Bochum defense making everything difficult and went out on a 14-2 run to extend their lead to 36-22 as they were rolling. In the run, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors received great support from Schubert with 7 points as he dropped a trey and attacked the rim twice executing with success. The club also got big production from 2017 NBBL top scorer Felix Hecker with a three and a transition basket and a bucket from Trtovac. Zeeb was doing a good job being playmaker getting three assists while organizing the offense and getting everyone involved. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors  were playing with a lot of self confidence and were playing good unselfish ball  while Bochum had fallen  into a rut that they had problems recovering from. However as is often the case one team´s big run quickly stops and the opponent takes over going on a run as Bochum scored 11 unanswered points and suddenly Frankfurt´s comfortable lead had gone to 36-33. Bochum knew what was at stake and never gave up showing real heart and began attacking the paint and got to the free throw line three times. They also got added buckets from ex Ehingen guard Engel, ex MBC forward Davon Roberts and ex Scared Heart(NCAA) forward Ryon Howard. Bochum was playing clever offense and doing a better job on the offensive boards as Frankfurt couldn´t buy one. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors struck back on a 5-0 to stop the Bochum run as ex St Johns(NCAA) forward Richard Freudenberg hit a trey and Schubert scored again inside as Frankfurt led 41-33. However Bochum closed out with an important 5-0 run topped off by a Howard buzzer beater as the Fraport Skyliners Juniors led only 41-38. “We executed well and made shots at the start and got consistent stops. Frankfurt then went small as Jahn and Trtovac were on the bench having no inside presence where they hurt us. We then did too much 1-1 play allowing them back into the game”, stressed ex Auburn(NCAA) guard Quantez Robertson. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 53% from the field and 33% from outside and had grabbed 20 rebounds while VFL SparkassenStars Bochum were shooting 38% from the field and 47% from the three point line and had grabbed 18 boards.

