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Rookie Boston Stanton(TuS Red Devils Bramsche) Knows That To Be Able To Take The Next Step He Will Have To Think 2-3 Plays Ahead

Boston Stanton (196-G, college: Newman, agency: Origins Sports Group) is a 196cm guard from Denver, Colorado playing his rookie season overseas with TuS Red Devils Bramsche (Germany-Regionalliga). He began his basketball career with Denver East high school. He then played at Indiana Univ-Purdue Univ-Indianapolis (NCAA) from 2021-2023. He finished his college career with Newman University (NCAA2) averaging 6.6ppg, 3.2rpg, FGP: 50.7%, 3PT: 27.1%, FT: 83.7% and as a senior averaged 12.5ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.1apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 46.1%, 3PT: 37.3%, FT: 84.5%. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks Boston for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you?

Right now I’m back home in Denver, Colorado, and basketball life is treating me amazing. I’m very blessed to have the opportunity to follow my dreams and see the world while playing the game I love.

You have a beautiful first name. How did your parents come up with that name?

Thank you! I am the Third, so I got my name from my father and his father. Beyond my grandfather I’m honestly not too sure where the name came from, but I am glad to have a unique name.

Congrats on signing with the TUS Red Devils Bramsche. How was the summer transfer period? Was it difficult getting offers overseas?

Thank you again. The summer period was honestly very quick for me. I attended the One Motive Sports camp in late April, and was in talks with the Red Devils not long after that. I am very blessed to have received the opportunity I did, because I know how difficult it can be trying to make it to the next level. Obviously I still had to work for it, but it definitely could have been far more difficult and I recognize that.

What do you know in general about the country Germany and it´s basketball?

I don’t know too much about the country of Germany in general, but I do know that there is a terrific basketball culture there. I am looking forward to exploring and learning more about Germany and its culture, but I am also excited to see how the game of basketball is approached compared to here in the United States. This is a great opportunity for me to broaden my horizons both as a man, and as a basketball player.

Have you had any friends or opponents who have played in Germany over the years?

Yes, I’ve had some peers from Colorado that have played in Germany recently. Since I signed to the Red Devils I have been talking to them to get a better grasp on what to expect from my first time overseas. It has been a blessing to have a resource that I can learn from before I actually get out there myself.

You had a fine NCAA 2 career. Not many guys come from NCAA 2 play overseas. How blessed do you feel? Is it like a dream come true?

This definitely is a dream come true for me. I haven’t necessarily had the easiest path when it comes to basketball, and like you said, a lot of people don’t get to go play overseas when they travel the path I have taken. I am blessed beyond belief to have the opportunity to go and turn my dreams into reality, and be able to travel the world while I do so. I have wanted to play professional basketball since I was in elementary school, so it feels good being able to give my inner child something to be proud about.

How did the talks go with head coach Christian Fischer? What did you appreciate right way about his basketball philosophy?

The talks with Coach Fischer went very well. When I was talking to him I could immediately tell by his tone of voice how enthusiastic he is about this team, and how seriously he takes his job. One thing I appreciated about him as a person right away was his honesty. He didn’t mince words with me, and he told me exactly what was expected from me from the jump without sugarcoating anything. That is a quality I truly appreciate. One thing I appreciated about his basketball philosophy was the style of play he is bringing to the team. He wants us to defend our tails off, be tough, scrappy, physical, and use our defense to create offensive opportunities. Not only is that a fun brand of basketball to play, it is very similar to the brand of basketball we played this year at Newman, so it almost feels like a continuation of Coach Allen’s basketball philosophy.

With what kind of a mindset are you going into your overseas adventure? You will be playing in the 4th league called Regionalliga. Do you feel like you will be able to be an impact player? The American imports usually rock the league.

While I am very happy to have signed my first pro contract, I am still very aware that this is just the beginning, not the end. Just because I am now a professional doesn’t mean that it is time to let up off the gas. My mindset is to be the best me I can be, and to do everything in my power to get both myself and my team at least 1% better every day, no matter what. With this mindset and my love for the game, there is no doubt that I will be able to come in and make a positive impact on this team.

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 196cm guard. If you had to compare your game to a NBA player who would best fit the description?

If I had to compare my game to an NBA player, I would probably say Devin Booker just because of my ability to score at all 3 levels.

You’re a player that seems to be able to do a little bit of all. Talk about your biggest offensive Ssrengths?

Thank you. I would say my biggest offensive strength is actually my versatility. There were times earlier in my career that I would fall in love with the three point shot whether it was falling or not, which got me into some trouble. Now that I am more experienced and more developed as a player, I am much better at just taking what the defense is giving me. That way, if one aspect of my game isn’t working that day, I just focus on something else. If my shot isn’t falling, I can get into the paint and get an easy layup or get to the free throw line. If the other team has a big blocking shots, I can use my floater or my midrange. If I simply can’t score that game, I can focus more on playmaking and setting screens to get other people good looks.

Talk a little about the development of your three point shot. You shot a great 37% last season at Newman. Your self-confidence must be sky high at the moment?

Honestly, it all just comes down to getting game speed reps and shooting while you’re tired. These past couple summers I have spent a lot more time focusing on shooting the ball on the move or when I’m tired as opposed to just stand still catch and shoot 3s. Taking game speed reps and shooting the ball while you’re tired not only gives you physical endurance to shoot the ball the same way in overtime as the first shot of the game, but it also builds mental toughness. I am confident that every shot I take is going in because I put the work in. And even if I miss this shot, the next one is going in for sure.

The game overseas is more team orientated. How developed is your playmaking. Is this an area of your game that you will look to improve more as a rookie?

My playmaking is absolutely something I am looking to improve as a rookie. Most times when I am making plays for others it is through just reacting to what the defense is giving me. As I develop this year, I want to learn how to control and manipulate the defense instead of just reacting to the defense. Someone that comes to mind that manipulates the defense with the ball is Luka Doncic or Nikola Jokic, which makes sense because they both come from overseas. Furthermore, I want to expand my knowledge of the game. I like to think of myself as a smart player, but I feel like I only think about the current play. To take my game to the next level, I have to start thinking 2 or 3 plays ahead.

What kind of a defender are you and what are your goals on the defensive end in the next few years?

I am a prideful defender. I absolutely hate to be the person that gets scored on or misses a defensive assignment, and when that happens I feel as though I am letting my teammates down. In the next few years I really want to become a pest on defense. I am a solid defender and will stay in front of my man, but I want to become more like a Dyson Daniels or a Lou Dort or Alex Caruso that is just irritating and draining to play against. That way I can wear down the opponent both physically and mentally.

On what areas of your game are you working on most this summer so you will be prepared for Germany?

The areas of my game I am working on most this summer is my shot, my ball handling, and my endurance. I want to be as automatic of a shooter as possible because being able to shoot the ball well opens up so much space for both me and my teammates to be able to operate on the floor. I am working on my ball handling so I can create opportunities both for myself and my teammates. Lastly, I am focusing on my endurance so I will be the same player in the last minute of the game as I was in the first minute of the game. All the skills in the world don’t mean anything if they go out the window as soon as you get tired.

You stated basketball is 99% mental. How do you work on your mentality so you can always be mentally strong on the floor?

I would say the biggest thing I do to work on my mental game is meditating. We live in such a fast paced world that it is difficult, and almost seems unnatural to slow down at times. Meditating slows my thoughts down and allows me to focus on one thing at a time while tuning the unimportant things out. Meditating helps me build mental fortitude because it shows me I am not a slave to my thoughts or feelings, which is equally useful in life and in basketball.

You played 2 seasons at Indiana Univ-Purdue Univ-Indianapolis (NCAA) and never averaged more than 4,7ppg. How do you remember these years? How did your game develop under Matt Crenshaw?

These years were incredibly important for my development both as a man and as an athlete. During the first week of practice my freshman year, I broke my shooting wrist and never had it properly diagnosed, causing me to play the whole year with the injury. This was an obstacle unlike anything I’ve ever faced, but it helped me develop both physical and mental toughness. Playing for Coach Crenshaw was the first time I really learned the ins and outs of being a true point guard. At the time things were very rough and didn’t always make sense to me, but I learned a lot of good lessons that helped me when I got moved to point guard this year. Even though all the trials and tribulations, I am extremely grateful to have spent those two years at IUPUI. I learned a lot about myself, the game of basketball, and more importantly the game of life.

You had some good games against Oakland and Wright State, but the team did lose a lot. What was your fondest moment there?

I can’t look back on one moment in particular as my fondest moment. Those two years at IUPUI were unlike anything else I have experienced in my life. I feel like the people I played on those teams with, from the players to the coaches to the managers, all have a special connection because of what we went through together. Nobody else in the world went through what we went through, and that gives us a brotherhood that nobody else can be a part of. I guess my fondest moment is the kinship I build with my fellow Jaguars along the way. It wasn’t perfect, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

You then finished at Newman University (NCAA2) averaging 6.6ppg, 3.2rpg, FGP: 50.7%, 3PT: 27.1%, FT: 83.7% and 12.5ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.1apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 46.1%, 3PT: 37.3%, FT: 84.5%. You made a massive jump in your game in your senior season. How did your game grow in your last season?

