Thorben Doeding (189-PG-1999) is a 26 year old 189cm guard that has played his whole career with the Artland Dragons. He won the 2014 JBBL (U-16) title with NBA player Isaiah Hartenstein. He has played 194 Pro A games in 7 Pro A seasons. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his ex teammate NBA champion Isaiah Hartenstein
Thanks Thorben for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life? Hey Miles! I just moved to Münster to start my Master’s studies and will be living here with my girlfriend. Basketball-wise, I’ll probably step back from playing at the ProA Level, but I am also interested in looking into new perspectives like coaching.
Your ex teammate Isaiah Hartenstein became NBA chmapion with OKC. Did you stay up the whole night to watch history? Yes, of course! Set my alarm for 2am, right on time for tip-off.
How proud are you of Isaiah Hartenstein. What does this success mean for the Artland Dragons? I am very proud and happy for him and his family. The Hartensteins had a great impact on the Dragons, especially the youth! “Family” was and is a big topic for the Hartensteins and they always made the whole organization feel like a big family.
Do you still have contact with him to this day? Did you congratulate him?
First thing after the game was congratulating his dad and him. I am still in touch with the Hartenstein family. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it to Isaiah’s wedding 2 years ago but I will definitely visit them soon!
What memories do you have of the 2014 JBBL final against Breitengussbach which you won 68-60?
That was a great day. We had a real good group and shared that goal from the start of the season. Being able to play in the Artland Arena in front of such a big crowd and players of the Dragons BBL team, like Brandon Thomas and then achieving what we set out to do was amazing.
What was the key to that success? The team had 2 giants with Hartenstein and Herkenhoff and great aggressive guards.
As I just mentioned, we were confident that we can win it all that year. Everybody played their role well and we had so much fun. Isaiah Hartenstein, Philipp Herkenhoff and Noah Westerhaus were very skilled bigs, Jan Mügge was a great shooter and the Potratz brothers were relentless defenders and knew how to put the ball in the basket.
Isaiah Hartenstein had a 22/14 game. How do you remember his game then?
He did it all! He was strong under the basket but also handled the ball and shot from outside. And of course, his defense presence was already big back then.
If someone had told you that he would be NBA champion 11 years later what would you have thought?
I would have thought “Yeah, he made it!” That was his dream, his goal. Already at that age he told his Dad that he wanted to win a NBA championship one day and that is what they worked for ever since.
In JBBL the guys are very young, but what kind of a relationship did you have with him? Were you close?
Isaiah was like a big brother. His family took in a few of us players who came from outside Quakenbrück, giving us the opportunity to balance school with four hours of basketball training each day. I ended up, living with the Hartensteins for three years. Spending the time with three or four other basketball-crazy teens like Isaiah and me, having fun at the dinner table and playing video games together was great!
He often says in interviews that so many doubted him in his young days. But how can that be? It seems like he dominated youth basketball and then went his way.
Honestly, I could never understand why people were doubting him. He dominated in the JBBL and NBBL and became Adidas Next Generation Tournament MVP in Kaunas 2016. He stayed down-to-earth and kept working but somehow people thought it wouldn’t be enough.
Have you followed Isaiah Hartenstein´s career in the last decade? How have you observed his development? His path resembles a good example of how dedication, hard work and also patience will lead you to success in the end. There were some ups and downs but at the end Isaiah took his opportunity and made the best out of it.
Can you explain why he had to pay his dues so long? He switched a lot of teams but for some reason he was never used the right way.
I think he needed some time to acclimate to the NBA, to find his rhythm and figure out what works best for him in the league. Once he did that and was utilized the right way, like he was in New York, he was able to show teams that he can be a real asset, just as he is now in OKC.
Now he made his break through with OKC. Do you feel like he is still on his way of becoming an even better player?
Isaiah is constantly working, learning and improving. He averaged his first double double in the last regular season. He will continue to grow and make an even bigger impact.
He played in the Artland Dragons organization but now seems to support ratiopharm Ulm. Does he still have some kind of ties to Artland?
I think history and memories tie him and his family to Quakenbrück but there is no contact to the Dragons at the moment.
If Namori Omog (188-G-2006) who lists current EPG Baskets guard Calvin Wishart as his toughest opponent last season saved his best for last in last season´s NBBL playoff series against ratiopharm Ulm is unknown, but stats don´t lie. In the first 6 NBBL games, he scored a total of only 51 points while always seeming to be in the shadow of Ivan Crnjac and Jamie Edoka, but against Ulm, he literally exploded. He scored 71 points in total and averaged 23,0ppg. The only thing that was missing in the end was getting to the next round. His NBBL stats were 12.8ppg, 3.3rpg, 4.6apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 20.0%, FT: 72.9% It is often that when you see a player move on, it is often instrumental how well he did during the last season against his new team that helped them make the decision to reel him in. Recently Namori Omog left his comfort zone of Frankfurt and signed with the ratiopharm Ulm organization as a double license player to play Pro B with Orange Academy and the perspective for BBL minutes with Ulm. Was there a feeling that Omog was on Ulm´s radar after that series? “I think that I was on their radar after my performance in the playoff series. I didn´t plan that though. But my goal going into the Ulm series was to definitely step up my game”, stressed Namori Omog. He had had a very strong NBBL season with Eintracht Frankfurt, but where was his feeling after the season in terms of remaining or seeking a new challenge? “I did have that feeling of possibly taking on a new challenge, but to remain in Frankfurt was still an option. But in the end, I decided it was best for my further development that I take on a new challenge”, said Namori Omog.
pic credit: Skyliners EV
It has to be 100% a no brainer for any young player to want to join the ratiopharm Ulm organization. How this organization has developed further in the last 6 years has been amazing. From Killian Hayes to guys like Jeremy Sochan, Juan Nunez, Pacome Dadiet, Noa Essengue to Ben Saraf have all been drafted by the NBA. And this season the club has hauled in the next big prospect from Italy with Diego Garavaglia. “Ulm was at the top of my list. I have a double license. My main role will be to play in the Pro B, but at the same time, I want to record my first BBL minutes”, warned Namori Omog. There were many reasons what made Ulm attractive for him not to mention the great facilities, reputation and all the young guys that made their way to the NBA in the last few years. “Jeremy Sochan´s development has been very impressive. He is surely a role model, but all in all, Ulm was very attractive for me with their great record of developing young players. I think Ulm is simply the best place for my development. Being able to practice with the BBL team and possibly play Eurocup was very attractive for me. I think that that will help me grow and become more known as a player”, stressed Namori Omog. The super speedy guard who doesn´t remember playing Jamie Edoka in practice 1-1 games last season, but feels the games would be 50/50 if played will concentrate 100% on basketball this season, but may take on an internship or help coach youth teams. He will be working intensively with Orange Academy head coach Florian Flabb who helped lead Ulm´s U-19 NBBL team into the Top 4 in Berlin last May. “I like how coach gives his players freedom. He knows the strengths of each player and how to help them implement it best into a system”, stated Namori Omog. There has been also a little house cleaning this season as new talents have arrived like Dutch player Yanu Slingerland. He knows that mentally he will have to be more than ready to compete daily against such tough competition a step above what he saw in Frankfurt. “I know Yanu. He is super athletic and physical for his age. He is a very good shooter which he recently demonstrated at the youth European Championships. I´m thankful that Ulm give young players a chance. I will have to use that chance to make an impact. I will have to continue to work hard and improve my game”, warned Namori Omog. He also understands what part of his game is most vital to improve this season. “My biggest personal goal with my game is to improve my shot. I have to get a more stable three pointer. That will make me more dangerous. I also want to grow as a leader in the Pro B”, commented Namori Omog.
The athletic guard who feels Germany will achieve a medal at the upcoming European Championships and reach the final had some good years in Frankfurt even if they weren´t always rosy. “I had my ups and downs in Frankfurt. I think that I really improved my mentality in Frankfurt. Before Frankfurt, I wasn´t as dedicated. I had to be more dedicated in Frankfurt and was forced not to see it as fun. I did a good job working on my strengths and using my speed better”, remembered Namori Omog. Last season he was part of the magnificent trio with Ivan Crnjac and Jamie Edoka. From the outside it seemed like he was a bit in their shadows. Did it feel like he had less support for his development than them and did he see easyCredit BBL perspective? “I do believe that there was BBL perspective there for me in Frankfurt, but to be honest I did have that feeling that my development wasn´t pushed as much as theirs. I wasn´t able to practice with the BBL team. I believe being able to do that would of really helped my game more. I also think that I deserved more Pro B minutes”, expressed Namori Omog. He was very blessed to have had a coach like Sepehr Tarrah who was able to get the best out of him. “He taught me exactly how much I can control an opponent by the amount of preparation I put in for each game and what advantages I can use”, added Namori Omog. He will most likely battle against former teammate Ivan Crnjac this year in the Pro B. Of course he followed his former teammate closely this summer at the U-18 European Championships where Germany only reached 7th place. It seemed like Crnjac wasn´t allowed to show his full game during the competition. “I think that the seventh place wasn´t so surprising. One saw after the first game that they weren´t going to be as strong as the U-19 team. I think that team play was lacking and their mentality didn´t work so well. I think that Ivan will learn from this low. I think an experience like this will make him stronger”, stressed Namori Omog. Who knows he may even bump into Isaiah Hartenstein before he heads back to the States who has found a love for the ratiopharm Ulm organization. What would he ask the newly crowned NBA champion first? “I would ask him what are the 2-3 vital things that I need to have in order to become a champion”, stressed Namori Omog. It will be interesting to see how well Namori Omog develops his game further this season under Florian Flabb. One thing is for sure, he has definitely picked a place where he can work on what it takes to become a champion.
