Jimmy Dorsey is a 188cm point guard from Baltimore, Maryland that is playing his rookie season in Germany with BG Karlsruhe. He played at Cape Breton University (Canada-CIS) from 2009-2013 and as a senior played 23 games Score-4(21.2ppg), 6.2rpg, Assists-3(5.4apg), Steals-1(3.3spg), FGP: 45.1%, 3PT: 33.0%, FT: 85.7%. He was Atlantic Division Champion in 2010 and 2013 with Cape Breton. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.
| You signed your first professional contract with BG Karlsruhe in Germany to play Pro B basketball. How was this whole process for you? Did you have other offers? What was the deciding factor that convinced you that BG Karlsruhe was the right team for you to start your professional basketball career?
I was sitting around and my agent came to me with the offer from BG Karlsruhe. He is good friends with our ex coach Ralf Rehberger and he told me that the club would be good for me. I never promoted myself, but waited for teams to come to me, but didn´t. That is why it took me longer to find a team. You have been tearing up the German Pro B. Is it sometimes for you like a man playing with boys? No not at all. I am still learning what it takes to be successful at this level. The basketball is a lot different than at home. Coaches here have their own system that you follow. I am still finding my way and just trying to be the best I can.
What was your best game the 29 points against Wurzburg or 28 points against Saarlouis?
I think the Saarlouis game since we won it. I was more effective in this game that we won.
Every player wants to move up the next level? Could you imagine staying in Germany and playing in the Pro A?
I could imagine to keep playing in Germany. I had a lot of fun playing scrimmages against Pro A teams and seeing guys that I had played against in college. I have heard that basketball in Germany is one of the toughest outside Spain. I really love Germany. You finished at Cape Breton(CIS) in 2013 and didn´t play last year? What were the main reasons for that and was it difficult not being able to further your career then? I just wasn´t ready to leave yet. I was physically ready to go and play, but not mentally.
My childhood wasn´t the best one. When I was in high school I never thought about the future, but just what was going on then. I think with what I experienced at a young age as well as going to college in Canada, it helped me to grow up and taught me how to be successful and be the human being and player I am today. You are from Baltimore, Maryland a city with a crime rate that is very high. You were going to go to a div one school, but got into some problems with the law. A house party raid doesn´t seem like a big problem, but it disallowed you to play Div basketball in the States. If you had been hanging around the right crowd then, do you think that you would have played college basketball in the States
I think that if I would have had a different childhood that I probably would have played college ball in the States. After my dad left I had that role of taking care of my siblings and besides that I pretty much did what I wanted to do. I didn´t necessarily hang out with a bad crowd, but it wasn´t an atmosphere that motivated me to pursue my future NBA player and 2014 German champion Malcolm Delaney is also from Baltimore. Did you ever have any ties with him over the years in Baltimore? He seemed to be able to get out of Baltimore and have a solid career?
I haven´t met him, but often hear about how successful he has been in Europe and at Virginia Tech. He is a few years older than me How thankful are you of Bennie Edison who helped you get to Canada? Was he one of the few people that believed in you?
He is a big inspiration for me and we still have contact today. He helped me become the point guard that I am today. Whenever I got down and my shot wasn´t falling, he would calm me down and gave me confidence and always said to let the game come to me. He is like a mentor to me and I am so thankful that he was around. You played four years for Cape Breton in the CIS. How strange was it playing basketball in Canada in a country that lives for ice hockey?
It was a bit strange. When I first came to Canada, I didn´t know what to expect and didn´t even know if the coach wanted me. After I scored 26 points in my first game I knew that this was a place where I could be successful. I adapted to three different coaches and ran the show for each coach. None of them tried to change me. You are a scoring point guard that also can establish high assist stats. But what is a strength in your game that doesn´t get recognized always? I feel that I have the ability to see the next play and have a high basketball IQ.
He is a very intelligent coach that always pays attention to the little details. He made me a more efficient scorer and passer. Cape Breton is a very beautiful place to live for 4 years. When you look back at your time, how much did the tranquility of life there help you develop as a human being?
My time at Cape Breton really taught me to appreciate the little things. It is a very tight knit community with a great support system that is very family orientated. It was always cold there, but I loved it there. I was able to focus on basketball there.
Cape Breton was Atlantic division champion 2010 and 2013. Which title was the sweetest?
I think my 2013 win was the sweetest, because it was my last year and the expectations were high and I wanted to go out on a high note. Winning in 2010 was a shock as I had the realization just how talented I could be. I worked more for the second win. I came to school early, because I really wanted it. I killed myself to be ready for the season and it worked out as we had a great season. Who was the toughest player that you faced against in the CIS? Did you ever battle Warren Ward who played in Germany last season?
I never battled against him even though we talked often about the chance to playing against each other. The toughest guy was Terry Thomas who is playing in Germany also. We usually played four times a season and I won most of the battles.
Who wins a one on one you or Kenny Fluellen?
I would win, but he beat me the first time at around the world.
Will John Wall be a top 3 best point guard in the NBA?
Yes for sure. He keeps developing each season. He is averaging double double stats. From the skill level, he is a top 5 point guard in the NBA.
What was the last DVD movie that you saw?
John Wick.
Thanks Jimmy for the chat.
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Karlsruhe in the German PRO A. He played four years at : Westminster (NAIA) from 2007-2011. In his senior year, he played 30 games: 18.2ppg, 4.0rpg, 4.2apg, 2.0spg, FGP: 54.4%, 3Pts: 36.4%, FT: 78.5%. Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been NAIA D1 Elite Eight -09, NAIA D1 Sweet 16 -10, and All-NAIA D1 3rd Team -11. He spoke to German Hoops about his rookie season in Germany.
Germany from 1985-1997 winning titles with Cologne and Bayreuth and being the youngest German playing at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984. After his playing career, he became a coach. He was assistant coach for SSV Ulm from 1997.-1999. He then coached in Tuebingen from 1999-2003. He then coached for BG Karlsruhe from the 2003-2006 season. Since then he coached clubs like the Mitteldeutscher BC, The Teckpro Braves in Kaiserslautern and recently BG Illertal-Weissenhorn. He spoke to German Hoops about the past, present and future about basketball.
HS): he averaged 18.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists a game; and became the first player in the school’s 22 year history to play on the varsity all four years . His biggest moment of high school career was making two free throws with no time remaining on the clock to clinch the school’s district championship during his sophomore year.. He played at Colorado(NCAA) from 2006-2010. In his senior year, he played 30 games averaging 7.5ppg, 2.1rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 45.2%, 3PT: 45.1%, FT: 89.6%. He scored 9 points and hauled down five rebounds in a 78-56 win against Science City Jena. He took the rapid 7 Miles Questions Basketball exchange for German Hoops.
German Hoops 