The third quarter was a tight affair but the VFL SparkassenStars continued to step up their game and led by four points after 30 minutes and would never look back. In the first 3-4 minutes the Fraport Skyliners Juniors didn´t have much offensive power except for Jules Akodo who kept the Fraport Skyliners Juniors in the game. Akodo hit a three and made a lay in to keep Frankfurt ahead 46-42, but Bochum continued to attack the lane going on a 5-0 run as the Americans Roberts and Howard scored giving Bochum the 47-46 lead. Akodo struck right back giving the Fraport Skyliners Juniors the 49-47 lead as he broke the Bochum defense inside again with a penetration lay in and free throw. The game lived from the runs as Bochum took the 52-49 lead as they scored 5 unanswered points as Davis and Angerer connected with free throws and ex Essen forward Mark Gebhardt scored inside. Schubert who had the hot hand all game long and was playing superb inside out basketball tested his 24% three point accuracy nailing a trey deadlocking the game at 52-52. Bochum continued to give Frankfurt headaches on the offensive glass while Tobias Jahn was a beast getting defensive rebounds. Engel and Schubert traded buckets as the game remained tied 54-54. Bochum then got big play from their bench closing out the third quarter with Gebhardt and David Stachanczyk baskets as the latter would continue to be a menace in the fourth quarter. Bochum led 58-54 going into the fourth quarter. “Both teams were playing at the same level and missing many shots. We didn´t sink our heads into the sand, but stayed in the game” added ex Giessen guard Marco Buljevic. “We weren´t able to play our game. They took advantage of our mistakes with their experience”, added Konstantin Schubert. VFL SparkassenStars Bochum were shooting 36% from the field and 32% from the parking lot and had secured 30 rebounds and had six turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 47% from the field and 32% from the parking lot and had secured 30 rebounds, but had 12 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter the VFL SparkassenStars Bochum didn´t hesitate at the start, but attacked the Fraport Skyliners Juniors on offense which they had no answer for and quickly were playing catch up ball and couldn´t get over the hump. Bochum went on a quick 9-2 run to extend their lead to 67-56 over the Fraport Skyliners Juniors. In the run, Bochum was fortified by their bench as David Stachanczyk hit a clutch trey and runner, Davis scored inside and Angerer scored inside after getting fed the lob pass from ex Herten forward Raphael Bals. Bochum played aggressive while Frankfurt played too cute with no risks turning off the aggressive button while Bochum also continued to control the offensive boards. There continued to be hope for the Fraport Skyliners Juniors as they stormed back on a 8-0 run getting back to back trey´s from Schubert and Akodo and free throws from Freudenberg  to cut the Bochum advantage to 67-64. However it seemed like the Fraport Skyliners Juniors just didn´t have that will to win like in game one as in crunch-time they allowed Bochum to go on a 9-3 run to extend their lead to 76-67 and decide the game. In the run, Bochum got vital support from Engel who hit a clutch trey and also found Buljevic cutting to the hoop for an easy bucket. Buljevic showed he isn´t just a guy who sits in the corner waiting for the ball  but can score on the penetration. Engel also found Angerer for an easy basket while Davis also scored in the paint. Engel had been the unsung hero finding his teammates while Frankfurt refrained from any kind of one on one defense. Freudenberg did nail a trey with 18,5 seconds remaining to cut the Bochum lead to 76-70, but the most damage had been made. Davis and Engel closed out the game with free throws. “We were very sharp on the execution in the fourth quarter. Stachanczyk and Engel gave us strength. It was a team win. Game three will be a real battle. Frankfurt has a young team and will come to Bochum showing their teeth. If they lose it´s no big deal, but our goal was to reach the next round. We have to give the fans a win after the game one loss”, smiled Marco Buljevic. “We tried some press, but they adjusted well to it. We were tired and didn´t move the ball well only doing high pick and roll. Stachanczyk and Engel hit the deciding shots”, stressed Konstantin Schubert. The VFL SparkassenStars Bochum were led by Felix Engel with 16 points. Marco Buljevic added 14 points while Alex Angerer added 12 points and 12 rebounds and Jarvis Davis had 12 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by led by Konstantin Schubert with 21 points while Jules Akodo added 17 points and six assists. Richard Freudenberg had 11 points. The VFL SparkassenStars Bochum shot 39% form the field and 35% from outside and had 39 rebounds and 8 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 43% from the field and 34% from outside and had 40 rebounds and 15 turnovers.

Demetrius Ward is a 27 year old 188cm guard from Detroit, Michigan that is playing his sixth professional season with MTV Wolfenbuettel  Herzoege (Germany-ProB) and last season played  22 games averaging 19.0ppg, 6.4rpg, 4.2apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 49.1%, 3PT: 35.7%, FT: 83.6%. He played at Western Michigan from 2008-2012 playing a total of 129 NCAA games and as a senior played 31 games averaging 12.1ppg, 4.6rpg, 3.0apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 41.3%, 3PT: 31.5%, FT: 76.2%. Currently he is averaging 17,4ppg, 6,4rpg and 4,7apg. He spoke to German Hoops  before game 2 against the Dragons Rhondorf.

 

 

 

 

 

Demetrius thanks for talking to German Hoops. Before we start about the playoffs how is Tom Alte doing? How difficult was the long drive home? You won a big game, but had a very disappointed Tom Alte on board.

 Hello Miles thanks for having me. Tom will be fine its nothing serious, we are not sure if he will play or not this weekend. The ride back was pretty long but it wasn’t so bad with a win, unfortunately Tom got injured in the last seconds of the game.

Congrats on the big win in Rhondorf in game one. Rhondorf fought until the end, but MTV Herzogee Wolfenbuettel overpowered them. What did you feel was the biggest strength on the night? I would imagine the team basketball?

Yes, I would say our team ball was a big strength for the night. I would also say that we stayed focused and didn’t get to concerned when they made a run.