Miles Schmidt-Scheuber with Malik Riddle in Rhondorf
Malik Riddle (193-G-1999, college: HSU) is a 25 year old 193cm guard from Tennessee that completed his second professional season and first in Germany with Pro B team RheinStars Cologne averaging 13.6ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.0apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 63.4%. Last season he played with Gzira Athleta Birkirkara (Malta-BOV League D1) averaging 28.8ppg, 9.4rpg, 3.9apg, Steals-3 (2.6spg), FGP: 57.8%, 3PT: 33.1%, FT: 75.5%. He began his basketball career at Rossville Christian Academy. He then played 2 seasons at Morehead State University (NCAA) and then played 3 seasons at Henderson State University (NCAA2). He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball-
Thanks Malik for chatting with germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and now is basketball life treating you? Hey im doing good. Been recovering from surgery back shooting and working out now. Glad to be back at it.
You played the 2024-2025 season for the RheinStars Koeln (Germany-ProB) averaging 13.6ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.0apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 63.4%. What kind of an experience was it for you? This past season was a good experience for me to see a different level of basketball. Thought the competition was good. I enjoyed it.
Your season ended abruptly on March 8. How tough was not being able to play until the end of the season? It was very tough not being able to play the whole season. I was very sad because I wanted to be out there and help the team on the court. I wanted us to be able to make it to the championship. So the whole thing was very difficult for me.
The RheinStars season ended suddenly in the first round of the playoffs against Bernau. Did the RheinStars underestimate them? Idk if they underestimated them I think we just didn’t play our best basketball and Bernau played great they were aggressive the whole game on both ends of the court floor.
The 88-56 loss to Bernau in game 1 was a shock for all. Was that just one of those days where nothing went right? Do you feel like you could have been the difference in the playoffs? Yes I feel like I could’ve been a difference for us in the playoffs. I know we would’ve won if I was out there on the floor.
How content were you with your season averaging 13.6ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.0apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 63.4%. What school grade would you give your season? Not content at all with how I played. I give myself a B- or a C+. I could’ve been a lot better than that. I feel injury was lingering throughout the season & I was trying to play through that but mentally scared of hurting myself and I don’t think I played my 100% full game. I know I’m capable of a lot more than those numbers.
You shot the best 3 point percentage in career. Could that be the stepping stone to making 40% the next season? Yes I think I can get to 40% my next season really working on my details when shooting now, so I’m looking to make a jump in that area.
How did your game grow in the Pro B? What part of your game benefited most? I think my game grew more in being more physical and aggressive. Was more focus on defense this season. I got better on defense, I’m still not at the point I want to be but I want to continue to grow in that area of my game.
How special was teammate Jannis Von Seckendorf? Is sky still the limit for him? Jannis is a freak athlete, I think he is very capable of developing his game more and moving in to a top league. He plays hard, especially on defense. He wants to win & the way he works it shows. Any team would want a player like him.
How special of a player is Davi Remagen? He will play in the NCAA this season. Do you see him being an impact player there? Man when I first met Davi I didn’t know he was that young. He definitely is an impact player. He is so great for his age I can see him only getter better. He has the right mindset and approach to the game. I know he will do well in NCAA. I´m really happy for him
What was your personal favorite game in the Pro B last season? You had great games against Fellbach, Coburg and Oberaching.
my personally favorite was the first game against Fellbach. That was my first game playing. I had to sit the first few games because of work Visa so I was excited being out there playing and I felt great that game.
Who was your toughest player opponent in the Pro B?
The toughest player was Jaylen Alston. He played very aggressive and was relentless going to the basket.
Who wins a 1-1 in practice you or Ruppert Hennen?
Haha i don’t know we never really played but I bet it would be a fun game. We are both good so who knows. ( But I would win lol )
Is there a dynasty brewing in OKC? They have the right team over at OKC to build a dynasty so I say it is possible.
Is Shai Gillgeous-Alexander the best point guard in the NBA now?
As of now he is, for sure best player in the league leading his team to a championship can’t wait to see what he does next season.
I have been very fortunate over the years to have had a very good journalist to player relationship. I love featuring player´s journey on eurobasket.com and germanhops.com, because every player no matter where they are if it´s the NBA, first division France, 4th division or somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Argentina, every player has their own unique story. Obviously through my good contacts with players, I often am able to get in contact with other players. But what happens if I can´t get that desired number from a player? Well over the years, I have also been fortunate to preserve good relationships with agents. I have befriended many agents over the years and my list always gets larger. There is nothing better than for a player to get some free exposure. Not only the players profits, but so does the agent. One agent that I have become very friendly with has been One Motive Sports founder Drew Kelso. I was shocked to learn that I got to know him back in June of 2022. In a short span of 2 years to 2024, I had interviewed 17 of his clients. The list has continued to rise in the last 1 year. The last player I interviewed was Tevis Olison. It was actually 15 in 2024 and only a few months later it grew to 18 as he added Vlad Moldoveanu of VM Hoops Agency as I had interviewed a few of his players. “Man, 18 guys is crazy! We appreciate you and your hard work first of all”, stressed Drew Kelso in 2024. After a brief moment in thought, I realized that we are very much alike. I´m a workaholic and never take a day off. I´m always looking for that next interview and writing articles on players. My passion for the game is extraordinary. For me it´s like a game. Who will be my next interview and how big is the challenge to reel in a NBA player for a Q&A? Drew is the same as me. He is an ultimate workaholic. Not only is he doing all he can to get every player of his in the best situation, but when he does, his job isn´t done. This guy shows so much love and does so much promotion for his players on social media on a daily basis. I honestly have not seen another agent give as much love for his players as he does. Whenever I have interviewed a player, I like to follow their journey closer. It wasn´t any different when I was able to interview Daeqwon Plowden (198-G/F-1998, college: BGSU, agency: One Motive Sports) of One Motive Sprots a few years ago after hie finished college. He played NBA Summer League and has made a massive rise in this time. He paid his dues in the G-League and got a 2 way contract with the Atlanta Hawks in 2023. You could feel Kelso´s joy as he was posting news about that. It made me happy as well. But now it´s time to hear about his unique journey as a basketball agent.
Drew Kelso hails from Arkansas and went to Lincoln trail college and then finished at Blue Mountain College in Mississippi. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a pro ice hockey player and sportscaster. Since I´m from Boston and watched every sport news cast in the 80´s from the local channels 4,5 and 7. I remember often hearing the name Bob Wolfe and seeing him in interviews as he was handling Larry Bird. Kelso also had a vision of where he wanted to go jobwise when he was a kid. “I told my Dad when I was 13 years old that I wanted to be a sports agent. Life took me a different direction when I started a retail business in my dorm room when I was 21 and then wound up back chasing my dreams 9 years later (another story for another day, lol). But, looking back I guess I really had no idea of agents truly were. The obvious answer is the dramatized Jerry Maguire or even Dom Pagnotti from “He Got Game”. Coming from a small city in Arkansas, it’s not like we had any agents coming around for me to learn from. So, I guess, I didn’t really have any role models in the agent world. I am a self-proclaimed agent nerd though. I study agents, agencies, scouts, etc. Not in a sense of being envious, but at the end of the day I am eight seasons into this but I’m still on a constant pursuit of learning and not afraid to ask questions or admit that I’m wrong in a scenario. When I played, I used to watch certain players and try to immolate my game after them. I do the same in the agent business. I also try to take things I don’t like from certain agents and implement into what we don’t want to do. I always say, I have a lot of respect anyone crazy enough to get into this business and I keep that respect for anyone in the business until something is done for me to lose it somewhat”, stressed Drew Kelso in 2024. He is in his 8th year as an agent and founded One Motive Sports in 2018 and in a way is like a player who just plays the game he loves. “It’s been a blessing to be in my dream profession. But if I had to say one thing, it would be being able to genuinely get to impact the lives of so many players and their families. To know that we’ve been fortunate enough to see young men’s lives changed from when they signed with us at OMS has been amazing. We’ve not only seen players make the NBA, high levels all over the world, see them make a lot of money, but also have been fortunate enough to see players get married, start families, begin coaching, etc. We just believe in the person more than the player and that makes it more of a mission in life more than a job”, stated Drew Kelso in 2024. One of my favorite questions that I love to ask players is what their wake up call was to being a rookie overseas where they knew you were far away from home. Of course I couldn´t refrain from asking Drew what his was as an agent. “I think the wake up call for me was the constant rejection. Reaching out to teams around the world, being left on read, been told no thank you so many times, etc. And we’re not talking about Real Madrid or Alba Berlin teams, respectfully we were being told no by super low level/entry level type teams, which in hindsight, is what we were… low level. I think that and then just the COVID pandemic in 2020. In March of 2019 we had 1 player playing abroad. In March of 2020, we had grown to 36 players in 27 countries. Dealing with the pandemic and getting all of these guys home safely back to their families in a state of so much uncertainty, that was insane. They didn’t teach the art of dealing with a pandemic on our FIBA Agent test”, commented Drew Kelso in 2024.
