Frankfurt Skyliners

Nino Garris: Pascal Roller Could Read A Play And Knew Things On The Court Before They Happened

Nino Garris is a 32 year old 200cm forward that is playing in the German Regionaliga for TV Salzkotten. He is a very athletic player with a lot of European experience(Euroleague, Uleb Cup,), great competitor, can defend very hard and he´ll gets rebounds in a crowd because he´s tough.
A complete team player, who plays smart and hard. He started his basketball career with Paderborn in 1996. He then played one season for TuS Lichterfelde before moving up to Alba Berlin in 1999 where he played until 2005. With Alba Berlin, he played a total of 132 Beko BBL games and 38 Euroleague games. He was German champion four times and cup winner twice with Alba Berlin. He then played for the Deutsche Bank Skyliners from 2005-2008 where he had to fight with injury woes. He played a total of only 52 Beko BBL games and seven ULEB cup games. He finished his Beko BBL career with his hometown team Paderborn Baskets in 2008-2009. He spoke to German Hoops about the Pascal Roller farewell game January 28th.

It has been a while since you last played in the Beko BBL. Do you miss it?

I wouldn´t really say that I miss it. It was a nice time in my life, but life goes on and I have a new chapter in it now.

How is it playing in the German Regionaliga with TV Salzkotten. Do young opponents sometimes ask you for basketball advice?

After I retired from the Beko BBL in 2009, I took about 1.5 years to see what I would do. I also didn´t play to much active sport, so I gained about 20 kilos and was having back pain. But after a while it was clear that I could never stay fully away from basketball, because I love it too much. I then joined TV Salzkotten which keeps me fit. Here and there people will ask me what is was like as  a player, but I really dont get asked so much.

(more…)

Chad Prewitt And Barry Stewart Shoot Out The Lights Erasing The 9 Game Giessen Losing Streak Against The Fraport Skyliners 78-65

Winning against the LTi Giessen 46ers in recent years has seemed as simple for the Fraport Skyliners as the fourth quarter was recently for San Francisco 49er Alex Smith as he showed Drew Brees and the Saints who boss is and sent them on an early vacation, Hollywood actress Jessica Biel not getting ticked off at the material girl Madonna for accidently stomping all over her dress at the Golden Globe awards or Tim Tebow fans hurriedly jumping off his band wagon as Kevin known as Jesus of West Hollywood recently did after the Broncos humiliating 45-10 playoff loss to the New England Patriots and Tom Brady. Coming into the game, the Fraport Skyliners had won the last nine games against the LTiGiessen 46ers and last four at home. The last loss against Giessen was a 2007 Rouven Roessler buzzer beater as ex Skyliners Robert Maras and Gerrit Terdenge celebrated while guys like Michael Bauer, Mike Benton and Jemeil Rich were sulking. However there is always a time for long winning streaks to get snapped as the LTi Giessen 46ers marched into the Fraport arena and quickly got next to the fire place shoving the Skyliners away early and never letting them get comfortable near the warmth with their FAZ newspaper as they won the Hessen derby 78-65. For the players on both teams the long streak didn´t mean much except to Mckinney who had lost to Giessen only once in his career. “We could of ended the first half of the season with a win and have a clear mind going into the second half of the season, but we were a step slow today”, stated a disappointed Jimmy Mckinney. For American Chad Prewitt, he had worn the red of the Artland Dragons for 175 games, but felt very comfortable in the dark red colors of Giessen. “I may not be part of this team long, but I know about the Frankfurt-Giessen rivalry. We have been struggling this season and had injuries, so this was a big win. Frankfurt has always had good teams, but for some reason, they play better on the road this season. We are just happy that we got the win. It was hard to see Achmadschah Zazai go down with an injury. He is always hustling so much. This win is for him”, stressed Chad Prewitt. “It was tough losing this game after not playing in Giessen. I feel a bit responsible as I made some mistakes at the end. This loss reminded me of when we played Nichols in college. We beat them my first three years twice each season, but lost my last game against them”, stressed Skyliner guard Devin Gibson.

The Fraport Skyliners were looking for their second home win in a row, but continue having problems winning in their own living room. The Fraport Skyliners enter the 2012 Beko BBL Allstar break with an 8-11 record and rest in 12th place. It was a very bitter loss as the team had fought back to tie the game at 57, but were unable to get over the hump and celebrate their third home win of the season. “Key for Giessen winning was that they did a good job capitalizing on our defensive breakdowns. It was just  a terrible defense performance by us. They made us pay for that with their three point shooting”, stressed St Louis native Jimmy Mckinney.

(more…)

Can the Fraport Skyliners Win Their Fifth Game In A Row At Home Against The LTi Giessen 46ers ?