How key was Kameron Taylor in the game plan in game one? Despite filling up the stat sheet one could see in his face that he couldn´t play his game. How satisfied were you with the team effort on slowing him down?

 We know how important he is for his team and how is can explode for 20-30pts with 10rebs and 8-10ast. We wanted to make it as difficult as possible for him. We kept him under his average as far as points but he rebounded the ball well which he had a few offensive rebounds. We still can improved on our defense with containing him but we are happy about the win.

How much of a factor will the departure of Tom Alte have? The depth is a bit smaller upfront. Will you be making adjustments how to combat that? Does this mean that Ole Angerstein will have an even bigger role than usual?

 We had injuries or roster changes the whole season. At times we are playing with only 8 players 5 big men and 3 guards. In this situation it will be difficult because its the playoffs but we will have to adjust and other players will have to step up. Ole is always providing something for us in the game, either rebounds block shots and put backs. He will be ready for this weekend.

Your teammate Tarique Thompson said that Ole Angerstein was a huge factor in the stretch where you won 8 of 9 games. How have you seen his development. He was out of basketball for 2 years. He is 22 now and back when he was with the Spot Up Basketball Medien, some experts countered that he was more talented than Daniel Theis when he was younger.

 I knew Ole from when he was playing with Braunschwig. He was always strong and athletic. I think over this time he has developed a lot, setting good screens, making good reads and his defense is a lot better.

You said in our last interview that Constantin Ebert has a bright future. I hadn´t seen him play since he was with Wurzburg. I feel he has developed very well. I thought he was the ex factor in game one. What is keeping him from getting more minutes at the BBL level?

 That a good question, I’m not sure what is keeping him from getting minutes in the BBL. He is doing a good job running this team, he made a big turnaround from last season. His time will come where he is getting minutes in the BBL.

I also saw Germans Lars Lagerpusch and Luis Figge play many minutes for the first time live. BBL team Braunschweig have always had talented young German players, but besides Dennis Schroeder nobody has made the breakthrough there. Do you feel like these two can make that real breakthrough and what do you appreciate most about their game?

 Yes I think they both can make the breakthrough if they keep working hard and if they get the opportunity to. Lars is a very smart player that knows how to use his body to get good position under the basket. He is also good enough to attack from the outside and a good passer. The things I like about Luis is that he is always going to play extremely hard. His shot has gotten a lot better from last season. He became one of our best shooters from outside.

We can expect a totally different Dragons Rhondorf team in game two. It will be a do or die game for them, but how vital will it be for the MTV Herzoege Wolfenbuettel to remain aggressive? How confident are you that the team won´t back down and take care of business?

It is very important that we stay aggressive and keep attacking the basket and not get to passive. I’m confident in our ability to come out and get the job done. We must stay consistent and focus on the scouting report and I think we would have a good chance to get a win.

There are a lot of talented teams this season in the Pro B. You saw Rostock twice this season winning both games. They are one of the favorites to win it all. Do you feel having beat them has given your team some extra added self confidence that has fueled the team this season and now?

 I think our confidences comes from our hard work and listening and trusting our coaching. He put us in good situations no matter how many players we have in practice or at the game. He does a great job preparing us during the week. That is where our confidences comes from.

You battled against many top guards this season, but what is like playing against Brandon Lockhart of Rostock. Does a talented guy like that motivate you to continue to work hard in practice to always get better?

Brandon is a talented guy for sure, but I think we are two different type of players.

You won round one against Kameron Taylor. He will be highly motivated to win on Sunday. How much did he bring the best out of you in game one?

It is always fun going against the top scorer in the league. He is a very good player, I just tried to play my game and not get into a scoring match with him or a personal 1-1 game.

You played against many top guard this season in the Pro B north. Where does he rank with the best that you battled?

 He is a different guard from the ones from the north, he is a bit taller and also played Pro A last season. The other guards are smaller and didn’t play pro A. He is at the top no doubt about that, its a reason why he’s the top scorer in the league and had 3 triple doubles.