I think the only thing that grew from my junior to my senior season was my mentality. Of course I continued to work on my game, but the offseason between my junior and my senior year was the first time I ever really worked on my mental game. As I did that my confidence grew more and more, which allowed me to be my best self when the lights came on.

You had many great games. I can imagine your 30 points and 7 three´s in the win over Emporia State was your personal favorite moment?

That might be my favorite moment of my whole career so far. My journey hasn’t been easy since my junior year of high school. I have dealt with a lot of obstacles and challenges that a lot of other people wouldn’t dare face, let alone repeatedly. I wouldn’t have been able to get through them without my parents by my side. So to have my career best night, on senior night in front of my parents was an incredibly special moment for me. It was special not only because it was my career high and we won the game, but it felt symbolic. All of the time, effort, and money my parents have poured into me over the years all culminated in that one game. I can truly say if that was my last basketball game ever, I would have been satisfied because it felt like I truly gave back to my parents.

How head coach RJ Allen Groom and prepare you best for a professional career?

Coach Allen best prepared all of us Jets for a professional career not just in basketball, but in life in general. Coach Allen truly expects all of his players and staff members to act like professionals no matter what their athletic aspirations are. The biggest thing he taught me was that being a professional does not come with the title, but it comes with how you carry yourself every day. Show up early, put extra work in, be respectful to those you serve and to those who serve you, etc. Coach Allen is a wonderful basketball coach, but the most important lessons he taught me were about the game of life, not just the game of basketball.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Latik Murphy?

I don’t think we ever played, but I’m taking myself in a 1-1 against anybody on the planet until they prove me otherwise.

Who is the toughest player that you ever faced in your life that reached the NBA?

Antoine Davis. Easily. Playing against him was literally like playing against a My Career character, it was crazy. That guy can shoot the ball from wherever, with whoever on him, whenever he wanted, and it was going in no matter what.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

This is tough because I’ve had the privilege to play with so many great players. In no particular order: Stevie Strong, Jlynn Counter, BJ Maxwell, Stevie Smith, and Latik Murphy.

Please list your personal NBA Mount Rushmore?

Kobe, KD, Curry, Lebron

Who is your Goat?

My GOAT is Kobe.

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn’t they have left it alone?

I didn’t see the sequel to Coming to America but I do agree they should probably just leave sequels in general alone at this point.

Thanks Boston for the chat.

There Is Only One D.J Johnson But D.J. Jeffries(EPG Baskets) Wants The Fans To Also Love The New DJ

At the beginning, I may have been the only one that called Dominique Johnson Dominque. But with time, I got the DJ name plastered into my mind as much as Big Deuce is with Boston Celtic Jayson Tatum. Veteran Dominique ‘DJ’ Johnson played 4 seasons with the EPG Baskets and is a player that will never be forgotten. He was the identity figure for years and was a player that always gave you 180% and played with an intensity seldom or possibly never matched by anyone. In the NBA you knew you would get intensity from guys like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant or Russell Westbrook while in the German Pro A, you had DJ Johnson. He was a big factor for the EPG Baskets Koblenz winning the Pro B title in 2023 and moving up to the Pro A in 2023. Unfortunately the club didn’t have the desired results in the last 2 seasons and even if there were guys on the team in the last 2 years that didn’t always give their all, DJ Johnson would always give you 100%. DJ Johnson left the team after 4 years and now the club has reeled in a new player by the name of D.J. Jeffries (201-F-1999, college: MSU) who mentions Michael Jordan as his GOAT. And like Johnson, he also goes by the name DJ. Decorian DJ Jeffries is a very talented player that is looking for his pro break through with the EPG Baskets after a tough rookie season in the G-League where he only averaged 1,8ppg. Jeffries is like Johnson a very versatile player and wants to make the EPG Baskets fans proud with his game. ‘Yes obviously I want to make the fans proud of my game. I don’t know the impact that DJ Johnson had on this great country, but I know that I will give my best each and every day to make sure that the fans love me the same way’, warned DJ Jeffries who believes that the Coming To America classic should have been left alone.

DJ Jeffries who lists Brandon Miller and Dalton Knecht as his toughest opponents in the NCAA was born on December 28th, 1999 in Olive Branch Mississippi. He began to play basketball in the third grade and played for Cordova middle school. He grew very fast and was already dunking the ball in the eighth grade. He then played high school ball for Olive Branch. He helped his school win the Class 5A title averaging 20,8ppg and was a runner up as a senior averaging 23,3ppg, 12,8rpg, 5,6apg and 2,6bpg. He was named Mississippi Gatorade player of the year and had the honor to play at the Jordan Brand classic. ‘The memories that stood out was just being the with guys you’ve been playing against since you were younger and just competing and having fun with all of them’, said DJ Jeffries. He then played 2 years at the University of Memphis (NCAA) averaging 10.8ppg, 4.3rpg, 1.5apg, 1.1bpg, FGP: 55.5%, 3PT: 39.0%, FT: 74.3% and 9.9ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 48.2%, 3PT: 35.2%, FT: 56.2%. ‘I feel like my game grew the most as far as my pace for the game coming in as a freshman everything was just at 100 mph but once I learned pace the game. it got easier for me’, stated DJ Jeffries. In his second season he helped the school win the NIT title. He gave all he had in the final contributing 15 points, 5 boards and swatting away 5 shots. ‘That NIT run was special especially winning the whole thing. It was a year full of adversity and even though things didn’t go the way we wanted it to go with a tournament run I feel like ending the season the way we did was definitely a special moment’, stressed DJ Jeffries. In his 2 years there, he played 47 games and scored in double figures in 26 games including netting 23 points against Ole Miss and 21 points against MVSU. He was very fortunate to learn from NBA legend Penny Hardaway: ‘I mean playing for a legend like Penny is a once in a lifetime experience and you know growing up I use to get compared to him a lot and he just helped me simplify the game for me and just was teaching me to be a pro on and off the court’, remembered DJ Jeffries. He then gained further experience at Mississippi State University (NCAA) playing 3 seasons and demonstrated his great consistency averaging 8.9ppg, 4.2rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 50.3%, 3PT: 29.3%, FT: 72.6%, 8.9ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 42.4%, 3PT: 27.1%, FT: 56.8% and 6.5ppg, 5.6rpg, 1.6apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 55.7%, 3PT: 27.8%, FT: 59.3%. He helped the school reach 2 March Madness rounds and lost 2 tough games to Pittsburgh and Michigan State, Was there a loss that hurt more? ‘That’s a tough question both of them really hurt but the one that still gets me is the Michigan State one because if I was fully healthy then who knows the outcome but it’s always that what if that sits in the back of your mind and it my last college game ever so it definitely hurt worse’, said DJ Jeffries. He played 100 NCAA games for MSU and scored in double figures in 38 games. He scored 19 points against Winthrop and 18 points against LSU. He had the fortune to play for Chris Jans who was able to groom and prepare him for a pro career. ‘I feel like coach Jan’s helped me grow as man, he taught me self accountability, he taught me a lot of life lessons that I look back at now and realize what he was saying. Of course we didn’t see eye to eye all the time but he definitely was a blessing in disguise in my life that I didn’t know I needed until I got away from him and saw everything he was trying to tell me about’, added DJ Jeffries who never faced teammate Cameron Matthews in a 1-1 game in practice, but would always bet on himself winning.

The Mississippi native who lists Josh Hubbard, Tolu Smith, Cameron Mathews, Deandre Williams, and Alex Lomax as his 5 best teammates of all-time played 1 NBA Summer League game in 2024 for the Memphis Grizzlies and then played his rookie season for the Raptors 905 Mississauga (NBA G League) playing 6 games averaging 1.8ppg, 2.5rpg. It was a season to forget. ‘It was definitely tough because you really didn’t understand the business at the time but the more you go through things you look at it like everything happens for a reason so I definitely learned the importance of being prepared for every opportunity’, warned DJ Jeffries. He also remembers his wake up call to being in the G-League and knows that he will have to be 100% certain if he will ever try that route again. ‘I’ll say my wake up moment would be preparation and learning the pro game and how different it is from what you are used to. I’m not saying I wouldn’t go back if it was the right opportunity but everything has to make sense for me to make that move back’, expressed DJ Jeffries. He is starting his overseas career with German Pro A team EPG Baskets Koblenz. He didn’t know much about the country Germany except that it has great basketball and a great culture. He even knows some guys who like him are in Germany for the first time this season living the dream with Eric Reed Jr, Malcolm Dandridge, and Boogie Ellis. For him it wasn’t tough to chose an ambitious organization like the EPG Baskets Koblenz and is totally content with head coach Stephan Dohrn’s basketball philosophy. ‘I just wanted to go to the best country for basketball and learn and grown my game in the process while learning from my teammates and coaches about the new culture. The talks with coach went really well. He came to me and was like we are a hard nosed defensive team and we play free on the offensive end so that was magic to my ear’, smiled DJ Jeffries. After a very tough rookie season, he is more than just driven to make his pro break through in Koblenz. ‘ I’m more motivated than ever especially since things didn’t go the way I wanted to In the g league but mentally I feel good it’s a fresh start and a new beginning and a new chapter in life to go and prove myself again’, warned DJ Jeffries.

