The Christmas holiday season is one where families strive to be together, but that isn´t always the case around the world as probably hit the hardest are the many American soldiers who are stationed around the world serving and protecting their country and trying to be soothed somehow by a Sykpe session even if it isn´t the same thing as seeing that bright smile of their small child wo isn´t only asking mommy where Santa is, but where is daddy? Having that Skype experience is still better than being totally shut out from having any contact with the family. However it isn´t just the military that have to suffer during the holiday season, but also many other different cultures around the globe where jobs interfere with any kind of family bonding and one of those is being that professional basketball player who is making a living somewhere around the globe. At least the NBA heavy weights like a Lebron James or Steph Curry can have their families around them on Christmas day even if they are playing that famous Christmas day game while many others who are playing in lower leagues in Europe opt to remain there and cope as best they can with the holiday time without their loved ones. Vincent Sanford is one of those players who currently is in Germany playing for third division team TG s.Oliver Wuerzburg (Germany-ProB) and is seeing the Christmas time from a different perspective in Germany. The Lexington native who might have a better chance seeing legendary head coach Rick Pitino in his home town around Christmas than Wurzburg native Dirk Nowitzki who has been in Dallas or another city in the States since arriving in the NBA in 1998 has learned to forget some of that pre-Christmas time from home like seeing the charm of the Lexington parade or watching the little one´s eyes light up when they can witness the horses of light race by checking out what Wurzburg has to offer before Christmas. Just checking out Germany´s famous Christmas market which is present in just about every big city is a must for any American and Sanford´s mood has been on a good level as Christmas time in Germany is a totally new, but enjoyable experience for him. “Wurzburg is a great city with nice people. But just seeing the Christmas ornaments down in the city the lights and all makes me realize how close it is”, added Vincent Sanford. But one thing is for sure, the American will never forget where he came from and even now as a grown up at the tender age of 26 remembers the tradition of Christmas when he was still a kid wondering what Santa had left him in his stocking. “Every year opening the gifts and then watching the movie A Christmas Story, is something that became annual in my household”, said Vincent Sanford.
TG s.Oliver Würzburg
Marcellus Barksdale Celebrates First Professional Victory With TG s.Oliver Wurzburg Spanking The Fraport Skyliners Juniors 80-67
Every season brings the Pro B new players, hopes and dreams to be played out as Isaac Bonga and American Marcellus Barksdale are two key players for both Frankfurt and Wurzburg that are experiencing new horizons in their careers. The one player is 16 year Isaac Bonga who is a 203cm point guard seen as the biggest German talent since Dennis Schroeder and 23 year old 196cm guard Marcellus Barksdale. Bonga had played all last season in the BCM in the NBBL league with Eintracht Frankfurt and made his pro B debut last weekend in Karlsruhe, but finally was ready to make his home pro B debut in Frankfurt. Barksdale on the other hand had a hectic summer where he didn´t get signed until very late where the rookie who hails from Lexington, Kentucky may have been feeling lower than a jockey does when he accidently slips form his horse during the famous Kentucky Derby. Not knowing if you will even be a professional basketball player right out of college most likely made his summer feel like two summers as the waiting and waiting probably took toils on his mind. However the American finally got signed in September 21 by TG s Oliver Wurzburg, but his excitement for that professional debut was put on hold as he was prohibited from being inserted in the first game, a wipeout in Elchingen losing 105-74 as his input was more than needed as his papers hadn´t been cleared yet. The legal work was finally taken care of and he could start his professional debut in Frankfurt. The Two B´s Bonga and Barksdale played their first professional games in the BCM as the 1-0 Fraport Skyliners Juniors faced the 0-1 TG s Oliver Wurzburg and for Bonga is was a wipe out while for Barkdale, it was a ve4ry sweet start to his professional career. Barkdale helped spank the Fraport Skyliners Juniors 80-67 giving the TG s.Oliver Wurzburg their first victory of the season. The first quarter was tight, but TG s.Oliner Wurzburg took over in the second and controlled the game until the end. After the win, the Lexington Native was all smiles and content with his 13 point, eight rebound, three assists and three steals. “It felt good winning my first professional game and it always feels good winning on the road. I look forward to keep to continue to grow as a player and with my teammates and hope for many more winning games like this”, said Marcellus Barksdale. He already showed in his debut that he can play the European style even if there was one aspect that will take some time and that he knows how to juggle when to shoot and when to pass the ball. “It is hard getting used to the footwork and putting down the ball as soon as I get it, but I have been working on this and I know that basketball is the same everywhere. I just take advantage of whatever the defense gives me and then make best possible play wheather it is scoring or finding my teammates”, stated Marcellus Barksdale. TG s.Oliver Wurzburg was the better team for 40 minutes and were two main components that led them by Frankfurt. “We were more aggressive on defense and won the rebound battle. These were two things we wanted to do well going in and did. We wanted it more than Frankfurt”, stressed Marcellus Barksdale. One has to give Fraport Skyliners head coach Eric Detlev credit that his words of wisdom stick in the heads of his players, but the only problem is that they aren´t always able to execute it on the court. “We always go in with energy and having self confidence something that coach tells us, but we didn´t play with the energy we normally do to be able to keep the game close for 40 minutes. We fought under the boards, but they did a better job rebounding”, added Fraport Skyliner Junior Konstantin Schubert.
Marcellus Barksdale (TG s.Oliver Wuerzburg) I Want To Be The Hardest Worker On The Floor And To Set An Example For My Teammates At All Times
Marcellus Barksdale is a 23 year old 196cm guard from Lexington, Kentucky that is playing his first professional season in Germany with TG s.Oliver Wuerzburg (Germany-ProB) and will start his professional career against the Fraport Skyliners Juniors. He played at IUPUI (NCAA) form 2011-2016 playing a total of 131 NCAA games. As a senior he played 31 games averaging 8.7ppg, 5.2rpg, 1.6apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 48.6%, 3PT: 28.1%, FT: 73.1%. He spoke to German Hoops before the Frankfurt contest.
Marcellus thanks for talking to German Hoops You are playing your first season with TG s.Oliver Wuerzburg (Germany-ProB). You signed very late in the summer. How was your first experience with looking for clubs and finding that right situation?
It was a nerve wrecking process to say the least! It really tested my patience. It was a situation that was out of my control. All I could do was continually improve and work on my game so that when my moment came, I would be ready.
German Hoops 