How does your role change in the team when the German BBL license players are absent? What kind of leader are you when they are absent and when they are on board?

When the German double license players are not there depending which players are not there, I must be more aggressive offensively. If Tom or Lars isn’t there I must play the 4 and rebound and guard the 4. I’m always a leader with the players talking on and off the court doesn’t matter if they are there or not.

Let´s talk about your game. You hit six three´s against Rhondorf which was one of your best shooting games. You hit six treys against Wedel and seven against Stahnsdorf. Do you feel the good team basketball has helped your confidence with your shooting this season?

 Yes the team ball helps me with my confidence because I am getting good open shots. We also do a lot of practicing with spacing and finding the right spots for my shot.

You stated in the last interview that “my personal goal, to win games without jacking so many shots or taking a hundred dribbles”. Is this something that has improved and grown this season with the talented roster that Wolfenbuettel has?

 It improved with the help of coach Steve. He made a good point on how to be effective without taking so many shots or dribbles. He is the reason for the success.

You also stated in our last interview that “Getting steals and playing defense is in my opinion two different things. I would like to be always in the right spot when needed to be. That takes focus and effort”. How do you stay a consistent good defender?

 That comes down to effort and watching film. When you know your opponent it helps you a lot knowing what he likes and what he don’t like to do.

You also stated in a previous interview that you aren´t a one dimensional player. Your only 27 years old. Are you in your prime now or will we still see you there?

 I don’t think that I’m in my prime yet, I think I’m getting there.

You were flirting with a triple double in the victory against Rostock. Do you feel at times that your versatile play on the court doesn´t get noticed the way it should like it does for other players like a Kameron Taylor?

Yes I believe I don’t get enough of credit at times. I think that I’m one of the most efficient players in the league. I guess because I’m not the fastest or the most athletic player it goes unnoticed.

Your goal has always been the Pro A. How tough is it seeing other guys make the jump to higher leagues? Statistically you have deserved a chance. A Kameron Taylor most likely will sign until the end of the season with BBL team Telekom Baskets Bonn. Was there never an opportunity to get that kind of deal with the Basketball Lowen Braunschweig?

 It’s hard to say last season I took over as the head coach in Pro B and we were fighting to stay in the league. So I wasn’t able to practice with them anymore. Its very tough seeing others making a group from the Pro b to the BBL with their farm team. Maybe my time will come until then I can´t cry or complain about things I can´t control.

The 2018 NCAA tournament is here. What sleepers do you see making some noise and which 4 teams will make it to the final 4?

I honestly haven’t watched an NCAA game in the past years.

Lebron James had some amazing passes last night against the Los Angeles. How do you personally rate his passing game in his overall offensive arsenal that he has?

 I would say he’s a 9 out of 10 passer. He has the whole package, he can score at will but he is also very unselfish.

What was the las movie that you saw?

 Black Panther.

 

Thanks Demetrius for the chat.

 

Davon Roberts is a 31 year old 197cm forward from Covina, California playing his second season with Bochum (Germany-ProB). He started his basketball career with Cal.St. Sacramento in 2004 where he played until 2007 playing 83 NCAA games. He played his senior year 2007-2008 with Azusa Pacific (NAIA). He turned professional in 2008 and played with the Spot Up Medien Baskets Braunschweig (Germany-ProB) playing 29 games averaging 16.5ppg, Reb-2(9.4rpg), 2.1apg, 1.7spg, Blocks-5(1.0bpg), FGP: 60.1%, 3PT: 13.3%, FT: 67.4%. In 2009-2010, he played with  BV Chemnitz 99 (Germany-ProA) playing 29 games averaging 10.5ppg, 5.0rpg, FGP: 57.2%, 3PT: 31.4%, FT: 56.3%. In 2010-2011, he played with Mitteldeutscher BC Weissenfels (Germany-1.Bundesliga) plaiyng 22 games averaging 3.2ppg, 1.9rpg. In 2011-2012, he played with BiG Oettinger Rockets Gotha (Germany-ProB): playing 15 games averaging 5.5ppg, 3.1rpg, FGP: 59.6%, FT: 54.1%. He sat out the 2012-2013 season to back to school and get his degree. He returned to Germany in 2013 and played with BBV Saar-Pfalz (Germany-Oberliga) playing  5 games averaging 25.4ppg, in Dec.’13 signed at VfL Stade (Germany-ProB, starting five): 15 games: 13.7ppg, 7.9rpg, 2.7apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 49.7%, 3PT: 25.9%, FT: 53.7%. He played two seasons with BSG Grevenbroich (Germany-Regionalliga). Last season with Bochum he played 27 games averaging 10.9ppg, 5.5rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 60.6%, 3PT: 17.2%, FT: 71.8% He spoke to German Hoops before game 2 against the Fraport Skyliners Juniors.