So what kind of a player can basketball Germany await from DJ Jeffries who names Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Shaq on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore? He is a player that likes to model his game after 3 legends with Kevin Durant, Tracy McGrady and Carmelo Anthony. Like them he is a 3 level scorer that can do tons of things on the court. He can fill the stat sheet at ease and versatility really stands out in his game. ‘I think versatility is good especially with my size and abilities you can do so many different things and play many different positions that can make the game easier for yourself and team, you can pretty much play anywhere on the court’, said DJ Jeffries. His three pointer is still a work in progress as he shot the ball near 40% from outside at Memphis, but under 30% at Mississippi. ‘A lot of my shooting is confidence just believing you can make those shots knowing every time you shoot them. Good shooting is all confidence and the more confidence you have the better’, warned DJ Jeffries. He can be that impact player on the offensive end, but also holds his own on the defensive end. ‘I feel like I have growth in my defense I want to be better with my interior defense in the paint I wouldn’t say I’m a shot blocker but I can block shots I feel like I’m a great on ball defender and a great off ball defender’, stressed DJ Jeffries. He is never content with his game and knows exactly what he has to do to reach the next level. ‘In the perfect world I would say my shooting but an honest answer is my whole overall game just being a better player in general’, stated DJ Jeffries. Even if he is only 24 years old, he has proved that he can win titles. His leadership skills could come in handy with the EPG Baskets. ‘I feel like I’m a good leader I’m more of a lead by example then a vocal leader but when I have to use my voice I can but I feel like once I get comfortable and pick up on things I can be an even better leader’, expressed DJ Jeffries. There will never be a second DJ Johnson, but both Dj’s have something in common and that is both are winners. The EPG Baskets Koblenz are in good hands with DJ Jeffries.

Coach Allen Ray Helped Shawn Scott(lok Bernau) Become A Better Shooter And Pay Attention To Little Details

Shawn Scott (185-G-1996, college: SW Christian) is a 29 year old 185cm guard that is playing fifth pro season and first with Pro B team Lok Bernau. Last season he played with the TSV Neustadt temps Shooters averaging 16.8ppg, 6.1rpg, 3.8apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 55.0%, 3PT: 31.4%, FT: 77.9%. In the 2023-2024 season he played with BG Hagen averaging 30.1ppg, 9.0rpg, Assists-2 (5.9apg), Steals-5 (2.7spg), FGP: 59.9%, 3PT: 31.1%, FT: 78.0%. In 2022-2023 he split time with TVO Biggesee / TV Jahn Lindhorst (Germany-Regionalliga) averaging 31.2ppg, 10.4rpg, 6.1apg, 3.6spg, 2FGP: 56.2%, 3FGP: 30.4%, FT: 77.6%, in Jan.’23 moved to BG 2000 Berlin (Germany-Regionalliga) averaging 14.2ppg, 8.1rpg, 4.6apg, 2.4spg, FGP: 53.5%, 3PT: 14.3%, FT: 64.4%. He began his career at Jenks High School and then played 3 seasons at Southwestern Christian University. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball

Thanks Shawn for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you?

Thanks for having me. I’m currently in Phoenix, Arizona. Basketball life has been treating me well, I’ve been working with a personal trainer and preparing for the next season.

You had a very good personal season for TSV Neustadt temps Shooters (Germany Pro averaging 16.8ppg, 6.1rpg, 3.8apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 55.0%, 3PT: 31.4%, FT: 77.9%. Despite the great personal season how tough was losing so much?

Honestly, it was a great learning experience. It was a very humbling experience because I wasn’t used to losing that much in a season, but I learned a lot and noticed things that really make a difference between winning and losing games.

The team lost the first 9 games. How did you stay focused after that?

It was tough, but if you really want to get out of that slump, you have to do all the necessary things that will help the situation and having team meetings and paying more attention to details, played a big role in getting us out of that.

Did you have to turn anything around with your game after the 9 game losing streak? Did you feel like you had to do more?

I think the main thing was I had to be more of a voice in practice and games and I had to be able to hold people accountable and speak up more.

The team then finished 9-8. H after losing it´s first 9 games. How proud were you of the team being able to turn the season around?

Very proud, I think we took a big step in the right direction in the second half of the season and became one of the most dangerous teams to face being at the bottom of the table. We were able to win against some top teams in the league and proved how good we could really be.

How special was ultra veteran Dyon Doekhi? What could you learn from him?

I think Dyon taught me how to stay calm in these situations where you’re not winning games and you don’t really know what to do, but he always stayed levelheaded.

What were the battles like against Anthony Watkins who has BBL experience? Is sky still the limit?

This past season I got really close with Anthony and now he’s like a brother to me and I always appreciated his work ethic and his attitude. He always played in the practices like he would play in the game and that only made me better and our team better and I believe the sky is the limit for him because he’s still young and athletic and has so much more to give

How special was big man Duje Dujmovic? What will he be able to give the Dragons Rhondorf this season?

Duje played with so much confidence and had no fear with taking big shots when someone at his age might not be ready for the moment and many games He stepped up Big for us. He’ll be able to give the Dragons consistent shooting and constant energy while still developing his skills.

You averaged 16.8ppg, 6.1rpg, 3.8apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 55.0%, 3PT: 31.4%, FT: 77.9%. What school grade would you give your season?

I would say a B-. I think overall it was a good individual season for me but at the end of the day if you can’t win games, then your stats really don’t matter and that’s how I took the season and hope to change that for the next season.

How did your game grow under head coach Allen Ray. What part of your game improved most?

Coach Allen is another person that I built a strong relationship with this past season and his attention to detail is what made me a better player when he arrived. The little details of the game that most wouldn’t notice Coach Allen made it a point of emphasis when doing individual work and I think that helped me grow as a player. He helped me become a better shooter for sure and added more weapons to my Arsenal.

You had many great games against Itzehoe, Miners and Paderborn. What was your fondest game?

I think it was the game against the Miners because we have a lot of history of playing each other and I actually had only won one game against them in 1st regio so was happy to get another against them and Pro B.

Who was your toughest player opponent on the court?

I honestly didn’t have one this year but got to go up against many talented guys.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Anthony Watkins?

Believe it or not I don’t think we actually played 1v1 against each other.

Congrats on signing with Pro B team Lok Bernau. You and I knew that you could play Pro A. Was there any offers or interest from the Pro A?

Thank you, no there weren’t any offers according to my agent.

How excited are you to play for Lok Bernau? How appealing was it playing for Alba Berlin farm team?

I’m very excited to play for Bernau and I think it’s going to be a very good year and we have goals to move up a league in the next years and I really think we have a good chance and just excited to get there and get started. Playing on the Alba Berlin Farm team could be good for me if I’m able to get some practices with the first team and experience how they move and operate. I would be grateful for the opportunity but also looking forward to the season with Bernau.

How did the talks go with Dan Oppland. What did you appreciate most about his basketball philosophy?

I talked with Coach Dan, a couple of times before making my decision to sign and each talk was very good. I know that he loves to play fast, which is what I love to do as well so I think we will mesh just fine and he wants me to be the leader for the young guys and help develop their game as well which I’m up for the challenge.

You will be near Berlin. What are you looking forward to most about getting to know Germanys capital Berlin?

I was in Berlin for 3 months with the Berlin braves but wasn’t able to explore the city too much but looking forward to change that this year and really see the city and what it has to offer.

What will you be looking forward to most with this new challenge? You will be a leader for some of Germany´s biggest talents.

I think just being a part of their development and everyday grind. They already have the winning experience and practicing with Alba so I just want to do my part and help where I can.

Did you do anything special this summer like travel to a new place?

I went to Los Angeles for the first time which was great and will go to Chicago for the first time as well and really looking forward to that. Also went back to my hometown in Tulsa, Oklahoma and always enjoy my time there.

On what areas of your game are you working on most so you can make the next step in your game with lok Bernau?

I really want to up my assists this season so just working on making the right plays and sharp passes on time. Also of course my outside shooting as I want to increase my 3pt% this year too.

It´s always Jordan vs Lebron in the GOAT debate but why isn´t Kareem ever mentioned?

I think maybe because he wasn’t as flashy as the others and playing in the 70s/80s era which some considered to be less competitive.

Thanks Shawn for the chat.