The company started from scratch and has really have made a name for themselves step by step. It wasn´t easy for the company, but on their website there is a quote that reads, “The distance is nothing when one has a motive. A very important sentence that has helped the company grow and have success. “Everyone’s view of success is different. For me, it’s the ability that we’ve been able to start something from literally scratch as you said and grow it into something real. To see OMS guys in the NBA to across so many countries across the globe, it’s special. Everyone can look at our journey and see guys like Trey Jemison and Malevy Leons in the NBA and how cool that looks, which it is but when we started this thing in 2018 and Thomas Sandlin and I were up at 4:00 AM cold calling, Facebook messaging, emailing, etc. teams in Regionalliga Germany or the second division of Sweden and getting no replies and ignored? Man, that was a different grind. But we had to go thru that to get to where we are now. That’s where the quote “the distance is nothing when one has a motive” comes in. Thomas and I always knew we had a higher calling to make OMS into something special. Even though its never been easy, I wouldn’t change a thing”, warned Drew Kelso. The company continues to grow and expand thanks to great guys helping Drew with Thomas Sandlin, Davon Bell, Josh Jones and Clay Mallory. “Wow, what can I even say about these guys. Thomas is like the brother I never had. We started this company together on a mission that was bigger than basketball or either of us. We are complete opposite in every sense of the word, but at the same time, just because we think differently, we’ve been around each other so much that we normally end up at similar thought processes about the business. It’s been great to go through this journey with him and we tell stories and reflect back so much on what we’ve been blessed to build. He has such an immense value to OMS and I couldn’t do this without him. Davon Bell and Josh Jones are special to me because they have seen OMS from both sides. They were both former clients and then turned agents. Josh was our first hire at OMS. He was such a talented player and got the short end of the stick with COVID as so many players in the international basketball world did. I saw immense value with Josh in his ability to relate to players and he’s been instrumental in recruiting several players at OMS like Terry Allen, Tevin Olison, Raekwon Rogers, and more. Davon and Josh were both part of our very first “recruiting class” in 2019 and believed in OMS when there wasn’t much to believe in. Forever grateful for them for that. Davon played two years in Europe and was one of our first “real” clients when he was playing very well at Jamtland in Sweden before an injury cut his Rookie year short. His basketball mind is terrific and I lean on him to help me with talent identification. Both of those guys embody what we want to have in our company and represent us the right way. Clay Mallory has been huge for us at OMS. I met Clay in 2019 at an exposure camp in Las Vegas during NBA Summer League. We both were just starting out and both had very little going on (even though we thought we did lol). We always stayed close and bounced ideas off each other. In 2021, we made the decision to merge his company in with us at OMS and he take on a role at OMS. He is the Director of our Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) side at OMS and my eyes out in California/the West Coast. Clay has really grown during his years at OMS and just will continue to get better. Great guy that does things the right way”, warned Drew Kelso in 2024. It is always beneficial when one has ex players in the company. These are guys who have seen it all and know exactly how players tick. “Yeah, as aforementioned with Davon and Josh, it’s been awesome. The value that those guys brings is immense. They can relate to players, especially the ones that are playing abroad, way better than I can. I’ve never flew hallway across the world to chase a dream to play professionally, they have. I feel like I can relate to our clients pretty well still, but those guys are probably way cooler for our guys to talk to than me”, smiled Drew Kelso in 2024.
Being an agent is no piece of cake. It is constant work. Not to mention the travel around the globe visiting players and seeing how their doing. “Typically, I am at home and able to work out of an office at the house. Depends on the time of year, but regardless I wake up early to work with the European and international market as a whole, our players over there, etc. In the summer, I usually am in the office a little after 4:00 AM to be able to talk to decision makers with the time difference. Right now, it’s a little different. We have some things in the works (stay tuned), but I am more focused on our current clients and making sure they are ok. All but a handful of our clients at the time of writing this are on a team currently, so it’s more maintaining the guys we have and monitoring their progress, keeping an eye on the market, and recruiting is really ramping up. The cycle keeps going”, stated Drew Kelso in 2024. One thing that separates One Motive Sports from other agencies is just how important the player really is. The motto of the company that it pursues happiness. This has a deep meaning having to do with a fallen friend. “Yeah, without getting too deep into the story. Thomas and I started One Motive Sports (and named it after) the passing of our mutual best friend. He gave me the vision to chase my agent dreams still even though I was seven to eight years removed from basketball about a week before he tragically passed away. So, the name “One Motive” was something that he preached all the time and his One Motive was to pursue happiness at all times. I fought the idea of leaving everything I knew in my adult life and closed the retail business and got into the agency business to honor him. When you do something that’s bigger than you, you work that much harder. I always tell players to remember their “why” and what got you here. Without that none of us really have anything worth fully pursuing in my opinion. It’s not about the deals, contracts, levels, etc. for me as much as it is honoring my friend and making sure we live out the legacy left and live his dream for me thru our clients”, stressed Drew Kelso in 2024. One often hears about how team´s check players characters before signing them. There are so many agents out there that will sign anyone, but with One Motive Sports, they have a clear idea of who they want to represent and not. “Yeah, no doubt. I will admit, early on we were very bullish and had to take chances on a lot of guys that we may or may not should have. But in retrospect, they took chances on us too. Some of those guys turned out to have great careers (some still going from the early OMS days) and some we all learned valuable lessons on. One thing that I’ve learned is character matters so much. You can only be a bad person for so long. No matter how talented you are, your character eventually has to kick in. The OMS logo and name has such a deep meaning to us and we want people that represent that well. I could genuinely care less if people know who I am in the general public eye. I want them to know what OMS stands for as a company and that they are not only getting a talented player, but often times a better person”, expressed Drew Kelso in 2024. I love how the company doesn´t like to call their players clients, but family. Is having this feeling of being one family the difference between success and not? “No doubt. The word “family” gets thrown out a lot from teams, agents, etc. We truly treat these guys like family. If you know me, I am very passionate about our guys and talk to them constantly (Thomas Sandlin even more than me usually lol). Not just about basketball, but life, their families, their trials and tribulations. There’s only so much business you can talk about with a client. You get what? One, maybe two contracts a year? How many times can you talk about that during the season legitimately with that client? We’ve done a really good job of not only signing these guys but a lot of them we’ve had for their entire pro career and retained them. Retaining players is half the battle. We live in a “transfer portal” society and players leave the moment something is tough. Have we lost guys? Sure. Have we had to let guys go? Sure. But, ultimately when you build the Family culture that we’ve built, guys want to stick around and the feeling is mutual on our side”, added Drew Kelso in 2024.