January is always an interesting month in the Beko BBL as the Allstar break surfaces and the schedule allows many teams to have their two meetings of the season in only a short period of time. After the Fraport Skyliners celebrated a more than satisfying 64-56 win in the always noise infested Osthalle against the LTi Giessen 46ers on January second, the two teams will battle in round two of the 2012 Hessen derby again on January 20th in the Fraport arena. So much can happen in an 18 day span in this huge world like Hollywood actor George Clooney dating half of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleader squad and it somehow not being noticed, Tim Tebow getting one million marriage proposals for his heroic play in the last months and getting the thumbs up from stone cold Steve Austin for duplicating the infamous 3:16 against the New England Patriots which didn´t happen, Paris Hilton setting a new Google record for clicks or Kim kardashian/Kris Humphries continuing to set new news records with their bizarre relationship. However one thing is certain, in this 18 day span nothing will change with the immaculate on going nine game winning streak of the Fraport Skyliners and four game winning streak at home against the LTi Giessen 46ers. The last time that Giessen won in Frankfurt was in 2007 as Rouven Roessler hit a buzzer beater dashing the hopes of the then Deutsche Bank Skyliners. Roessler is now playing for BG Karlsruhe since years and could enter the arena now and remain unnoticed by Skyliner players except for Jimmy Mckinney or sport director Kamil Novak who might cringe at his presence as they were in the arena on that bitter day. No current Giessen player was in the arena in 2007 and surely don´t know about the long losing streak and will be focused on getting  a much needed win to stay alive in the standings. “Records are there to be broken. We don’t care what the record is or who the team is. We just want to win”, stressed Giessen 46er Achmadschah Zazai.

(more…)

Devin Gibson (Fraport Skyliners): I Will Always Bring Energy

Devin Gibson is a 182cm guard from Houston, Texas that is playing his first season with the Fraport Skyliners. He played at the university of Texas at San Antonio from 2007-2011. In his four year basketball career, he played a total of 119 NCAA games and in his senior year, he played 34 games: 17.0ppg, 5.2rpg, 5.4apg, 2.7spg, FGP: 42.3%, 3PT: 30.3%, FT: 78.1%. He spoke to German Hoops about his rookie season with the Fraport Skyliners.

Where would you rate the 56-51 win in Wurzburg in your all time hardest fought games?

I would place it up at the top. I really wasn´t aware how much they would press, but I saw a lot of this play in college.

What impressed you most about the Fraport Skyliners in Wurzburg?

I liked our chemistry and that we never gave up. We kept fighting and one could feel that we wanted to win in our hearts.

Have you ever played against tougher defenders than John Little or Chester Frazier?

In the States in the NCAA, many teams play like that where they press and try to rattle you. We had some problems at the start, but once we settled, we started to play good.

(more…)

The Fraport Skyliners Rise From The Trenches Winning The Battle Of Wurzburg 56-51

The last time, The Fraport Skyliners graced the soil of the pretty Bavarian town of Wurzburg, Murat Didin was head coach in his first tenure there leading the club to the Beko BBL final, world class cyclist Lance Armstrong was only months shy of winning his record seventh Tour De France, the first presidential election was still months away in Egypt, the Chicago White Sox were on course of being the only major league team in history being in first place from day one until day 162 and the NFL played its first game outside the United States as the Arizona Cardinals battled the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico City. All these events occurred in 2005 and the last time that Frankfurt played in Wurzburg was March 19th as they escaped with a 89-87 win in front of 1,200 patrons. Back then, Wurzburg had current Phantom Nils Mittman and Walter Tigers Tuebingen head coach Igor Perovic in the line up while the Skyliners had a young 19 year old Alex King registering two points and high flying American Chris Williams who led all  scorers with 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Yesterday the Fraport Skyliners returned again as scoring took a back seat as defense was the highest priority and the gang of Muli Katzurin found a away to win their fifth game in a row on the road and came to terms with the tough atmosphere prevailing 56-51. Despite the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg having a strong 8-1 home record, they aren´t invincible at home “This arena reminds a bit of the Cameron arena at Duke. That arena is small like this one and the fans pack it in and are great. It is usually hard to defeat us here”, stressed ex Umass American Ricky Harris. Wurzburg guard Ben Jacobson has had the luxary of playing in two very unique arenas the last years. “The Lok halle has its own mystique. However the fans here are very special. Even if you miss 15 shots in a row, they go wild when you hit that 16th shot. This place is small and the fans are on top of you. You don´t always have to play in a big arena to feel comfortable. We feel very comfortable here and use it to our advantage”, stressed Ben Jacobson.

(more…)

Can The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg Seek revenge On The Fraport Skyliners With No Justin Gray?