Marko Bacak(EPG Baskets) Will Never Forget Hansi Gnad Teaching Guard Stuff Which Helped His Versatility And Passing Grow

pic credit: Michael Kienzler

Marko Bacak (210-C-1995) is a 29 year old 210 cm center that was born in Berlin, Germany and also has the Croatian Citzenship and is playing his first season with the EPG Guardians Koblenz. Last season he played with SC RASTA Vechta 2nd team (Germany-ProA) averaging 6.0ppg, 3.8rpg, FGP: 58.2%, 3PT: 30.2%, FT: 61.5%. In his career he has played for Alba Berlin 2 and played 50 BBL games with the EWE Baskets Oldenburg as well as Eurocup and BCL. He also has gained experience with clubs like the wiha Panthers Schwenningen, Bayer Giants Leverkusen, Artland Dragons, and Trier. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks Marko for talking to germanhoops.com. Welcome to Koblenz. How good did manager Thomas Klein sell the incredible product EPG Guardians to you?

Thanks Miles for having me! After some good talks with coach Stephan I decided to visit the City and organization by myself. Thomas invited us for Lunch and we had good talks where he described their plan they have for the club for the future. I saw the potential the club has and that helped me in my decision at the end.

The club have struggled the last 2 seasons, but are extremely ambitious and want to reach the easyCredit BBL. What was the main reason for joining this organization?

The trust from coach Stephan in my abilities and the potential the club has.

The first talks with head coach Stephan Dohrn went very well. What did you appreciate about his basketball philosophy most?

The fact that he knows that first of all you need good guys before talent to be successful. And also knowing the strenghs of his players and giving them a certain amount of freedom.

You played the last 2 seasons against the EPG Guardians in the Pro A. What memories do you have of the games?

Unfortunately most of them were negative hahah. With Trier we lost in Koblenz in a packed arena and great atmosphere, after we had a winning streak of 12 wins I think. With Vechta we lost the home game in overtime and in Koblenz we lost by 40 I think.

Your coming to a team where you most likely will be the oldest. How developed are your leadership skills and how else do you feel will you be able to help the team best with your game?

I think I can help the team with my experience especially when comes to being a team on and off the court. Knowing that good team chemistry can really lift you up as a team. And on the court just trying to make the right plays and lead as an emotional leader.

How excited are you to be teammates with other talented German big man Moses Poelking? How well do you feel will you 2 guys compliment each other best?

I know Moses for a long time already, playing with him together at Alba Berlin in Regionalliga back in the days. He is great Player, working hard on the court with a good inside game. And a great person off the court!

In the last years you didn´t have as big as an offensive role in Trier and Vechta as in Artland. What do you feel like will your role be this season in Koblenz?

From the talks with coach Stephan I felt a lot of trust from him in my abilities. But I also got to earn my role from the start off the preseason on and forward.

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 210cm center. If you had to compare your game to a Euroleague player who would bets fit the description?

I would say maybe Johannes Voigtmann, being able to play inside, shoot and play for the team.

You’re a physical big man that can score and rebound. What other attributes does our game have?

The last years I have been working on my shot a lot, to be able to space the floor if needed.

You’re a modern day big man. How big is versatility in your game?

It’s very important I would say, because it gives me flexibility depending on which team we play, and which Match ups I am facing.

Your turning 30 this season. On what areas of your game are you working on most so you can continue to improve your game?

Right now I am trying to get stronger and gain some weight. And my shooting of course, getting more consistent with my shot.

Last season you played with SC RASTA Vechta 2nd team (Germany-ProA) averaging 6.0ppg, 3.8rpg, FGP: 58.2%, 3PT: 30.2%, FT: 61.5%. How tough was going from winning in Trier to losing in Vechta. What did you learn about yourself in this season?

It was not easy. Everything is easier when you are winning as a team. I learned that you need to focus on the positive things, because otherwise it will be tough especially mentally.

You were able to observe Johan Grunloh. How talented is the German center?

He is very talented and a very nice and humble guy! He is a very hard worker doing a lot of extra work when nobody is watching, that’s how He added the 3p shot into his skillset. And he has a great feeling for the game with great instincts.

In the 2023-2024 season you played with the ROMERSTROM Gladiators Trier (Germany-ProA) averaging 4.4ppg, 3.2rpg. What was it like playing with Maik Zirbes? How beneficial were the daily battles in the paint against him?

Since I had to play and pratice on the 4 spot, I did not really had a lot of battles with him. But I can tell you if Maik got you sealed down low it’s game over, there is no way that you are getting back in front. You could really see that he was levels higher when it comes to his game inside the paint.

You played a season with the Artland Dragons (Germany-ProA) averaging 11.1ppg, 5.6rpg, FGP: 58.4%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 76.4%. You lost 1 4 game series to PS Karlsruhe. What memories do you have of this season?

All in all it was a great season! Even though the Ending was kind of disappointing. Most of the season we were locked in 3rd place and then somehow we lost the last 6 regular season games and ended up at 6th place, having to play Karlsruhe who were rolling at that point of the season. But still we had great guys on the team and a lot of fun! Shoutout to Pat Flomo, he is a great coach and I really hope he will be able to show it in the future, and even more he is a great person!

You played 2 seasons with the Bayer Giants Leverkusen (Germany-ProA) averaging 9.3ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 58.6%, 3PT: 38.7%, FT: 75.0% and 9.2ppg, 4.3rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 56.5%, 3PT: 32.3%, FT: 72.6%. You were very consistent in these 2 seasons. What was your fondest memory in these 2 years?

The first season making it to the Pro a finals and earning the right to technically move up to BBL. That year and that team Was really special. Almost nice thinking back to that season.

How valuable was Hansi Gnad in your development? What was the most vital thing you learned from him center to center?

I learned a lot from Hansi, especially when it comes to my inside game, but also overall. He was a fan of us bigs also doing a lot of guard stuff which helped us in all areas of the game. Also shoutout to Hansi, great coach and great person!

You played a season with the wiha Panthers Villingen-Schwenningen (Germany-ProA) averaging 10.4ppg, 4.9rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 51.2%, 3PT: 31.7%, FT: 77.2%. This was your break through season in the Pro A. How important was this season playing for Alen Velcic? He had 100% trust in you?

It was a very important season for me being my first year in Pro a. I saw that I can compete on this level. And the trust I felt from coach Alen was the main reason I went there, and I am very thankful for the opportunity and trust from him. Great and special guy! Unfortunately the season ended earlier because of covid, I think we had a really good chance to make the playoffs and be a kind of “dark horse” team, since we really got rolling at the end.

You began your career with Berlin Sud (Germany-NBBL) and also played with DBV Charlottenburg 2. Do you remember having a mentor in this time?

I would say Christian Steinberg was my biggest mentor in my early days. He pushed me a lot in my younger years making me catch up all the other guys who were playing much longer than me. We still talk to each other on a regular basis and work out in the summers when I am in Berlin.

You then played 4 years with the EWE baskets Oldenburg playing 50 BBL games as well as Eurocup and BCL. How valuable were these years in your basketball development?

Very important. I got used to such a high level of basketball just from practicing with the BBL. And of course getting the chance to play BBL and european competition helped me a lot in my development as a player. Also in my 3rd and 4th year I had the chance to have individual practice with Elvir Ovcina. He helped me so much in developing my game and was like a father figure for us young guys. I am really thankful for meeting him.

You were teammates with some great bigs like Brian Qvale, Dirk Madrich and Rashid Mahalbasic just to name a few. Which player had the biggest impact on you?

All of them were great players and I was able to learn a lot from everyone of them. But the biggest impact was for sure from Rasid Mahalbasic. He made everything look so easy. He reminded me so much of Jokic, especially with his passing skills.

You were also teammates with the legend Ricky Paulding. What was your fondest moment with him?

I can’t really pick one moment. He was just a great guy. He cheered me up when I made a mistake, he was celebrating when I did something good and many more things. I think I don’t have one negative memory about him. Just a great player, person and leader.

You had many great games with the EWE Baskets Oldenburg including 13 points against Hapoel Holon winning 87-86. What memories do you have of that game playing against ex NBA guys like Glen Rice Jr, or Joe Alexander?

Good memories looking back to that game. Rasid Mahalbasic was out for that game so I knew I will get minutes. Offensively everything worked out and gave me confidence. Playing against those guys you could really see what kind of quality they had. You had the feeling they are not even trying 100% and where still able to make a big impact on the court.

Who is the toughest player that you ever faced in your career that reached the NBA or Euroleague?

Yabusele when I played against him with the U20 Croatian National team. Back then he was already a physical monster. And Hartenstein playing him in Pro B, he was so young back then and already the best player artland had.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time`?

Haris Hujic, Lucien Schmikale, JJ Mann, Joanic Grüttner-Bacoul, Dennis Heinzmann

Tough to just pick 5, there have been so many great teammates throughout my career.