One Motive Sports continues to build their client pool and no they don´t take just any player. They do a lot of recruiting in finding the right players for the agency. “We definitely have taken the road less traveled in our agency journey. In retrospect, I guess a lot of our players have to. That’s what makes finding the right players that much more special. Have we been wrong before? Sure. Have players maybe been wrong about choosing to come to OMS before? Sure. But, at the end of the day we always say “we will get the players that we are supposed to get. We do a ton of due diligence in recruiting players to become a part of the OMS Family. Not just talent evaluation. It goes into deep “intel” of each player, many conversations with that particular player and their inner circle whomever that may be, etc. I do think that the evaluation process may be my favorite part of the agency business personally. I love being able to get with our group and talk about certain players, go to games, watch them on film and building relationships. Thru trials and tribulations we’ve learned what we are looking for as well. We feel really good about where our current group is and continuing to grow the right way! Still a long way to go from where we want to be though”, said Drew Kelso in 2024. In the last few years the company has helped guys like Trey Jemison, Daeqwon Plowden and Malevy Leons reach the NBA. These were solid guys coming out of college, but not necessarily future NBA guys. Obviously these players put in a lot of hard work, but this wasn´t a fluke either. “I got licensed to be an agent in the NBA in 2021. We started our NBA journey in 2022 with Drake Jeffries and Daeqwon Plowden. Both went thru the NBA Pre-Draft process with them. From then, it’s just been a strong focus for us at OMS. Trey, Daeqwon, Malevy, weren’t guys as you said that had much NBA interest coming out of college. Some, but not a ton. We always talk about “can you cultivate a role?” These guys have an elite skill (or multiple) that can translate to the NBA as a role player, where you can make a ton of money and live your dream out. These guys bought into what we preached to them and then they did the work. All I can really take credit for is signing them and putting them in positions to succeed. They are the ones that did the work and put their body on the line day in and day out. The NBA is tough, man. Especially with where we are in dealing with “fringe” NBA guys. People always talk about the NBA is the best 450 players in the world (600 if you count two-way contract guys). It’s not. It’s about the best FITS in the world. We try to find the guys that are the best potential fits for an NBA team. These guys have shown that they are capable and worthy of being in this position whether anyone else really thought so or not”, commented Drew Kelso in 2024. One of the massive surprises in 2024 was seeing the incredible rise of Malevy Leons attain real NBA minutes a few months after playing NBA Summer League. Kelso´s great support via social media looked like he was a small kid in a candy store. “ It’s the best. When you are growing up wanting to be a sports agent, with all due respect, I never had a dream of sending a player to play in Slovakia or Hungary. Nothing wrong with those as we have done many deals in places like this (and will continue to), but I had the dream of representing NBA players. It’s so much harder than people think. I worked my tail off to even get my NBA license let alone building rapport with teams to be able to talk about our players like a Malevy Leons about when we signed him. Seeing those guys live out their dream? Unbelievable. Malevy is the American Dream personified. He came to America for junior college and barely spoke English about six years ago. A lot of scouts doubted him during the Pre-Draft process. We saw something in Malevy and more importantly Malevy saw something in himself. He was the first player born in the Netherlands to make an NBA appearance in twelve years! Even though there was a Dutch draft pick this year and two other guys that signed NBA deals, Malevy was the first to play an NBA regular season game in twelve years. That’s bigger than basketball. He put a whole country on his back that night and made people back home so happy. I’m forever proud of Malevy for that”, stressed Drew Kelso in 2024. I also cover many of Kelso´s players in Germany in the top 5 league easyCredit BBL since that is the country I cover most. “I think I’ve literally placed a guy in six different levels of Germany over the years, so I’d say we’re pretty well versed there lol. From BBL to Oberliga. I personally love the German market. The people there are good to deal with, no real issues typically like in some other markets. Good place to live. We rarely have complaints from our guys that go to Germany. I think the BBL is terrific. It’s extremely competitive and often the best step for a guy to get into other top leagues like Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, etc. I would say it’s in the top 5 domestic leagues in Europe. Even though some of the teams don’t have the budgets that teams in other top leagues have, they do such a good job with the resources they have. We always want to have a mainstay in the BBL market for sure”, said Drew Kelso in 2024.
So what is the future of One Motive Sports. Is Quality more important than quantity or is a goal to keep expanding the player list? “Actually, as we speak, we are going thru a lot of potential scenarios to grow OMS. Our thing is we want to do it the right way. We are in the process of growing and expanding and that comes with a lot of due diligence and planning. Quality is definitely the most important thing. We feel that it doesn’t really matter the number of clients a company has, its more do they have the infrastructure and the ability to maintain and grow those clients the RIGHT way. That’s all we focus on is doing things the right way. We have some things coming though that will continue to hopefully keep OMS going the right way”, warned Drew Kelso in 2024. Another trait we both have is that we are Never satisfied. “I think if you’re satisfied then you stop pursuing dreams. I was so naïve coming into the agency thing when I first started. I thought that we would get in the NBA right away and make all this money, lol. That took a LONG time to even scratch the surface of the NBA. I want to secure a long-term NBA deal in the near future. We’ve had three guys make the NBA but nobody on a multi-year standard NBA contract. That’s a goal. I’d love to have an NBA Draft pick as all three guys we’ve had make the NBA went undrafted. As far as Europe, I’d love to have someone in Euroleague. Something we haven’t been able to accomplish but a dream for sure”, said Drew Kelso in 2024. Since our interview, he has helped many more players reach the NBA. One of my favorite things as a report/journalist is interviewing NBA or ex NBA guys. For him it isn´t any different either. “ I think the coolest experience for me was seeing our guys play in NBA games. Trey Jemison’s time in Memphis was really special to me because Memphis is an hour from my house and I grew up going to games there as a kid. I said shortly after I started the agent business that I wasn’t going back to a Grizzlies game until we had a player playing there. I didn’t think it would take five years and I didn’t think it would be an OMS client wearing a Memphis jersey. But overall, the whole experience as an agent has been a blessing and so, so many cool experiences”, added Drew Kelso in 2024. The experience Drew Kelso with his clients reminds me of when I opened baseball card packs as a kid. It was exciting to get the allstar players. It is no different then waiting for the moment when Drew Kelso helps that next college player get an NBA contract. The excitement never wanes in Drew Kelso´s basketball life.
Noah Westerhaus (200-PF-1998) is a 27 year old 200cm forward that has played the last 3 seasons with the ETB Miners Essen. He began his basketball career with the Artland Dragons and was a teammate with 2025 NBA champion Isaiah Hartenstein. Noah also has sampled experience playing with BSG Bremerhaven, Wolfenbuettel, Neustadt, Langenhagen, Koblenz and Limburg. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his memories being Isaiah Hartenstein´s teammate.
Thanks Noah for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life? I´m living in Essen playing Pro B.
You completed your third season with Essen. Has Essen become like a second home to you and will you remain? Definitely. I met a lot of people here and want to stay for a while.
Your ex teammate Isaiah Hartenstein became NBA champion with OKC. Did you stay up the whole night to watch history? Yes I watched a couple of game during the season and of course the last one.
How proud are you of Isaiah Hartenstein. What does this success mean for the Artland Dragons? It does shows how good their youth teams were and are. Every one of his clubs is probably proud of him as am I. He really deserves it.
Do you still have contact with him to this day? Did you congratulate him? Unfortunately no, but yes I texted him.
What memories do you have of the 2014 JBBL final against Breitengussbach which you won 68-60? It was an unbelievable experience in front of our home crowd. Winning the chip is front of family and friends is something special.
What was the key to that success? The team had 2 giants with Hartenstein and Herkenhoff and great aggressive guards.
The key was the whole team and our defense. We had 2 good coaches, great defenders and big guy sunder the basket and Isaiah who did everything.
Isaiah Hartenstein had a 22/14 game. How do you remember his game then? We was our biggest weapon and nobody was able to stop him.
How do you remember practices in 2014? He was already a giant. How tall were you then and did you battle in the paint in practice? At that time we were both growing so quickly. One week he was taller and the next week I was taller. Practices were always very competitive and if they weren´t competitive enough, then his dad Flo joined and it became competitive.
If someone had told you that he would be NBA champion 11 years later what would you have thought?
I would of called him crazy, but not because he wasn´t talented enough, but because it´s such a long way from where he started. But he made it. That’s unbelievable.
In JBBL the guys are very young, but what kind of a relationship did you have with him? Were you close? Yes we were more than teammates. 3 of us were living with his family including me.
He often says in interviews that so many doubted him in his young days. But how can that be? It seems like he dominated youth basketball and then went his way. Yes he did and he proved everyone wrong and that is something that he deserves because of all of his hard work.
Have you followed Isaiah Hartenstein´s career in the last decade? How have you observed his development? Can you explain why he had to pay his dues so long? Yes I have. I watched his highlights and he always got better.
He switched a lot of teams but for some reason he was never used the right way. Now he made his break through with OKC. Do you feel like he is still on his way of becoming an even better player? Sometimes it has to do with how a coach wants to use him. I feel like he fits into the OKC team well.
He made the next step with OKC. Do you feel like he can get even better? I think that he will take another step and get better and more consistent.
He played in the Artland Dragons organization but now seems to support ratiopharm Ulm. Does he still have some kind of ties to Artland? I have no idea.
If you played 1-1 in 2025, how many baskets could you make in 10 tries? I´ll give myself a solid 1. There will be a lucky one going in.