The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg have only been back in the Beko BBL four moths after having been absent from the Beko BBL for six years, but right at the start of the season, their buzzer beater loss to the Fraport Skyliners had much discussion matter. On October 12th, the s. Oliver Baskets Wurzburg lost a bitter game on a last second shot  by Justin Gray. Soon after the loss, Wurzburg protested the Frankfurt win and appealed to the Beko BBL for a rematch, because they claimed that German national player Johannes Herber had hit a three pointer after the referee had blown the whistle which led to a John Patrick technical foul and seven unanswered Skyliner points. However the Beko BBL didn´t grant the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg a rematch and thus the game remained a heartbreaking loss for the Bavarian team. The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg will go into the return game at home with  a lot of revenge and be as focused to win as comedian Bill Maher was at poking fun at Tim Tebow using Satin and Hitler, Usher firing away at at his ex wife saying don’t take away my kids or world class sprinter Usain Bolt getting every last ounce in the booze bong on vacation in Jamaica. New York native Jason Boone remembers the buzzer beater loss, past buzzer beaters and revenge on Frankfurt. “You have to have a short memory after the Frankfurt loss. We couldn´t worry about a loss like that because something like that can affect your overall play. The loss was tough, but we had to focus on the next game immediately. I have been on the losing end of some buzzer beaters in college and also with the one where Bremerhaven eliminated us, but I also have been part of two good buzzer beater wins. It is all part of the game. At this point of the season, we know that we can play with the best teams in the BBL as well as loose to the weaker teams if we don´t come to play. We definitely want to play well against Frankfurt, but more because we want to play good basketball then opposed to having revenge”, stressed Jason Boone. Teammate Ricky Harris also has the buzzer beater still on his mind. “I remember that buzzer beater as if it was yesterday. We fought so hard at coming back from being down. Guys stepped up big and made plays and then to see a 35 footer go down was a heart breaker, but that was a great shot by Justin Gray. As soon as the game day comes, that buzzer beater will pop into our heads again. That was the first buzzer beater that I ever experienced. I see it all the time in the NBA and it excites me. But being on the loosing end of a buzzer beater isn´t fun”, warned Ricky Harris.

(more…)

Michael Thompson (Fraport Skyliners): Basketball Continues To Be A Learning Experience

Michael Thompson is a 22 year old 177cm point guard from Chicago, Illinois that is playing his first season with the Fraport Skyliners. He played at Northwestern from 2007-2011. In his senior year, he played : 34 games: 16.3ppg, 2.2rpg, 4.3apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 45.2%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 82.5%. Awards/Achievements in his career have been HS: Chicago Public League All-Academic Team -07, All-Big Ten Honorable Mention -10, All-Big Ten 3rd Team -11, Big Ten All-Tournament Team -11, and NIT Elite Eight -11. He took some time to talk to German Hoops about his rookie season with the Fraport Skyliners.

The Fraport Skyliners finally won again at home against EnBW Ludwigsburg 76-72. How long did this time feel?

It was a hard process. We have been playing well on the road so we could forget a bit our play at home, but the wins on the road helped us in this win.

You were used to losing at Northwestern. Did you ever suffer such a long losing streak at Northwestern at home?

We were 1-5 in conference play not winning one game at home. This was very tough for us, because we didn´t want to lose.

(more…)

Jermareo Davidson Could Have Reggae Danced As He Propels The Fraport Skyliners Past EnBW Ludwigsburg 76-72

It is no secret that celebrities like to hang out and be friends with athletes and just be where guys like Kobe Bryant, Lebron James or Carmelo Anthony are doing their magic. Frequent guests in NBA areas have been celebrities like Jay Z with his black sunglasses alongside goddess Beyonce, Lakers diehard fan Mr Shining Jack Nicholson wearing his dark sunglasses never having seen normal light in the Staples Center or Spike Lee recruiting new athletes for his movies are never far supporting their basketball idols. Back in the 1950´s, it seemed like it was impossible for athletes to be friends with each other, but that trend seems to have been eroding in the last 20 years as even the biggest rivals of the 80´sBird and Magic have become good friends and last season the Miami Heat showed that they weren´t sour losers as they joined the Dallas Mavericks in post game celebrations after they lost the 2012 NBA finals. Two Beko BBL stars Quantez Robertson and Mark Dorris have combined as much athletic power to make the perfect 2012 basketball specimen are both from Cincinnati and despite being on opposing teams share a strong friendship and were on the court for their third meeting in the Beko BBL and Robertson was able to win his third straight meeting 76-72. Before the game, Ludwigsburg sport director Mario Probst wasn´t to keen about any one on one duels, but had his mind on only one thing. “This duel might be nice for the fans, but the most important thing is that we win. The only important thing is that they know each other, but all else about them is unimportant. We are coming on a good way. It is never about individual play, but about team play. If not all five on the court defend, then we will always have problems to win”, warned Mario Probst. Long after the game was over, the two Cincinnati kids Dorris and Roberston were in a corner in the catacombs with ex Dorris teammate Jacob Burtschi hanging out and the only thing missing was a poker table as all three were calm, but Dorris was a bit disappointed about coming up on the short end again against his teammate. “It is always great to see Tez, but bitter sweet when he comes out on top”, stressed mark Dorris. Jacob Burtschi was used to seeing great Dorris performances like his 35 point outburst in Ludwigsburg last season and is still getting used to the Super Tez flights to the basket and understood their rivalry. “They are good friends, but as soon as they step on the court, it gets thrown out the window. Both were up for this game, one could sense it on the court. Tez was all over the court and Dorris hit some tough shots”, commented ex Phoenix Hagen forward Jacob Burtschi. Robertson finished with four points and four rebounds and Dorris with 10 points.