Please list your personal NBA and Euroleague Mount Rushmore (5 best of all-time)

Euroleague: Printezis, Spanoulis, Navarro, Hines, Llull

NBA: Magic, Jordan, Lebron, Duncan, Kareem

Who is your GOAT?

Jesus Christ

Thanks Marco for the chat.

Keyshaun Langley(Hakro Merlins Crailsheim) Never Hunts For Three´s But Just Takes What The Defense Gives Him

Keyshaun Langley (185-G, college: UNCG, agency: Players Group) is a 185cm guard playing his second professional season and first with the Hakro Merlins Crailsheim. Last season he played with the Nitra Blue Wings (Slovakia-Tipos SBL) averaging 16.1ppg, 3.7rpg, 4.5apg, Steals-5 (2.0spg), FGP: 54.8%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 88.1%. He began his basketball career at / Southwest Guilford High School and also played at Wesleyan Christian Academy. He then played at the University Of Noreth Carolina at Greensboro (NCAA) from 2019-2024 playing a total of 146 games and in his last 2 seasons there averaged 14.3ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.4apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 47.3%, 3PT: 41.9%, FT: 78.3% and 15.4ppg, 2.7rpg, 3.3apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 41.6%, 3PT: 41.8%, FT: 84.5%. he spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks Keyshaun for talking to germanhoops.com. Welcome to Germany. After playing your rookie season in Slovakia, how excited are you for a new challenge in Germany?

I am extremely excited about the new challenges in Germany’s Pro A league.

Your playing your first season in Germany. What do you know in general about the country Germany and it´s basketball?

I just began to research and watch game highlights of the German leagues. When I committed to playing with the Merlins, my cousin Keith Gatlin (Played several years in the German BBL many years ago) began to give me insight of the style of play and he spoke about his time playing in Germany. I also inquired about German basketball from a few of my former UNCG teammates that spent time in the leagues.

You stated in the Merlins press release that you joined The club because you are able to accomplish something special. Would that be winning the Pro A title?

Absolutely! I believe this team will have what it takes to compete for a title.

How were the first talks with head coach David Mccray? He is an up and coming coach that knows how to work with young players well and also has a good character. What did you appreciate most about his basketball philosophy?

Our conversations were easy. We got to know each other. He informed me what he expected from me on the court. He also gave an overview of the culture and history of the organization. I feel this is an opportunity for me to develop and excel. I believe this is a terrific fit for me.

Your coming from Slovakia and want to make the next step in Germany. How confident are you that you could become an impact player?

I believe and trust in the work and the process that I have been fortunate enough to experience through my collegiate years. So many people have poured into my development as a basketball player. My faith in what God has in store for me keeps me uplifted and confident.

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 185cm guard. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?

There are not many two-way small guards in the league, but my style of play is a mix of Damian Lillard, Jamal Murray and Trae Young.

You’re a player that has a strong offensive game that can score in many ways. Would you classify yourself already as a 3 level scorer?

Yes. I just take what the defense gives me.

In the NCAA you never averaged more than 3,4apg, but in Slovakia was at 4,5apg. How would you classify yourself as a playmaker going into your second pro season?

In college, I played in the backcourt with my twin brother Kobe Langley. Although, we shared point guard responsibilities my team needed me to score more. Kobe is a wizard with the ball and he has a way of creating for others, so he often led the team in assists. The game is faster than what I experienced in college, therefore my opportunities to create more for my teammates has been amazing. I will always do what is needed to put my team in position to be successful.

You made an incredible jump with your 3 pointer in your last 2 seasons at UNCG shooting 41% and last season in Slovakia was at 39%. Your confidence must be sky high now. How have you seen the development of your 3 and what is your goal this season?

My confidence comes from repetition. Repetition removes doubt. My goal is to continue to improve my 3 point percentage. I really don’t hunt for 3 pointers. I just take what the defense gives me and play within myself.

Your also a very ambitious defender that can disrupt any kind of offense. How would you describe your defensive game right now and where do you still want to get to as a defender?

I try create chaos and disrupt the offensive flow of the other team. I rely heavily on the coaching staff ‘s defensive scheme for the game, but I also have really good instincts within the team’s system. I am still a work in progress defensively. I will need to adapt to the style of play in Germany.

On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can be best prepared for the German Pro A?

Right now, I am working hard on a bit of everything. I am maintaining my skills while getting stronger and being in game shape.

You played your rookie season with the Nitra Blue Wings (Slovakia-Tipos SBL) averaging 16.1ppg, 3.7rpg, 4.5apg, Steals-5 (2.0spg), FGP: 54.8%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 88.1%. What do you remember being your wake up call to being a rookie overseas where you knew that you were far away from home?

During pre-season when my team struggled and I realized this is a business and nobody cares, “Work Harder.” I knew I needed to stay focused and limit distractions. It’s not how you start, but how you finish.

You have been very fortunate to have played with your twin brother at UNCG and in Slovakia. How special is that relationship with him?

Playing with him was a blessing. The chemistry we have is undeniable. He has my back and I have his back. He is a warrior and he does not have any quit in him. We created so many memories together on the basketball court.

What memories do you have of the tough 4 game series loss to Levice? You gave all you had averaging 25,0ppg in the first 3 games.

The game-winner in the 4th game. My teammates and I showed so much resilience throughout the playoffs. Levice was a worthy opponent, but we believed and gave a good showing.

You played at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (NCAA) from 2019-2024. How quickly were you aware of Kyle Hines who also played at your school? He is the winningest American having won 4 Euroleagues? How big of a role model is he for you?

I was aware of Kyle Hines before I committed to UNCG. I attended several of his college games as a kid. I also watched how he carried himself on and off the court from afar. He is definitely someone I look up to when it comes to playing professionally overseas. His resume speaks volumes.

You won the SoCon title in 2021. What memories do you have beating Mercer (NCAA) and then playing at March Madness losing to FSU?

-Winning the SOCON title with my teammates during COVID was a great accomplishment. Our team’s goal was to win both regular and conference titles. Playing well against FSU in the NCAA Tourney was a highlight of my career. Nothing like March Madness!

You had many great games in the NCAA including 20 points in a thrilling 89-87 win over Furman or beating Arkansas on the road. What was your favorite personal game at UNCG?

The Arkansas game for sure. They were a top 10 team. We made history. I was locked in the entire game. Beating Furman on their home court has to be up there too.

You played for Wes Miller and Mike Jones at UNCG. How did each coach help groom and prepare you best for a pro career?

Coach Miller helped me understand how important it is to stay in the gym perfecting my craft. Create good habits that will prepare me like a pro. Coach Jones helped me with leadership and utilizing antalytics to grow my game efficiently.Both prepared me mentally and physically.

Who wins a 1-1 in practice you or your brother Kobe?

Me for sure

Who is the toughest player that you ever faced that reached the NBA?

-Andrew Nembhard

-Cole Anthony

-Anthony Edwards

-Aaron Wiggins

-Tyrese Maxey (Probably the Toughest)

-Scotty Barnes

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

-Kobe Langley

-Kameron Langley

-Wendell Moore

-Isaiah Miller

-James Dickey

Please name your personal NBA Mount Rushmore?

-Lebron James

-Michael Jordan

-Kobe Bryant

-Shaq O’Neal

Who is your GOAT?

Lebron James

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn´t they have left it alone?

Yes; Should have left it alone. Classics are Classics.

Thanks Keyshaun for the chat.

William Christmas(Skyliners) Has Seen Adversary In His Career But In the End His Mental Toughness Has Always Stuck Out And Helped Him Grow

Bringing in talented guards had always been a strength of the Dragons Rhondorf so when William Christmas (196-G-1996, college: CPP) arrived in late summer 2021, I was quite confident that he would do his thing on the court like past guards like Sterling Carter, Kamron Taylor and Curtis Hollis. In the first 3 games, he didn´t disappoint filling the stat sheet like no other averaging 19.3ppg, 8.3rpg, 2.7apg, 2.7spg, 1.0bpg. The only problem with the scenario was that the Dragons were 0-3 on October 16th. But it wasn´t his fault. The Dragons were going the youth route that season and before he would know it, his season in Rhondorf would be history. Well at least his playing in games was over. Since the Pro B team could only use 1 import player, they chose 17 year old Ousmane Ndiaye who I remember being hyped like crazy by Yassin Idbihi, but he was right in his assessment. Ndiaye would go his way and reach Europe´s highest league ACB and currently is playing for Vanoli Basket Cremona (Italy-Serie A). So here was a decorated American player who had averaged 16/6/3 in his last 2 seasons at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (NCAA2) and reached 3 CCAA finals and now was sitting and sitting and sitting during games. I remember seeing him before games and he was always 100% professional and somehow stuck it through even though he must have been steaming inside the way Charles Jefferson aka Forrest Whitaker was after he found his beat up car next to the school steps in the classic Fast Times at Ridgemont high. “I was steaming inside. I´m such a competitor that I just wanted to play so badly. I loved Ousmane. He is such a talented player and playing at a high level. It was the right decision at the time. It is always tough coping with things that you don´t expect especially when you’re a rookie. You want that opportunity to show you can play. It was important that I got exposed to the business side early to expect the unexpected. I made basketball my refuge and just worked hard in the gym. I had that mindset that everything would work out in the end”, stressed William Christmas. Even 4 years later, he still believes he got a fair chance with the Dragons and is still very professional about what happened with the Dragons and that first pro experience helped him with a big strength that he has continued to cultivate whenever adversary was in his basketball life. “I felt like I got a fair chance in Rhondorf. I understood fully where they were going. They wanted to feature Ousmane. I felt like everyone was professional and I was treated in a professional manner. Everybody was supportive of me. It just wasn´t in God´s plan at that moment and I was Ok with it. I could live with it. I had no ill will against the Dragons. I think that I learned that I was mentally tough. I was capable of getting things done and grinding against the grain and swimming upstream. This is an important part of the journey that sometimes you have to fight against adversary against things that aren´t ideal. I proved to myself that I could do that. My dad was really important in this time in that he spoke life into my, kept me positive and always encouraged me. My dad never let me give up”, warned William Christmas. William Christmas has seen adversary in his career, but in the end his mental toughness has always stuck out and helped him Grow.