Joe Asberry (196-F-1965, college: SF State) is an American ex professional basketball player that really has seen it all from crime to drugs, but also played against legends like David Robinson (215-C-65, college: Navy), Gary Payton, Jason Kidd and Brian Shaw and was teammates with German legendary player Christian Welp. He had a 11 year professional career that saw him toil around in the minor leagues of Germany, but he belonged to the best in his day at that level. Since retiring from the game, he has been a spokesperson for young kids and drug prevention, guest speaker, worked in the Alba Berlin organization, been a master of ceremonies for UBC Hannover and been a mentor for young Americans coming overseas trying to live the dream of being a professional basketball player. He worked last season with the Artland Dragons organization. He spoke to germanhoops.com about the 2025 NBA finals.
Thanks Joe for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you? What’s up Miles? Always good to catch up with you. I’m in Berlin, Germany and loving this heatwave, while other’s MELT! LOL!
Let’s talk NBA. OKC are NBA champions. They dominated the whole season. What made them the best team for you? OKC has a bunch of Dawgs ,who love to play together and thats the key to their success.
How did you rate OKC going into the 2024-2025 NBA season. Were they a team you saw making a run in playoffs?
Coming into the 24/25 Season, I knew OKC would be good, but I didn’t think they would win the title. I thought the Nuggets or Twimberwolves would win the chip
What is your summary of the finals? Did OKC win it fair and square? OKC was the better team.Fair play to them
Tyrese Haliburton had 9 points in the first 8 minutes, but then left with injury. The Pacers kept pace for a long time. Would the Pacers have won the final with him? Halifburton is a Elite Stud,but, it was SGA’s time. He was going to go out there and get a 50 ball,or do EVERYTHING to help his team win
Where do you rank Tyrese Haliburton now as a point guard in NBA? Is he top 5 now?
I don’t like to Rank NBA players, because I view all of them as the best basketball players in the World, but with that said, you have to put Haliburton in the conversation of top 5 PG! His clutch 3’s were unreal. To point at Reggie Miller and do the “choke sign” on that stage with the WORLD Watching means that dude is different What was key in game 7 for OKC winning. If you look at the stats, the To’s seemed to be the big key.
Turnovers will happen in every basketball game. It boils down to who wants to win more, so again OKC has some Dogs with chips on their shoulders and that was the difference.
What was the difference between OKC’s defense and other teams? How key was having a coach like Mark Daigneault for keeping the defensive principles intact all season long?
Mark Daigneualt is a great coach. He hung his hat on them getting stops. We all know defense wins championships, but none of the principles mean anything if you don’t have the players that can play defense. Jalen Williams is a Monster. Luguentz Dort is a Monster. When you have elite studs like those two and Big Hartenstein playing in that pain ,like a Grown ass Man, you can’t go wrong on Defense.
If you had to choose an unsung hero for OKC in the final series and season who would it be? The unsung hero for me is Big Chet Holmgren. He can average a 20 ball on any team in the NBA! He is damn good and on his way to be great. He didn’t let his injuries or ego get in the way
Which Indiana Pacer player made the biggest jump this season? So many of their players have showed consistency the last years.
Anybody that knows me,knows one thing about me, I don’t like Dunkers,i l Ive them. So Obi Toppin made the biggest Jump and I see him getting better and better! LOL
SGA made the next step. Is he the top point guard in the NBA and top 3 best players in world? SGA is a NBA World Champion,and the best player in the world TODAY! Now if i let my feelings get involved, I’ll slap myself for not saying Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Steph Curry,Anthony Edwards, The Joker,and Luca Doncic, are the best basketball players in the world. I hope the homey Bryan Battle doesn’t read this he will punch me for not putting his boy Kyrie Irving,in the Mix! LOL! What is the next step for SGA? Can he elevate his game now to another level or has he reached his prime? Sky is the limit for SGA! He has that Canadian Chip on his shoulder, showing us Americans,”we’re here buddy”
How cool is it for Germany having that second NBA winner ever after Dirk Nowitzki with Isaiah Hartenstein (213-C/F-1998). Especially since you coach with the Artland Dragons organization where he began his career?
Congratulations to Big Isiah. I love the G-League,so when he was killing in that, I knew it was only a matter of time, big strong, and Dunking on people, I LOVE HIS GAME! Now my job is much harder, I can’t find the next Big Hartenstein in Quackenbruck, real talk though,that area is loaded with talent. There is a big Shot Blocking Diva on my Radar and a 1 on 1 Wizard Diva too, but I won’t put pressure on my 2 “WNBA Allstars” They have enough pressure right now. When they read this, they will know who I’m talking about! Especially if I scream”Stop BSING;AND COOK” LOL!
Have you had any dealings with big Flo Hartenstein, the dad of Isaiah? Can you even imagine what is going through his head the day after?
Congratulations to Big Flo. He gave my guy Pierre Bland a chance ,when nobody else would. I heard his name of course, but we met in Quackenbruck through the Agent I work with (My guy Mike Baron) I’m happy for big Flo. He’s a good dude. I’m sure he’s also laughing at Haters who thought he was crazy when his son went to go hoop in another country. Yes,I’M PETTY !LOL!
Hartenstein became a NBA player with OKC after having to pay his dues for many years. Still I feel like he isn’t respected as a no offensive scorer yet. OK so OKC has many great offensive players, but can Hartenstein ever get more of a scoring role? He just doesn’t get enough shots.
Big Hartenstein is in a perfect position. He proved he can score in the G-League. You feed him, and he will score more. His jump hook is cash. He doesn’t have to score. OKC is loaded with Scorers.
How did you see development of Jalen Williams. Is he on track of becoming an NBA superstar? Jalen Williams is elite. He will get better and better
How key was the big man duo of Holgrem/Hartenstein. Would OKC have won only with 1 player?
The modern twin towers Holmgren and Hartenstein is incredible. Hartenstein is as strong as an Ox, and truth be told, Holmgren probably has a 8 foot wingspan, its SCARY!
What is possible now with OKC. I picked a dynasty with Boston last season and was wrong. Can it happen with OKC? OKC’s Dynasty ends now. The Golden State Warriors will sign Giannis, Dame, James Harden, and I’m going to Kidnap Ace Bailey to join the squad, “I believe in 26″Warriors will beat your Celtics in 7! Thanks for having me Miles,I appreciate you!
Paul Miller (208-C-1982, college: Wichita St.) is a former professional player that celebrated an illustrious 8 year pro career. He played in countries like South Korea, Germany, Russia, Turkey and France, but spent the most time in Poland where he spent 4 seasons. He began his basketball career at Blair Oaks high school and then played at Wichita State (NCAA) from 2001-2006 playing a total of 131 games. germanhoops.com caught up with the former player to talk about his basketball career and after.
Thanks Paul for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you?
No problem, I’m now living in Wichita, Kansas with my wife and 3 kids. After retiring from basketball in 2014 we lived in Kansas City for 7 years before moving to where we currently are 3 years ago. Our family loves it here.
You retired from the pro game 10 years ago. Has time flown by for you?
It definitely has gone by quickly. I think the first few years after were a little slower because we didn’t have kids at that point but since starting a family I feel like the years have flown by.
What have you been doing with your life since basketball? How was the transition period for you going from pro basketball to life after? Did you get a normal 9-5 job? Basically since basketball ended I’ve worked in sales selling orthopedic trauma implants that are used by surgeons to fix fractures. It’s a demanding, rewarding, and fun job.
Did you stay connected to basketball? I read that you served as an analyst for Cox Channel Kansas covering your alma mater? I’m connected to basketball in some small ways and being in Wichita I’m able to attend a lot of the Wichita State Shocker basketball games locally. A few years back I filled in and provided color commentary for one of the games. It was fun to do but I found a new perspective on the talent and job that people in that role have. It is not as easy as it looks or sounds and takes a lot of ability and work to do a good job.
Let’s talk about your basketball career. You played at Wichita State (NCAA) from 2001-2006 reaching the NCAA tournament as a senior. What memories do you have beating Seton Hall and upsetting Tennessee?
Those memories will always be near the top for me. The tournament has such a hype around it and there was just an unbelievable amount of attention for us that year locally. To have the success after years of working toward a result like that was just really rewarding. We had a special group of guys that year and it was just an incredible experience. The success in the tournament was a culmination of a lot of things for the program and I’m very proud of that season.
You played 20 years ago in the NCAA. It was a long time ago. How has the game changed in your mind besides it getting more athletic. How would you have faired in the NCAA today if you were playing now? When I was in college I think I attempted 1 three point shot if I remember right? The way teams play fast, shoot more 3s than ever, and with less structure and sets now is different than 20 years ago. It’s not like it changed overnight but has been adapted through analysis and as players and the game has changed. The metrics and analytics that are available now would have blown everybody’s minds 20 years ago. I think there is so much information that is digested and used to plan, scout, and train teams and players now. It’s very hard to compare players of different eras but where you’re in the middle of it all playing things would have been fine for me.
You had many great games. What was your best game in the NCAA? The game against Tennessee in the tournament that put us into the sweet 16 will always be one of my favorite memories. It wasn’t my best personally but one that certainly stands out in my mind. How did head coach Mark Turgeon groom and prepare you best for a professional career?