(more…)

Can Jerry Green Get EnBW Ludwigsburg To The Beko BBL Playoffs This season?

Since the return of EnBW Ludwigsburg to the Beko BBL in 2002, the club has reached only three playoff appearances from 2004-2007 and the name Jerry Green was as important and key for those three glorious years as Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has been for their success this season in Denver, Borusia Monchengladback German Marco Reus for his timely goals and team current fourth place or Christmas giving the Wham song last Christmas endless radio play each December to the hearts content for people across the globe, but in his second tour of duty in Ludwigsburg, Green hasn´t had his magic wan working as last season the club missed the playoffs on the last game day. With the new 4,500 Ludwigsburg arena in its third season of operation and the attendance rate down from the 2009-2010 season by 300 patrons per game, pressure continues to rise rapidly on the team to reach the May games like smoke from an erupted volcano. One can´t always rely on one player or coach to always bring consistent success to a place like legendary head coach Jerry Sloan did to the Utah Jazz for 15 years from 1989-2003 and having needed components like Karl Malone and Jerry Stockton don´t grow on maple trees either. To say that Jerry Green is at fault for not leading EnBW Ludwigsburg to the Beko BBL playoffs last season and for their current slide would be more than unfair. “I don´t think that Green is feeling pressure to have to do extra incredible things to get that success. One can´t say he is the reason for the non success now. There are so many other factors involved that have been the reason for their slide at the moment. Green is the complete point guard that is athletic, can score and is a good passer who helps the team in so many ways”, stressed Artland Dragon German Christian Hoffmann.

(more…)

Marius Nolte Uses The Force In Crunch Time Propelling The Fraport Skyliners to a 64-56 Victory In The Hessen Derby

With 2012 just born and The Fraport Skyliners riding on a hot and smooth three game winning streak on the road, the club was able to continue their untypical but charming potent play on the road winning their fourth game in a row away from their living room winning for the ninth time in a row against the LTi Giessen 46ers 64-56 and keeping the traditional basketball team winless since 109 months against Frankfurt dating back to December seventh where guys like Kai Nurnberger, Mario Kasun and Robert Maras were still roaming the floor for the Skyliners. Rivalries in pro sports is nothing uncommon as the NBA lives by having the Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Lakers tug of war basketball struggle each season, MLB has the do or die game mentality between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees and the NHL has the Boston Brunis-Montreal Canadians season bashes. There is a special rivalry in the Beko BBL between Frankfurt and Giessen which not only has the players going at a special extra full tilt, but always challenges the fans at getting  a good vocal chord workout as neither organization wants to lose. St Louis native and Skyliner Jimmy Mckinney who has grown into a real team leader has never lost in Giessen as he came into the match as focused as Janet Hubert who played Aunt Viv on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air of never doing a reunion show since she can´t stand Mr Man in black Will Smith, actress Kim Kardashian sitting on Santas lap at a Christmas party and looking sweet and not naughty or NBA player Kris Humphries giving a 21 point performance despite being booed each time he touched the ball and Mckinney was able to win his sixth game in a row in Giessen and despite the success was his normal and slick and suave self after the game. “I guess I am a type of good luck charm for the Skyliners. This is a great rivalry. It always gets so loud when Giessen goes on a run. The atmosphere reminded a lot of the Vashon-Belmont atmosphere. I remember in the playoffs, there was a projector outside with 300 people watching who couldn´t get in. We won with less than a minute to play”, stressed Jimmy Mckinney. “There was much emotion in this game. We fought and did the best we could. The fans are always loud. It wasn´t any different when MBC played Chemnitz. The fans were screaming for minutes”, stressed Giessen guard Wayne Bernard. Skyliner forward Jacob Burtschi played his first Hessen derby and was impressed. “It was so loud in here that it felt like the fans were on top of you. Their fans almost willed their team to the win. I remember the Hagen-Bonn rivalry, but the Giessen fans are more memorable. Giessen have diehard fans”, added Jacob Burtschi.

(more…)