The California native who remembers ex MHP Riesen guard Justin Simon being his toughest opponent in the NCAA 2 was finally let go in January 2022 and resumed his career in Luxemburg with the BC Musel Pikes (Luxembourg-LBBL) averaging 29.7ppg, 10.8rpg, 3.6apg, Steals-5 (2.1spg), FGP-3 (64.5%), 3PT: 39.5%, FT: 75.8%. This new experience felt like being reborn and was a big step in his career as he proved he could bounce back after adversary. “It was important being able to get on the court and help build my confidence up again. That helped me believe that I have the capability to play. I really appreciated my time in Lessenberg and I did have a super productive period in a short time”, remembered William Christmas. He really exploded in Luxemburg. He scored in double figures in every game. He scored 30 points or more 7 times including a 44 point explosion, had 12 double doubles and a triple double against Arnatia.” My fondest moment was the 44 point game. I feel like I could have had 50 points. You dream about these kind of games as a kid. I came out for a while in the fourth quarter, because we were up by a lot. But to still score so much was amazing”, said William Christmas. Being a rookie is never easy especially after having a rough start like he had in Rhondorf, but he was more than blessed to have had great veterans like ex easyCredit BBL veteran Henry Pwono who was by his side guiding him in the right direction. “Henry is a high quality dude with a great character. It is always good having dudes like him that can speak life into you and tell you what you need to do to be successful. I had a third American with Terry Winn also had had experience overseas and like Henry spoke life into me. Both these guys were really important for my development as a rookie”, commented William Christmas.

The scorer who sees the Lakers, OKC, Houston, and Denver as NBA champion candidates in 2026 ended his rookie season with a bang and then continued the momentum in the next season with the Artland Dragons averaging 15.6ppg, 7.3rpg, 4.1apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 53.7%, 3PT: 30.6%, FT: 78.5%. Once again he had to prove himself and had a solid Pro A season another step up for him. “My Artland experience was very important as it was another step in my journey that also gave me lots of confidence moving forward. I felt like I was everything coming out of college. So all these experiences were vital for my journey. No matter if it was Pro B, Luxemburg or the Pro A. Each step helped build my confidence. With Artland, I had to be a leader and had to show up every day and be professional. Artland was my last choice at the end of the summer. I had no idea who Artland was. They weren´t supposed to be good. But coach Flo believed in me from the start”, expressed William Christmas. With Flo he meant coach Patrick Flomo who in a way saved his career. “I can´t thank Flo enough for the opportunity. Just hearing his name, I think that I should call him right now. He really aided my career. He trusted me to just play my game. He trusted me to the take the helm and just showcase my game. He was a big reason that I was able to take that next step to the BBL with Hamburg. I was just blessed to have great guys there. Assistant coaches Chase Griffin and Allen Ray helped me so much with my game. They still check in with me today”, said William Christmas. The Artland season ended with a bad taste in the loss to PS Karlsruhe in the playoffs. “I will always remember getting hurt in game 3 and losing the game. I then missed a few months. I still believe we would of won game 4 had I been able to play. It was hard for me that summer not being able to play. I wanted to work on my game. I had this fire to go out with a splash with my next team Hamburg”, added William Christmas. He had so many great teammates and with Demetrius Ward one that is now starting his coaching career. “I see him being a really good coach, because he can relate to guys. He was just really encouraging. It is so important to have guys like that on the team”, warned William Christmas. He twice scored 28 points in the Pro A against PS Karlsruhe and Nurnberg.

The versatile guard who lists ex NBA and current Euroleague player PJ Dozier as one of his best teammates of all-time continued to climb the basketball ladder reaching the easyCredit BBL in the 2023-2024 season balling for the Veolia Towers Hamburg. Once again he left his mark there averaging 12.9ppg, 4.2rpg, 2.6apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 59.5%, 3PT: 32.7%, FT: 75.9%;in the BBL and in the Eurocup averaged 9.9ppg, 4.7rpg, 2.5apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 28.9%, FT: 76.7%.”Hamburg was a tough season. I still think we did better than many thought. We were 1 game away from making the playoffs. I think that my hard work paid off. I was aggressive, got downhill and used my speed best to my ability. I was also fortunate to have a great coach with Beno who gave me so much confidence to play my game”, said William Christmas. He was fortunate to battle so many ex NBA players in the Eurocup and faced Serge Ibaka and FC Bayern Munich losing a real tough 81-80 nail bitter where he scored 18 points in the loss. “My fondest moment was the Munich game even if we lost it. We played in the big arena in front of 12,000-14,000 people. I loved the aura and gravity of the game. It was a game littered with clutch shots and buzzer beaters. All in all, I had a great time with the Towers. We had great guys and I thought that we had good team chemistry”, remembered William Christmas. He scored in double figures in 26 of 36 BBL games including 28 points against Ludwigsburg and in the Eurocup scored 22 points twice against Besiktas and Venice. Last season he had another season where his mental toughness played an important role for him being able to overcome adversary once again. He split time with the NINERS Chemnitz (Germany-BBL)N averaging 8.7ppg, 4.3rpg, 2.3apg, 2FGP: 55.1%, 3FGP: 27.5%, FT: 69.8%,and in the Basketball Champions League) averaged 10.3ppg, 5.6rpg, 3.6apg, 1.3spg, 2FGP: 61.2%, 3FGP: 44.4%, FT: 55.6%; and in Feb.’25 moved to Limoges CSP Elite (France-Betclic ELITE ProA) averaging 7.2ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.6apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 60.5%, 3PT: 7.1%, FT: 88.9%. “I had a slow start and then found my game, but we had a mutual agreement that it would be better if I left. This experience again was important for my mental toughness. I grinded against adversary and felt like I was able to get out of the pit”, stressed William Christmas. He then took on a new challenge in France and came in mid season which is never easy, but in the end was able to take positives out of a tough situation. “We weren´t great, but this experience was a great example again of how my career has gone. The story always comes out the same. There is always some kind of adversary, some kind of mental road block. Last season I learned to be at peace with your situation. I learned once again to take the positives and just enjoy with what you have been blessed at learning. My teammates and fans were great. The coaches really cared. No matter if I played or didn´t, or we won or lost, I could always find refuge with my work. I would love to play in the Pro A in France gain and redeem myself. I just want to go where God leads me to”, warned William Christmas.

The flashy player who compares his game to NBA champion Shai Gillgeous-Alexander has started a new challenge in his fifth professional season with the Frankfurt Skyliners in the easyCredit BBL. “I´m really excited for a new challenge and to make this my best year yet. I believe that I can elevate my game beyond ´what people saw last year. I feel like that I´m a lot better than what I showed last season”, stressed William Christmas. Head coach Klaus Perwas believes that he can be a glue guy. Will his role be different than in places like Hamburg or Chemnitz? “I think that I will have a different kind of role here. I´m a veteran playing more with younger guys which wasn´t really the case with my last teams. I´m really eager to face the new challenge and grow with it. I feel like my experience will be vital. I think that I will be able to bring out the best in me and help give the young guys a nugget or 2 and help them elevate their game. I will have to show the young guys how things are run and I´m ready for it”, warned William Christmas. Teams usually want to bring in character type guys and Frankfurt definitely hauled in the jack pot with him as winning over stats is on his menu. “ I´m not going to say to much about that. I´m going to keep my personal goals to myself. But I do have big goals and that starts with winning as a team. I´m going to work my but of and let my game do the talking. Winning is the most important thing. The rest will fall into place”, stressed William Christmas. How crucial will his three pointer be this season? Last season he had trouble in the BBL and Pro A but shot very well at 44% in the Basketball Champions League. ”My shooting will be huge. I haven´t shot the ball particularly well the last few seasons. I will continue to work at it. You can aske any coach. It is a confidence thing. I will hit a lot this season. And if I don´t, so what. I don´t think that that makes a basketball player. I still do a lot of other things really well. That is why I have stuck around. But my shooting will be crucial this season”, warned William Christmas. Time has really flown by since his rookie experience in Rhondorf 4 years ago. He has achieved a lot in his career and he is far from over as he wants to make the Skyliners proud of him. “I ended up finding a lot of success playing in the ACB, Germany BBL and France. It´s a beautiful thing. Sometimes it´s hard to see God´s plan, but in the end everything happens for a reason. Both Ousmane and I had success. It´s just beautiful to see that we both had success. I just continue to pray that we both continue to grow and prosper”, warned William Christmas. It would be interesting to see Christmas and Ndiaye sitting at a table and shooting the breeze. Both would surely be smiling and laughing a lot about life. Christmas was right in 2021. He knew that in the end that everything would turn out right for him.