I came into college with very little experience playing basketball compared to what most players have now. I was also a baseball player and focused on that sport much more in my youth. So when I got to Wichita St. the coaches had a lot of technique and skill work to teach me. I think the footwork and principles I learned at that time were a big part of my success later. Turgeon held us to a high standard when it came to being accountable, focused, and dedicated. Turgeon really helped me grow in my career and I’m very thankful to have played for him.
Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Kyle Wilson?
We had some good battles for sure. If we played in the post I would win but from the perimeter and mid range Kyle definitely had the advantage.
You began your pro career in Germany with the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven (Germany-1.Bundesliga) averaging 4.7ppg, 2.3rpg, FT-2 (89.7%). What do you remember being your wake up call to being overseas where you knew that you were far away from home? That season I spent time in Poland, New York, and Korea before ending up in Germany. That was a little bit of a whirlwind for me but I really enjoyed the team in Bremerhaven and it ended up being a good springboard for my career.
How tough was it as a rookie cracking the rotation with 2 talented guys like Adam Chubb and RT Guinn patrolling the paint area. What memories do you have of these 2 fine players?
That season I remember having so much fun in practice. We had some great battles that year. RT and I played a lot together in practice and usually matched up against Adam and Judson on the other team. Adam was strong as an Ox and was hard to move he and I had a lot of battles for sure. RT was dynamic but unsuspecting he would regularly surprise me with a play or a move that you had never seen. Both of those guys were great teammates and fun to play with.
You played your second pro season with SPEC Polonia Warszawa (Poland-DBE) averaging 11.6ppg, 6.7rpg, Blocks-3 (1.1bpg), 2FGP: 50.5%, 3PT: 37.1%, FT: 69.0%. How important was this season for you? Your minutes went from 10 in Germany to 25 in Poland. You finally could show your game.
Like most guys sometimes the opportunity to play minutes and given responsibility is the key to confidence and then the game takes off for you. I think my time that year in Polonia was just that. It gave me a bigger role in the team than the year before and I was able to grow as a player.
In the summer of 2008 you played NBA Summer League with the New York Knicks. What memories do you have of that experience? Who do you remember being your teammates and opponents? We had a pretty good set of guys. Nate Robinson played and he was always great to be around and play with. Danilo Gallinari had just been drafted so it was good to play with him as well. The summer league was still new back then and less of a production than it is today. That being said it was always a lot of fun to test yourself against the players there.
You played your third pro season with Anwil Wloclawek (Poland-PLK) averaging 13.1ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.1apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 55.7%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 79.9%. You played an exciting 6 game playoff series against then top team Asseco Prokom. You had 3 20 plus scoring games and 2 games scoring 19 points. Was that some of the best basketball that you played in your life?
That year our team in Anwil really came together in the playoffs and we found our rhythm. That series was really fun, they had a very strong team and I still think we could have won the series. That series was certainly one of my favorite playoff memories throughout the years.
Were you extra motivated against Asseco Prokom playing against ex NBA players like Daniel Ewing and Qyntel Woods and others like Ronnie Burrell and David Logan?
They had so many weapons on that team. Those guys were really good in their own right but they played together and had a good system. We just wanted to win I never thought much about the background of who was on the other team. If I learned one thing in Europe it was that everybody deserved to be respected. Sometimes owners or clubs would want to make some comparison of teams based on salaries or budgets of teams but at the end of the day when the lights come on teams and players have to go out and perform night after night.
You played your fourth season with Triumph Lyubertsy (Russia-A Superleague) averaging 7.3ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.0apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 38.1%, 3PT: 31.8%, FT: 87.5%;in the Eurocup and in the Russian League averaged 9.6ppg, 4.0rpg, FGP: 58.4%, 3PT: 47.7%, FT: 78.4%. How was it playing in Russia and taking in that culture? What was your fondest moment there? Russia was a great experience for me. I enjoyed the club and the guys I played with. There was only 9 teams in the league that year so the level of all teams was high. If not for the weather I think I would have enjoyed playing there multiple years.
You played twice against top team CSKA Moscow playing against legends like Langdon, Holden and Siskauskas. Is one able to take in the atmosphere of playing against top players then or does one realize more now what one did so long ago?
At the time you have to respect the level those teams played at. Their quality was so high across the board. If one of the starters came out it seemed like the next guy to come in was just as dangerous. They were so solid in their play and didn’t make many mistakes or take bad shots. It was very hard to play against them. They were incredibly consistent in their play throughout the game, they didn’t take plays off or have any lapse in intensity
. In 2010-2011 you returned back to Anwil Wloclawek (Poland-PLK) averaging 13.5ppg, 5.2rpg, FGP: 71.1%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 68.8%; in the Eurocup and in the Polish League averaged 12.0ppg, 6.6rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 56.6%, 3PT: 30.0%, FT: 69.2%. Every now and then you would see ex NBA players like Gerald Green. He was in between the NBA when he played in Europe. You also played against Slovenian legend Primoz Brezic who had played in the NBA for 8 years. Do you still remember battles against guys like them? On paper that year we had a very strong team built at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately I think that team underachieved as we should have won more games. That’s how it can be sometimes though and sometimes guys just don’t fit together as your might hope. We did have some highlights during the season and good stretches of play. The team from Samara with Green, Rush, Brezic was definitely talented. I remember a couple plays Green had that he finished with dunks and it’s no wonder he was a NBA dunk champ he could really explode off the floor.
In the 2011-2012 season you played for Bandirma Kirmizi (Turkey-TBL) averaging 12.4ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 58.6%, 3PT: 33.7%, FT: 84.6%. What memories will you always have of Turkey? What were you able to take with you with a season of Turkish basketball and culture?
That year was challenging for me as I broke my nose in the preseason that year. I was playing in Aliaga and it took some time to get back into form after that happened. I moved to Bandirma and enjoyed my time there but it had its challenges. Banvit I thought had a really great club and management and they took care of the team well. Kirmizi was built with a lot of the up and coming younger players in the club. The talent in the Turkish league was really good and there was a lot of veteran players throughout the league. The inexperience of our young team would show itself often that year but personally I enjoyed that season and watching and helping some of my teammates grow and develop.
In the 2012-2013 season you played with JDA Dijon Bourgogne (France-ProA) averaging 2.0ppg, 2.1rpg; and in the EuroChallenge averaged 4.5ppg, 2.5rpg. How tough was this season for you? You played 21 minutes less than what you saw in Turkey. Could you take any positives out of this season? This was a very frustrating year for me. I got to the team after the season had started with the thought that I would be stepping in and playing significant minutes. I explored leaving for another club a couple times right around the new year but was told that I would get a chance to play more. A couple months went by and I continued to hope for more time on the court but it never happened. Looking back I would have left for other opportunities but at the time you just try to make the best decision you can and in that instance it didn’t work out for me.
You played your last season with WKS Slask Wroclaw (Poland-TBL) averaging 14.1ppg, Reb-5 (7.6rpg), 1.2apg, 1.4spg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 55.3%, 3PT: 22.2%, FT: 77.0%. You helped them win the league title. What was so special about this team? I had gotten married the summer before this season so I really enjoyed my time in Wroclaw being with my wife and enjoying playing basketball. I will always have fond memories of that year and time in Wroclaw.
You then retired after 8 seasons. Could you have played longer? Why did you retire at age 31?
I definitely could have played for 3 or 4 more years but I felt like I wanted to start my next career and establish my family in Kansas. I wanted to spend time around my extended family and friends that I had been sacrificing and missing for 8 years. I’m satisfied with the time I spent playing and will always look fondly at my experience playing in Europe. The teammates, coaches, trainers, and staff that helped me throughout the years are the people and things I miss the most. I was fortunate to have played with and against many great players and those experiences and people are what I am most thankful for.
How would you like for fans to remember the player Paul Miller best? As a player that always wanted to win for the fans. When the final buzzer would sound and everyone would finish shaking hands looking up to the stands and seeing the fans excited, happy, and proud of the team and the outcome of the game was the best feeling in the world.
Who was the greatest player that you ever faced on the court that reached the NBA?
That’s a hard question, I played with and against lots of guys that played in the NBA. David Lee definitely was one of the best guys I had to play against many times from high school up to the NBA.
Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?
David Lee Lukasz Kozarek, Brion Rush, Pete, Michael Judson Wallace
Please name your personal NBA Mount Rushmore? Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant Shaquille O’Neal Lebron James Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Who is your GOAT?
Michael Jordan
Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn’t they have left it alone?
I haven’t seen the sequel. Anytime a sequel comes out that much further down the road I feel like it never ends up being as good. They should have left it alone.
