Diante Watkins is a 27 year old 174cm point guard that is playing his fifth professional season and first with SO Maritime Boulogne (France-NM1) averaging 15,0ppg, 2,7rpg and 5,5apg.. Last season he played with the the Nurnberg Falcons BC averaging 17,1ppg, 2,7rpg and 4,7apg. In the 2015-2016 season an injury in pre season derailed his path playing for the Bayer Giants Leverkusen. He started his basketball career in 2009 with Daley CC (JUCO) playing 28 games averaging 26.5ppg, 5.8apg, 2.7rpg, 2.0spg, FGP: 44%, 3Pts: 38%, FT: 86%. He then played two seasons with Robert Morris (NAIA) and as a senior played 27 games: 24.4ppg, 7.4apg, 3.0rpg, 2.1spg, FGP: 47.0%, 3Pts: 38.9%, FT: 82.7%. In 2013-2014 he started his professional basketball career with SC Rist Wedel where he played 30 games averaging 16.2ppg, 2.3rpg, 3.8apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 48.0%, 3PT: 31.3%, FT: 86.9%. He improved his play in 2014-2015 with SC Rist Wedel playing 32 games: Score-2(21.3ppg), 3.8rpg, Assists-1(6.8apg), Steals-2(3.2spg), FGP: 49.2%, 3PT: 32.4%, FT: 87.4%. He cleaned up the Eurobasket awards winning Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro B Honorable Mention -14, Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro B Player of the Year -15, Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro B Guard of the Year -15, Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro B Import Player of the Year -15, Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro B 1st Team -15, and Eurobasket.com German 2.Bundesliga Pro B All-Imports Team -15. He spoke to German Hoops about his season in France.
Diante, thanks for talking to German Hoops. This is our 13th interview and first with you playing outside Germany. Has time flown by since our first interview 3 years ago when you were dreaming of winning the Pro B with Wedel?
Yes Time has flown by, it seems like yesterday I was playing in Wedel.
A year ago at this time after your season with Nurnberg, you had no idea about your future and only had summer on your mind. Instead of coming back to Germany for a fifth season, you decided to explore a new country and league in France. Did you not have good offers from the Pro A?
I had a couple offers but I felt like they weren’t good enough, so I wanted to try a different country.
Over the years there have been so many good point guards in the German Pro A and so little Americans get that chance to prove themselves in the easyCredit BBL. How has that effected your mentality over the years. It´s pretty much the same with the NBA, so many great players in Europe so little jobs.
I was shocked I didn’t get an opportunity, I felt like I had a really good season in Nürnberg but I didn’t let it mess with me. I just chose to try something different and see how it will go.