Tevin Olison Can Guard The Other Team´s Best Player And Also Lead His Own Team In Scoring

Tevin Olison (194-G-1998, college: YSU, agency: One Motive Sports) is a 27 year old 194cm guard from Memphis, Tennessee that is currently looking for a new challenge. He won´t be suiting up for the EWE Baskets Oldenburg this season. Last season he played with the Helsinki Seagulls (Finland-Korisliiga) averaging 14.1ppg, 3.6rpg, 3.0apg, FGP: 49.1%, 3PT: 36.9%, FT: 76.2%. He played his first 2 pro seasons with the Bristol Flyers (United Kingdom-BBL) averaging 10.7ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 47.0%, 3PT: 39.5%, FT: 82.8% and 16.5ppg, 3.7rpg, 3.1apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 36.6%, FT: 83.5%. He began his basketball career at Mitchell high school and then played 2 seasons at Cleveland State Community College (JUCO) averaging15.6ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.7apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 44.1%, 3PT: 37.7%, FT: 70.6% and 17.3ppg, 3.6rpg, 2.0apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 41.6%, 3PT: 29.3%, FT: 73.7%. He then played 2 seasons with the University of the Cumberlands (NAIA) averaging 17.8ppg, 5.5rpg, 2.5apg, FGP: 42.5%, 3PT: 38.0%, FT: 75.2% and 23.0ppg, 5.0rpg, 2.4apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 51.6%, 3PT: 41.5%, FT: 76.4%. He finished at Youngstown State University (NCAA) averaging 12.6ppg, 4.4rpg, 1.3apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 36.6%, FT: 79.7%. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks Tevin for talking to germanhoops.com. You went from Juco to NAIA to the NCAA to lower leagues overseas and now are in the BBL. Are you the ultimate fighter that never gives up?

I think that I am the ultimate fighter. My path has been a crazy one. I wouldn´t change it for anything. I have worked hard and had help from coaches and my brother. I feel like I have made big steps so far in my career and have proved that I belong.

How blessed are to have a guy like Drew Kelso of One Motive Sports in your corner? He continues to find new opportunities for you.

I really respect Drew a lot. He began talking to me when I was playing NAIA. Nobody else was talking to me at that time. He knew right away that I had some upside. Later big time agents began talking to me, but I always remained with Drew. I´m big on loyalty.

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 194cm guard. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?

I have heard the names Bradley Beal, Lou Williams and Jamal Crawford. Those are guys that can give instant offense. I classify myself more as a 2 way player. I can guard the opponents best player and still lead my own team in scoring. That is what makes me valuable on the floor.

You’re a lethal scorer, but also fills the stat sheet very well. Talk about other attributes in your game?

I feel like I´m an underrated passer. I´m an unselfish player. Guys like to play with me. I can be effective with or without the ball. I think that I´m a 3 level scorer, but to be able to use all shots depends on the coach you have. My mid range game hasn´t always been used to the fullest in certain systems.

You eclipsed the 40% mark once in college and have been consistent overseas being between 36-39%. What do you have to do to reach the 40% plateau?

I feel like I just have to keep taking good shots and stay in the gym. It is that simple. Shooting is like riding a ´bike. If you stay on top, then you will be ok.

Your also a very aggressive defender. How would do you describe yourself now as a defender and what level do you still want to reach?

I take a lot of pride in playing defense. I don´t like the ball handler being comfortable with the ball. I take being scored on very personally. I´m working most on my lateral quickness so I can become an even better defender.

On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can continue to get better in all areas of your game?

I´m watching a lot of film so I can improve my pick and roll game. I want to be able to pick the defense apart.

Last season you played with the Helsinki Seagulls (Finland-Korisliiga) averaging 14.1ppg, 3.6rpg, 3.0apg, FGP: 49.1%, 3PT: 36.9%, FT: 76.2%. You won the title over Karhubasket. What was so special about this team?

I was really lucky that I chose this team. Everyone was so good to each other on and off the court. We were all close and that translated to on the court. No one was bigger than the other. The guy with 0 minutes was as big as the top scorer. We were a great team that all bought in to winning.

How vital was it having the ultimate veteran Rene Rougeau on the team? What kind of a relationship did you have with him?

Rene and I were really close. We hung out each day. We had deep conversations and talked about everything. He held all accountable. You could tell he was a veteran that had won a lot. He didn´t want to lose. He was a great leader.

You played your first 2 seasons overseas with the Bristol Flyers (United Kingdom-BBL) averaging 10.7ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 47.0%, 3PT: 39.5%, FT: 82.8%; and made a huge jump in your second season averaging 16.5ppg, 3.7rpg, 3.1apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 36.6%, FT: 83.5%. How did you grow as a player in these 2 years?

I had to get adjusted that first season. The biggest difference was that that first year, I thought to much instead of letting the game come to me. In my second season, I just played my game. I read the game better, was more physical on defense and made the right plays.

In your first season you beat top UK team London Lions with 26 points and hit them in your second season with 31 points. How vital was it for your game and confidence showing all that you belonged on the stage overseas?

The Lions had big name players. Every time that I played them, I wanted everyone to know that I belonged. I always played my best games against them. I was always locked in.

What do you remember being your wake up call to being overseas where you knew that you were far away from home?

As soon as I landed. The time difference was huge. It all didn´t seem to be real. It was a big adjustment.

You played 2 seasons with Cleveland State Community College (JUCO) averaging 15.6ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.7apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 44.1%, 3PT: 37.7%, FT: 70.6% and 17.3ppg, 3.6rpg, 2.0apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 41.6%, 3PT: 29.3%, FT: 73.7%. Every JUCO player that I have interviewed have said that the JUCO experience was tough, but one that they wouldn´t have traded the world for. How was it for you?

Playing JUCO was one of the greatest experiences in my life. It was super fun. My first year, My older brother of 5 years was on the team. We always trained together. Even in my second year we still trained together when he wasn´t on the team anymore. It was a doggy dog world. Every guy was shooting for a spot. I stood out, because I didn´t force anything. I let the game come to me. JUCO brought the dog out of me.

You were a consistent performer in both JUCO seasons. How vital was Lee Cigliano for your early basketball development?

He was a hard nosed coach. He was a great defensive coach and scouted like crazy. He turned me into a great defensive player. He brought the Tony Allen out of me.

You then played 2 years at the University of the Cumberlands (NAIA) avergaing 17.8ppg, 5.5rpg, 2.5apg, FGP: 42.5%, 3PT: 38.0%, FT: 75.2% and in your second season made a massive jump averaging: 23.0ppg, 5.0rpg, 2.4apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 51.6%, 3PT: 41.5%, FT: 76.4%. How did your game grow here under Don Butcher?

Coach Butcher was by far my favorite coach. He put the ball into my hands. He always told me to treat my teammates right, because I should never only think about myself as the best player, but think of the whole team on the court. I really got comfortable as a point guard under him. He deserves a lot of credit for my success. He had a lot of trust in me.

You had so many great games there, but you really loved Life. You hit them for 40 and 36 points. How exciting was the 107-105 win?

That 40 point game was wild. I actually think about that game a lot. We were on the road and their fans were crazy. I broke the record in that game with the most free throws. I remember their coach talking trash and whenever I scored, I just stared over at their bench.

You then finished at Youngstown State University (NCAA) averaging 12.6ppg, 4.4rpg, 1.3apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 36.6%, FT: 79.7%. How enriching was this season? Your hard work the years before really paid off.

I was living out my dream there. I always wanted to play in the NCAA. I just had fun there. I really enjoyed playing against schools like West Virginia and Penn State.

How did head coach Jerrod Calhoun give you that last push to prepare you for a pro career?

He helped me break down the game and read it well. His practices were so detailed. He was an offensive mastermind. He really helped me to read the pick and roll and closeouts.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Dwayne Cohill

We still talk about our battles. I never lost.