It may be difficult to believe but even if Jeremy Ingram (183-G-1991, college: AAMU) has played most of his overseas career in Germany, recently he has taken his game to different countries. Last season he concentrated on other basketball duties and elected not to play, but then did help out Avanti Mondorf in Luxemburg for a few games and this upcoming season will suit up in the second division in Croatia which will be his 8th team as a pro. “I signed to a new Sports Agency a few months ago called United Sports and started working with a guy named Stefan. He was the key to this great opportunity. 1 thing I have said this past year was I needed to go play in a warm country because of playing in this German weather for so long. So I´m excited I can get to go play there and take my brand even further. I have no idea if the Croatian second division is like Pro B Germany, but I can’t wait to find out ”, stressed Jeremy Ingram. As usual he is in Germany at the moment in the Stuttgart area and doing what he loves most. You never know where you may find him, because he is all over the place. “The summer has been cool, literally, German weather. I guess. This summer has been pretty busy because I have been all over Europe teaching kids the game of basketball, while still playing and working out for myself, while figuring out where I want to play next season and still handling Family things so this maybe 1 of my busiest summers ever. Out here grinding for real”, warned Jeremy Ingram. He also found some extra time to ball with other basketball lovers and showcase his still very explosive game, but wasn´t has fortunate to win a title. “This is my first year playing in the GRC but I had so much fun playing with team “For the Glory” with guys like D. Mcgee, BA, Shaun and a few others. We came up a little short because we honestly got cheated seeming that if you lose you go home. Well we beat a team and somehow we had to play them later and they had about 10 new players this time. But that´s a story for another day. I just enjoyed getting out there turning up with the guys”, stated Jeremy Ingram.
Even if he is overseas, one thing Jeremy Ingram never loses sight of is the NBA. The time difference may be tough, but even if he can´t watch every game, he finds a way to keep track as best as possible. It also didn´t surprise him that the Oklahoma Thunder won the 2025 NBA title. He simply had that special premonition. “ I had OKC picked since preseason because they were clearly the overall best team this season and arguably last season except last season I didn’t pick them because I felt they were too young and weren´t ready yet. I knew this season they would be ready. Their defense was amazing and sometimes overshadowed by their great offense. Also Shai is the best player in the NBA right now and he has so many characteristics that reminds me of my all-time favorite player Kobe Bryant”, stressed Jeremy Ingram. Many surely had the Thunder winning easily as the Indiana Pacers gave them an incredible fight, but what many will wonder is what would have happened had Tyrese Haliburton been able to play the whole game? He had 9 points in the first 8 minutes and was red hot, but then went down with a season ending injury. “I wanted OKC to win and I hate to admit it but if Tyrese Haliburton don’t get hurt we may be talking about this series a little differently. I don’t want to say Pacers win because I think OKC maybe still pulls this game out but I do think the Pacers had no hope and no chance after he got hurt”, commented Jeremy Ingram. Haliburton had another great season, but made another step in the playoffs leading his team to 7 games in the final. Did that run heave him into the top 5 best point guards in the NBA? “ Curry, Kyrie Luka, Shai, and Ja Morant are my top 5 point guards. I don’t think he was consistent enough to be in the Top 5”, said Jeremy Ingram. It was apparent to see that the Pacers staggering amount of turnovers and the Thunder´s consistent defense put them over the top. “ TO’s was a big key because that´s what OKC had done all year is make teams turnover the ball and get out on them fast breaks. OKC made defense their main priority. If that´s the case and your offense is even better than your defense then that´s a winning formula”, warned Jeremy Ingram.
OKC might have had that dominant point guard and MVP in Shai Gillgeous-Alexander that was massive for the win, but also had so many other great parts like Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace or Aaron Wiggins just to name a few, but does OKC win without both big men of Hartenstein and Holmgren? “To win a championship it´s very important to have a good big man. OKC had 2 which made them even tougher in the paint”, said Jeremy Ingram. Jalen Williams made a huge jump in his last 2 seasons and exploded in the playoffs and had a 40 point game against Indiana. Is he on superstar course now? “I don´t see him becoming a superstar because ultimately I think playing with Shai will prevent him from going to superstardom. If he goes to another team he definitely could become a superstar if it´s his team”, explained Jeremy Ingram. Shai Gillgeous won the MVP fair and square even if people in Denver will doubt it, but is he now a top 3 point guard in the NBA and can he still elevate his game to bigger heights now? “I mean he is League MVP and Finals MVP so you would have to say he’s the best player in the world for now. I think you can always elevate your game no matter how good you are so I do think he will come back even better next season and even more efficient”, expressed Jeremy Ingram. Germany got it´s second NBA champion after Dirk Nowitzki with Isaiah Hartenstein. The big man has had to pay his dues for years, but finally found his calling in Oklahoma. He has a specific role, but still it´s a shame that his versatile offensive game can´t be shown more. “I think this NBA title just makes German basketball even more popular and makes basketball in general more popular over here. It´s not Hartenstein’s job to get more shots when you already have 2-3 players taking 15-20 shots every night and I´m sure he understands that”, stressed Jeremy Ingram. I wished more than actually believed last summer that the Boston Celtics could start a dynasty, but what´s possible with the Thunder? “ I think if OKC’s main players stay healthy. They can win at least 2 more championships in the next 5 years but you never know because of so many different NBA teams are good now and the west is especially super tough”, warned Jeremy Ingram.Never doubt Jeremy Ingram, because he knows the NBA. So if he predicts another Thunder win in 2026, it could very well come true.
It is always interesting for me to see how many connections I have with a player. With some guys, I just interview them and that’s it. There is no connection. With other guys there may be just 1 connection for example that we come from the same state or something. With other players, the connection may be more intense. One player from the way past that I had a connection with was Chris Rojik. The most obvious connection is that were from Boston and both adore the Celtics. Another connection we have is that he played his last pro season in the Frankfurt Skyliners organization one I have been covering for more than 20 years. Another connection was that I remember observing him play in a pre season tournament almost 20 years ago in Rhondorf in 2006. 4 teams competed then with Rhondorf with Rojik, the Frankfurt Skyliners that had a great roster that season with guys like Travon Bryant, Eric Chadfield and George Reese, but no chemistry that totally underachieved, the Telekom Baskets Bonn that had amazing character guys like Jason Conley and John Bowler and the Rhein Stars Cologne that had top player Demond Mallet that had already won a BBL title with Bamberg in 2005 and 2 years later would win the ULEB Cup with Ricky Rubio and the beast Marcin Gortat who had began with basketball very late and only 1 year later would commence a 13 year NBA career something that not many could have predicted in 2006 except for maybe Stephan Baeck. “I remember Marcin was young, tall, skinny and athletic. He obviously became a great player but at the time I didn’t think he was going to play in the NBA”, stated Chris Rojik. In 2006 Rojik was a top second Bundesliga player coming off a 17/9 season and would have a few more potent years ahead of him. He would go on to play 13 pro seasons in Germany.
Christopher Rojik (200-F-1974, college: Holy Cross) who lists Magic, MJ, Bird, Duncan, and Shaq on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore was born on September 5, 1974 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was 9 years old when the Boston Celtics won their second NBA title with Bird and 11 years old when they won in 1986. He was growing up at a time when Boston Sports was flourishing as the Redsox reached the World Series and Patriots the Super Bowl as well in 1986. It was only logical that he was a diehard Boston Celtics fan. “Growing up in the 80s and 90s I got to see the greatest basketball in the NBA and college. Boston was and is the sports capital of the world so I was lucky. I have great memories watching the games growing up. The rivalries were great back then”, stressed Chris Rojik. The Celtics had so many great players, but it was no surprise who his favorite players wee back in the mid 80´s when the Celtics ruled the NBA. “It had to be the big three, Bird, McHale and Parish. Have to include Dennis Johnson and Ainge as well”, said Chris Rojik. He played college ball at Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts from 1993-1997. “I had a great experience at Holy Cross and was lucky to be a part of that program. I played with a lot of great players and fortunate to be coached by some great coaches. Besides Patriot League and Ivy League schools, we played Boston College, UMass, Cal, Santa Clara, Butler, Northwestern. Great times traveling the country and playing teams from all over”, added Chris Rojik. He made big strides in his game in his last 2 seasons averaging 13,0ppg and 6,0 rpg as an undersized big at 200cm. “I developed a three-point shot and became more of a perimeter player my last two years”, commented Chris Rojik. He was fortunate to be coached by William Raynor and George Blaney who were 2 individuals that groomed and prepared him to have an enriching career overseas. “They were great coaches and I was lucky to play for them in college. So many great memories of practices and games and being with the team. A great learning experience that I will always remember”, expressed Chris Rojik.