 

 

 
Davon thanks for talking to German Hoops Last season your season ended after 8 games and this season it could happen after 2 games. How shocking was losing game one to the Fraport Skyliners 87-83?

It was a tough pill to swallow last week. Now we have our work cut out for us but the road to the championship is never easy.

I was expecting a 20 plus win for Bochum since the BBL team had at the same time a game in Goettingen. Did you underestimate Frankfurt a bit?

I think we underestimated them a little and didn´t jump on them from the start as a result they stayed in the game and started to gain confidence and then boom we lost.

The stats weren´t so different as Frankfurt shot a bit better, but the rebounding and turnovers was pretty even. Was this game a good example of what can truly happen in a game when one team has the depth and talent advantage, but can still lose when the effort and heart isn´t present?

 Yes it is now playoffs where anybody can be beat on any given day if you don’t execute the game plan. You must take every opponent seriously and be ready to play 40 minutes of tough basketball.

Head coach Gary Johnson is still young. How focused do you see him making adjustments and coming up with a good game plan against Frankfurt?

 Gary as a player and a coach is a competitor. So he is helping us make adjustments in order to give us the best opportunity to be successful.

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors will have more depth in game 2 simply because the BBL team plays Sunday. How confident are you that a totally different Bochum team will be on the floor than in game one?

I am very confident we will be a different team due to the fact that it is win or go home. I know we are not ready to go home !!!

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors will have a few more guards on the floor and have added guard terror. What will be key in getting the win on the road?

The key will be to try and keep their guards under control. Playing on the road is always tough. I think the focus is more on us rather than them. Meaning we have to stick to our game plan and execute it for 40 minutes long.

Bochum has so many weapons and so many can step up at anytime. How vital would it be for a guy like Marco Buljevic to get hot from outside?

 Marco is a key part to our team. He is a veteran and has been here before and he will be ready to step up and hit shots. He is a big time player and I´m sure he likes moments like this.

You had a very special run last season losing to Weissenhorn. This season´s team was hit with a bad loss in game one, but what has been special to this season´s team and how is it different from last season´s team?

We have a special group of guys we get along on and off the court which is important for the team chemistry. There is not that much difference from this year than last year other than the obvious missing Gary Johnson being the General on the floor with us.

Last season you came to Bochum to fill in for the injured Ryon Howard. How much of a joy has it been playing with him and as two of the oldest guys on the team do you rib him about his age?

 It has been a joy playing with Ryon. He is a great basketball player with a high IQ. Yes we are two of the oldest guys on the team but when we lace them up no matter if its for a game or practice. Practice is intense because we are both competitors and hate to lose.

How important has the consistency of Felix Engel been at the point guard position? The team has had injuries at that position and he has stepped up? Can he be a force in game two against the Frankfurt guards Garai Zeeb and Jules Akodo?

 Felix is a great PG and is our teams Captain. His play is very important and it is what gets us going. He will be a force in game two as he will have a tough task defensively guarding one of the best guards in the league. It will be a challenge but thats why we play this game. I am sure he will be ready to lead the way.