Who is the toughest player that you ever played against that reached the NBA

Darius Garland, Malik Monk and Malik Newman.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Dwayne Cohill, Jeremiah Martin, Curtis Hollis, Jordan Olison, Jahi Hinson

Please list your NBA, Mount Rushmore?

Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Steph Curry

Who is your GOAT

Kobe Bryant

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn´t they have left it alone?

I haven´t seen it. But it probably should have been left alone.

Thanks Tevin for the chat.

Noah Kamdem Learned To Be A Post Player In Frankfurt And Has Found A Second Home In Erfurt

Noah Kamdem guarding Isaiah Hartenstein

Noah Kamdem (198-C-1998) is a 26 year old 198cm center that has enjoyed a 10 year plus career. He will play his 4th season with the CATL Basketball Loewen Erfurt (ProB). He has been a real basketball traveler in Germany having played with Troster Breitengussbach, Nurnberg, Herzogenaurach, Team Ehingen, Rolstock, PS Karlsruhe, Schwenningen, Coburg, Frankfurt and Elchingen. He spoke to eurobasket about his basketball career.

You will play a 5th season with the Lowen in Erfurt. Did you remain mostly because of the family atmosphere?

Yes I did. It is a real family atmosphere.

Has it become like a second home for you?

Yes it has. My son was born here and my girlfriend is from here. Everything fit.

What makes the Basketball Lowen such a special organization?

It is a special club, because I feel like we can achieve something with this program. We are still waiting for the new practice gym. I feel like when that is ready, then we will make the next step in the direction of the Pro A.

Paul Albrecht like you also keeps remaining in Erfurt and loves the club. How special oof a teammate has he been for you and how ha she helped your game most?

He is a super teammate and guy. I always am able to learn something new from him. He is more experienced than me and has played at a higher level than I have. He is an even more allrounder than I am. I always try to soak up something new from him.

You played parts of 2 seasons in Frankfurt. What was your fondest moment there?

I really enjoyed my time there. Frankfurt is where I established my post up game. I feel like I belong to the best big men in the Pro B now. I was really fortunate to have had a coach like Sepehr Tarrah who really taught me the moves and improve my ball handling. Nobody can stop me inside.

How proud are you of guys like Jordan Samare and Alex Richardson who all made the next step after Frankfurt?

I am super proud of both of them. I hope they stay fit. I feel like both will reach the BBL.

In the 2019-2020 season you played in Schwenningen, Coburg and Frankfurt and covid came. How tough was this season? What did you learn from this season?

I learned that no matter where you are, you have to keep working hard on the game. All you need is a ball to get better. You can always get better even if the coach has different ideas.

Why did you never have a long Pro A career?

I think that everything has to fit. I feel like the conditions are very good in Erfurt to reach the Pro A. I think all in all, you can improve more if you play a lot instead of playing sparse minutes in the Pro A. I think that my drive and shot will help me get to the higher level.

You played a season with PS Karlsruhe. I´m sure you learned a lot from Maurice Pluskota?

Yes of course I did. I was lucky that when he was injured, I was able to start for a few months and got good minutes. I played very good pick and roll defense in that span. We reached the last 8th place for the playoffs. I showed that I could perform at a high level. I think that I made the wrong decision to go to Schwenningen after that season.

How tough was your Pro B season in Rostock? Did you get a fair chance?

It was tough in Rostock. They chose Dennis Teuchert before me. Daniel Lopez was vital for me that season. He was my mentor. They had a small rotation, but I still learned a lot practicing twice a day.

There were so many great character guys in Rostock like Brandon Lockhart, Jordan Talbert, Chris Frazier, Bill Borekambi or Zaire Thompson. Who had the biggest impact on you?

I think that Lopez had a big impact on me as did Bill Borekambi and Jordan Talbert. Zaire Thompson also had a big impact on me. They didn´t use him the right way.

You played a season in Ehingen. You were teammates with Kam Taylor. If someone had told you then that he would become a Euroleague player soon what would you have thought?

That was Kam´s rookie season. From his awareness and athleticism, you could have thought that. He was such a hard worker and was a super teammate. You don´t always get that from Americans. He was funny and was always ready to help me. He never thought that he was better than you.

You played some years in Breitengussbach. Did you have a mentor?

I lived 3 years with Andi Obst and Leon Kratzer was my teammate. Mirko Petrich was like a mentor. He did a good job there. Now he is with Alba Berlin. He was always very heartfelt. Mario Dugandzic also was super and helped me a lot especially off the court.

Who was the toughest player that you ever faced in your career?

Isaiah Hartenstein

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Andi Obst, Daniel Keppeler, Leon Kratzer, Bill Borekambi, Dominykas Pleta

Please name your NBA, Euro and German Mount Rushmore.

Lebron James. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Joel Embild

Kyle Hines, Luka Doncic, Marcus Slaughter, Brandon Roberts

Dirk Nowitzki, Dennis Schroeder, Andi Obst, Franz Wagner

Who is your GOAT

Lebron James.

Thanks Noah for the chat.

Rising Agent Drew Kelso Of One Motive Sports And I Are In Different Basketball Fields But Share The Same Passion And Work Ethic

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.

Rathen Carter Had A Strong Mastercage Combine In Italy And Has Opportunities Coming In To Continue His Overseas Dream

Rathen Carter (201-F, college: Washburn) is a 201cm forward that recently played for Pioneros de Los Mochis (Mexico-CIBACOPA) averaging 6.8ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.3apg. He also has professional experience having played with the Kapfenberg Bulls (Austria-BSL) averaging 1.3ppg, 1.0rpg and in the Alpe Adria Cup averaged 8.7ppg, 4.0rpg, 1.7spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 40.0%, FT: 72.7%. He began his basketball career with Heritage Hall High School and then played Eastern Oklahoma State College (JUCO) and Pratt Community College (JUCO). He then played at McKendree University (NCAA2) for a season before finishing at Washburn (NCAA 2) for 3 seasons. He took part at the Mastercage Combine in Italy and spoke to germanhoops.com

Thanks Rathen for talking to germanhoops.com. You just took part at the Mastercage combine in Italy. If you could describe the experience in one sentence how would it be?

It was a nice mix of good hoops, and good people.

You played games against European competition. How did you like the style of play overseas?

I like the physicality of the European game. As a tall guard, defenders like to be more physical with me, which gives me an advantage to leverage that pressure they are applying to my advantage.

How do you feel your game is able to best adjust to the way the game is played overseas?

I’m a four level scorer, I can score at the 3, in the midrange, and at the rim, and get to the free throw line. So I think my versatility offensively and defensively translates very well to any style of play. I’ve played in various different systems so I’m adaptable to whatever style of play is needed.

Talk a little about your own play. If you had to give it a grade what would you give it?

B-. I played well, I averaged 26 points 9 rebounds and 4 assists. I wanted to lead my team to the championship, but didn’t. My leadership could have been a lot better. I should have taken the time out to organize my teammates better. If we were all on the same page, we would have had a better outcome.

How do you feel your game grew in the short time?

I made good adjustments. I’m a really good 3 point shooter but I didn’t find a rhythm in the first game. Instead of getting frustrated, I just stayed level-headed and found a solution to be effective and efficient by attacking the paint more and getting to the foul line.

Talk about your favorite game?

The 2nd game. I had 32 points (10-15fg), 14 rebounds, and 4 assists and a 39PIR, and 34 Efficiency. I showcased that I’m an efficient and effective playmaker.

Did you have a favorite play like a dunk or game winner?

In the 3rd game, defenders were denying me full court. But, I got open in the backcourt and was able to bring the ball up. The defender was trying to make it tough on me by being physical so I just gave a little bump with my shoulder which opened up the angle to the rim, so I took off and dunked it over the help side defender who contested it at the rim. At that moment I thought it was okay. Then I saw the video and was like, “that was kind of tough!”

How did you get along with the other Americans Like Miles Mcdougal, Tyler Watkins and Michael Williams?

We got along well. All my friends are former or current basketball players. For me it’s easy to get along with fellow hoopers.

How was it spending time with Ron Howard? What was the most important piece of advice that he gave you?

I didn’t get to. He wasn’t able to make the trip. After the first game he told me to get to the rim more, and finish through the fouls. Making that adjustment helped me get to the free throw line 5 or 6 times the 2nd game. Which helped me score an efficient 32 points and have 39PIR for the game.

What is the next step for you? Did you meet any coaches or GM´s that could assist you with a job?

Let’s say opportunities are coming. I did meet a few coaches that liked my game. So, we’ll see what comes from that.

What did you like most about Italy? Did you eat pasta every day?

Good people, there were a lot of helpful people that helped myself and my teammates during our time there. Paolo, Mattia, Asso, Lucca…thankful for those guys.

If you could visit another country in Europe tomorrow what would it be?

Greece. I’ve been to a handful of countries in Europe but not Greece yet.

Thanks Rathen for the chat.

German Hoops

Covering Basketball In Germany!