Holy Cross teammates reunited
The big man who remembers having his battles with John Kerr at Holy Cross on the court, but doesn´t remember the outcomes came overseas in 1998 and played most of his pro career with second Bundesliga team Dragons Rhondorf for 9 seasons. His first tour of duty occurred from 1998-2000. Every American overseas have their classical wake up call to being overseas and it wasn´t any different with Rojik. “The wakeup call was seeing players sent back home to the states if they had a bad game”, remembered Chris Rojik. I actually had another connection with him in that he was teammates with current Frankfurt Skyliners CEO Gunnar Wobke, a guy I have known for more than 2 decades and seen and talked with at games. He had a very special connection with Gunnar Wobke that not many players would ever have. “Gunnar was awesome. He gave me my first job in Rhoendorf and my last one in Frankfurt”, smiled Chris Rojik. He then played in Iserlohn from 2000-2003 helping move them up to the Second Bundesliga averaging 25,0ppg in the Regionalliga and in the Second Bundesliga averaged 26/10 in his last season there. “I had great times in Iserlohn. We had some good teams playing in the second Bundesliga. I remember Quackenbruck going undefeated and destroying everybody with Chris Fleming as coach”, said Chris Rojik. He was fortunate to have been teammates with the great Matthias Grothe who unfortunately passed away in 2017. He is a guy that has forever remained in his heart. “Matthias was a good friend of mine and I still stay in contact with his family. He was a great player, teammate, coach, and friend. Watch out, his son might play in the NBA someday”, warned Chris Rojik.
Battling against his ex teammate Matthias Grothe
The American then returned back to Rhondorf for the down stretch of his career and also his best years as a player. “Rhoendorf was a great place to live and play basketball. We won a lot of games and had a lot of success”, said Chris Rojik. In his first 2 seasons he averaged 20/7 and in his next 2 seasons 17/7. In his second to last season probably had his best personal season averaging 19.1ppg, Reb-5 (9.1rpg), 2.3apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 57.8%, 3PT: 38.0%, FT: 80.5%. He topped off his stay in Rhondorf helping them win the Pro B title in 2010 averaging 16.3ppg, 6.5rpg, 2.3apg, FGP-3 (67.7%), 3PT: 34.9%, FT: 80.2%. “I had some great teammates in the Pro A and B. Every season we were competitive and one of the top teams in the league. The 2010 season was fun”, smiled Chris Rojik. That 2009-2020 team was very special. They had talented guys like Deandre Spraggins and Nick Larsen just to name a few. “Larsen was a great captain and point guard. Spraggins had the perfect season that year with his highlight dunks and threes. We had some great road wins. The team had a good mix of veterans and young guys”, remembered Chris Rojik. He was also fortunate to the see the future of German basketball develop and grow and was teammates with a very young Jonas Bottermann-Wolfarth that would go on to have a great career in Germany. “What memories did he have of young German Jonas Wolfarth-Bottermann. It took him a few years to make his breakthrough but he did. Was he still a bit raw when you were teammates? “WoBo was awesome just dunking on everybody left and right. It’s great to see all the success he’s had over the last decade”, said Chris Rojik. He then finished his pro career overseas with the Deutsche Bank Skyliners Frankfurt Second Team (Germany-ProB) averaging 18.0ppg, 8.4rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 57.6%, 3PT: 33.9%, FT: 87.4%. “I had a great year at Frankfurt playing and coaching. Thankful for all the coaches there. It was fun to coach the young guys and see their success as they got older”, stressed Chris Rojik. Did he notice in the 2010-2011 season that something special was developing in Frankfurt with their youth program? Guys like Voigtmann and Barthel would join soon after and become Euroleague players? “Coach Perwas and Herbert are great coaches so all the success they had completely makes sense! Their focus on young German talent is also very significant”, added Chris Rojik. So where is Chris Rojik in 2025? Of course back in his home state. “I’ve been living in the Boston area since 2011 with my wife and three kids and everything is going great. I’ve coached all of my kids through youth basketball and AAU”, said Chris Rojik. Is there anything that he specifically misses about the game. “There’s nothing like getting on a court and playing basketball. I still get to run up and down once in a while. You can usually find me on the sidelines now coaching my kids. That keeps me involved in the game”, added Chris Rojik. One thing is for sure bigs that played in Germany during the 2000´s will never forget the game of Chris Rojik who was an undersized big, but that already had the modern day big man game 20 years ago.
Henk Droste (195-PG-2001) is a 24 year old 195cm guard that completed his fourth season with TV Langen averaging 11/6/2/2 and helping them win the 2025 South West Regionalliga title. He began his basketball career with the SW Baskets Wuppertal. He then played a season with the Bayer Giants Leverkusen NBBL team averaging 11.7ppg, 4.5rpg, 3.7apg, 2.7spg, FGP: 46.3%, 3PT: 26.7%, FT: 72.1%. He then played a season with the EN Baskets Schwelm. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his basketball career.
You began your career with SW Baskets Wuppertal (2.Regionalliga). What memories do you have of this time. Was there a coach or someone that helped you most then?
In my first year, when I was 16 we won the U18 NRW Championship and I played really well against the grown men in Regio 2. I was a starter sometime along the season. Lennart Urspruch, my best friend growing up, convinced me to join him playing Basketball when I was 9. On the court it was pretty much him and I against the other team before we joined Leverkusens youth program. We pushed each other to the next level everytime. Without him I might still be playing soccer or in a low level home town team. We still play whenever I get back home in the summer. He plays for Schwelm (Pro B)
You then played a season with TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2nd Team (Regionalliga) averaging 3.7ppg, 1.1rpg, 1.4apg, played also at TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen U19 team (NBBL) averaging 11.7ppg, 4.5rpg, 3.7apg, 2.7spg, FGP: 46.3%, 3PT: 26.7%, FT: 72.1%. How important was this season for your basketball development under Jacques Schneider?
Jacques was my coach in Regio (during the JBBL times) and in the NBBL. He still is the best coach I ever had and I am glad to see him go towards the BBL this year. We had a great team and we had a good shot at NBBL Top 4 but unfortunately we could play in the playoffs due to covid and the season was cut short.
You then played a season with the EN Baskets Schwelm (ProB) playing 2 games averaging 1.5ppg, 1.0apg, 1.0spg. How tough was this season during Covid? What did you learn about yourself during these hard times? That was a difficult time. I started med school and had to travel to Frankfurt and back once a week. I felt like I wasn’t treated right. I only played twice and began to lose confidence and even didn’t enjoy playing basketball anymore. Ever since then I know the importance of a great team spirit and fun. Also I want to prove to myself that I am more than capable to play at Pro B level.
You had some incredible teammates in Schwelm with Alexis, Scott, Mayr and Kharchenkov just to name a few. Was there a player that had a big impact on you? Monty (Scott) was really shifty and I knew my defense wasn’t ready for that level. Nikita played in Langen and told me to play here when I told him I was moving to Frankfurt, so that was a great part. Also I learned what it meant to be a pro.
You came to Langen in 2021. Was that one of the best basketball decisions that you made in your life?
Maybe, yes. I thought about joining the Skyliners. But I am glad I didn’t since it all turned out great. I enjoyed it, had a great time with great teammates and played winning basketball.
You must have had bigger aspirations then just the Regionalliga or were you content just being a Regionalliga player? As of right now, I am happy about my decisions. I am in med school and am about to be a doctor, so Regio is maybe all I can do for now. Maybe if there are options, I might pause my career to pursue basketball for another year or two.
You were teammates and played with Ty Harrelson. What kind of an experience was that and did you see him being able to coach in the BBL one day? Ty is one of the funniest guys I met. He saved us 3 years ago and he deserves to be exactly where he is right now. He even came to our games in Ulm and Söflingen this year. It is always nice to see him and talk to him.
You had many great games with Langen in your 4 years. What was your best game? There were plenty. I dropped 29 or 30 against Tübingen 2 years ago with all my friends from Uni cheering at the sideline chanting MVP, MVP. I went 12/14 FG that game. That was a lot of fun. I played really well against Fellbach when we beat them the year they moved up and this year I played a couple really good games. Ulm, Lich, Gießen, Karlsruhe, just to name a few.
Your only 24 years old. On what area of your game do you still want to improve on?
I think my scoring, shiftiness and shooting can use improvement. If I can get that to be one of my strength, I think I am ready for the next level.
Who is the best player you ever played against that reached the NBA or a high league?
Franz Wagner
Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time? Lennart Urspruch, Niklas Pons, Leon Fertig, Risto Vasiljevic, and I would have loved to see Tobi Jahn in his prime
Name your your 5 best players of all-time?
Dirk, Dennis Schröder, Franz, Mo Wagner is very underrated and Andi Obst is one of my favorite players
Who is your GOAT? LeBron, I believe in team oriented basketball. He is criticized for passing to the open teammate when the game is on the line and that is exactly what I believe in.