One of the big winners on the team this season has been Alex Angerer who continues to develop and improve and has turned into one of the top German big men in the Pro B. How have you followed his development from last season?

 Alex is a hard worker. He has been great for us when he is bringing is energy to the court. This year he has been more aggressive offensively which has been good in regards to his production.

He will be turning 22 in a few months. How much potential does he have and could he make the jump to the Pro A?

I´m sure if that is what he wants he will get there with hard work and dedication. The skies the limit for Alex aka The Big Schnitzel !!!!!

Let´s talk about your game. Last season you stated “Besides winning a personal goal when I got injured last year was to come back from a tough injury. It wasn’t an easy year for me at all and I think some people even counting me out but God is good. Allowed me to rehab and stay focused to come back and play the game that I love”. What kind of role do you have this season?

 This season my role has been just like the last bring energy on both ends of the floor. Since my injury I bring the energy every game because I know in a blink of an eye this game can be taken from me.

You can score and rebound, but what other special strengths do you have now that additionally helps Bochum be successful?

 When I am aggressive on both ends of the court I think it best helps us to become successful when my teammates see me working hard on both ends hopefully gets everybody motivated and working hard as well

Your not getting any younger, but are still putting up solid consistent stats. What do you work on on your game now at age 31 that will keep you around for some more years?

My jump shot is always a great thing to have as you get older. So I say I can work on my mid range and three point shots.

Your still in very good shape. How much longer do you realistically see your self playing. Does it help keeping a clear mind and motivating your self each day when you have some veterans like Howard and Johnson on the court each day?

I still enjoy playing the game of basketball and I am able to still do it on this level I say realistically a couple years and I can say I have got what I want out of basketball.

Who was your toughest opponent this season in the Pro B on the court? This year for me

I would say Artland they have a lot of weapons and can hurt you in every position.

If you had to construct your own NBA Rushmore which 4 heads would you chose?

 Kobe Jordan Shaq Magic

Lebron James failed to win his fourth NBA title and is still three away from Michael Jordan. Where does Lebron stand right now in your opinion in the never ending debate of who is the best of all-time?

Michael Jordan is the best of all time this debate will go on and on. But in my opinion the NBA was a lot tougher in the 90s when Jordan was coming up. Now with these super teams the NBA is starting to become like the WWF but it still is good entertainment lol

There has been criticism of Russell Westbrook to be focusing more on rebounding to help inflate his stats and possibilities of getting triple doubles instead of focusing on his defensive assignments. Do you feel that this is a fair assessment to the player Russell Westbrook?

No I do not feel that is a fair assessment Russel Westbrook is one hell of a competitor and he never takes a play off. It is hard to find this quality in NBA players.

How do you summarize the 2017 NBA Draft. What sleepers do you see playing a role in the NBA?

 To be honest I haven´t kept up with all the rookies besides Lonzo Ball and Kuzma because I am a Lakers fan but other than those two I really like Denis Smith Jr. He will be a monster in the league in a couple of years.

Where will the journey of the Houston Rockets go this season with Chris Paul and James Harden in the back court. Do they have enough to make a serious run at the title or is something missing?

Yes they have a complete team and James Harden has been playing on another level for the past couple of years. It is tough to say who will win between them and the Warriors so we will all have to tune in to see.

How do you rate the Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas trade? Who got the better deal and which team will profit better in the long run?

 I think it was great for both teams I´m sure the Celtics didn’t want to pay a undersized PG a max contract and Kyrie wanted out of Cleveland so it turned out to be a win win for both.

Where will the journey of the Oklahoma Thunder go this season with Westbrook, George and Anthony? Can they make a serious run in the west?

 The journey will stop whenever they Meet The Rockets or the Warriors it will be a good Western Conference finals though between the Rockets and the Warriors  and it should be interesting.

What was the last movie that you saw?

 Austin Powers The Spy who Shagged me

 

Thanks Davon for the chat.