The point guard of Lokomotiv Kuban PBC, who recently extended his contract with the club for two more seasons, gave a detailed interview to our information partner, the Championat website.
In Russian, the full text is HERE. We also have an original version of the interview, which we preset to your attention right now.
- Uralmash was the first round opponent. Do you agree that it was the toughest opponent outside of the top four?
- Yeah, I think so. I think they had a pretty good team and thinking about all the teams that were in the league, I think they finished fifth for a reason, so I think yes. Out of the top four, they were the next best. They had a complete team. They had new guys from Samara, so they had the defenders for the team, they had the scorers. I think they just had a complete team and they put up a good fight.
- You managed to win the fourth game in Yekaterinburg. It was a very tense game. What helped you win it?
- We went out focused and we knew we were the better team, so we were down about losing the game at home, the second game, so we just wanted to complete the game and get ready for the next round.
- The next series was against Zenit. How much of such a series did you have in your previous career?
- I think that was the best. After last year's series against UNICS in the semi-finals. I think that was the best series, competitive-wise, me playing-wise, and I enjoyed it a lot.
- Your 14 points in the extra time of Game #4 was pretty impressive. How did you manage to do that?
- I felt like I was struggling throughout that whole game. Once we got the extra ending, I knew I had to step up and do my job. I think everybody else did their job and it was my time to be me and do my job.
- During that series, you scored more than 20 points on average. Is it memorable?
- It's very memorable. Just because of the level of basketball it was, the high level, I enjoyed it. The competitiveness, the aggressiveness, the physicality, the going back and forth, the fights, all that was just like playoff basketball and I enjoyed it and I thrived and something like that.
- Both teams in the semi-finals won at homely. Was it real for Loko to win just one game in St. Petersburg?
- We were able to do it in the regular season, so we believed we could do it in the playoffs, but unfortunately in that series it was hard for us to win on the roadway, even against UNICS too, so I think we carried that over to the next round.
- The series against Zenit had a lot of emotion even outside the court. Did it help?
- Like I said, it's the playoffs. It enhanced the series. I think everybody was tuned in. We knew what kind of dogfight it was going to be and I enjoyed the messiness about it. That made it more fun.
- How hard is it to find motivation for the third place series?
- It's very hard, but we're all professionals. We all still got a job to do. We're all still getting paid to do this job. Like I said, it was going to be hard to pick ourselves back up and try to find it. I think we found it coming home and then we tried to get the game four and we weren't able to do it, but I think, like I said, it's hard to do it, but we're professional and you've got to do it.
- Mr. Vedishchev says that the series for third place should be shortened. Maybe down to one or two games. Do you agree?
- I agree. Maybe one game or best-of-three. It's got to be shorter. For sure. I think it's got to be shorter.
- Why did you lose to UNICS?
- I think Tahjere McCall missing Game #2 hurt us. I just think, like I said, the timing of him going out of game two, we needed that game two and he wasn't able to help us in that game. We lost that close game. I think every game was close until the very end. I think we just weren't able to muster up enough energy and that fight we had in the last round to get the job done.
- You extended your contract with Loko for two more seasons. How hard was it to take this decision?
- It was pretty tough because of the year I had planned individually and the year we had as a team, so it helped me out. I knew I would have a big market, but I'm glad Loco believed in me still and they wanted me to stay. I enjoy it here. My family enjoys it here. I love it here. I'm comfortable, so I felt like it was the best for me to stay.
- Fans adore you. Do you like it?
- Yeah, I love it. I know my kids love it too, so I'm about to. I enjoy it. We play basketball for the fans and I think that's the best part about it. My son always joked with me about how the NBA players are famous in America and I'm not famous in America, but over here we're famous. I enjoy that and I want to play basketball good enough for the fans.
- You will be 35 when the next contract ends. Are you ready to play for Loko until the end of your career?
- Yeah, hopefully I can stay here until my career is over. As I said, I want to go in the record books of Loko, so I want to stay here as long as I can.
- Do you get used to Loko's tough logistics?
- Oh man, I don't think you can get used to that. It's pretty tough, but you know, that's why I think we should be good at home. So when teams get to do it and come here, we should be able to win at home.
- During the season, Tahjere McCall joined. Is it true that he's your friend?
- Yeah, that's one of my best friends. I knew him for a long time and I was able to get him to come here and he helped us, so hopefully he can stay as well.
- What did you tell him before he signed?
- The travel is tough, but the fans are good. The style of play fits him. The league is good. I told him he would thrive here.
- At the start of the season, everyone was pretty shocked when Mr. Vedishchev became the head coach. What can you say about this decision now?
- I think it was the best decision he made for the team and it worked out. I know we didn't get the ultimate job done, but I think we had a pretty good season. I think now all we can do is go up from here. If he's going to stay the coach again, I don't know how it's going to work, but I think all we can do is go up from here.
- Mr. Vedishchev gives a lot of minutes to Russian players. What can you say about our young guys?
- In order to get better, in order to enhance your skills, you've got to be out there on the floor, and that's what he's doing. I think they've got to take that and cherish that and work hard and get better with those minutes, so I think that's benefited them.
- Did some of them impress you especially?
- Yeah, of course, Yelatontsev. He's already one youngster of the year again, second in a row, but I already knew he was going to do that. Other youngsters, Seva [Ishchenko]. Before he got hurt, I think he was playing pretty good. I think he stands out the most as the young guys.
- BJ Johnson and Karvel Anderson endedtheseasonearly with injuries. How much did the team miss them?
- A lot. Once they went down, it kind of changed the style of play we had to play and the kind of team we had. Other teams knew that in the league as well. Our two best shooters were gone, so it was hard to adjust without them being out there.
- Before the season, you said that you wanted to be the best scorer and the best assistant of the league. You are the best assistant, and you are in the top 10 in scoring. What can you say about this result?
- I know my game. I know who I am, and I don't plan on slowing down. No time soon. Now I'm ready to come back again and get us over the hump and be finished first in the league. Hopefully they'll recognize and make me top three MVP at the end of the season, like they should have this year.
- Every summer, you train with NBA players. Do you have such plans now?
- Yes, always. I live in Nashville, Tennessee, so that's what my friends… Rob Covington was in the NBA, Darius Garland, Brandon Miller. Who else? Even guys that's not in the NBA, like Alex Poythress from Zenit, he trains with us. Saban Lee, who's in Euroleague, he's there. Marcos Knight be there training. It's a good place, I think, to get better and train, and that's what I spend most of my time doing in the summer.
- Do you watch the NBA?
- Of course, of course.
- What can you say about the current playoffs?
- Oh man, it was up and down. Unsurprisingly, I didn't think these two teams would be in the finals. I knew OKC could be, but Indiana surprised me, but I think it's still going to be good basketball, because both teams play hard.
- Does Indiana have a change?
- Yeah, I think so, especially at home. I think the first two games is key, so hopefully they can try to steal one of those games, but I want it to be a competitive final. At least six games. It's got to go at least six games.
- Are the Chicago Bulls some special club for you?
- Yeah, growing up, that's all I, you know, I'm from Chicago, so growing up I watched the Chicago Bulls, I watched Michael Jordan. Derrick Rose is one of my favorite players ever, and I almost had a chance to almost make it to the Bulls, so, of course, that's always a part of me.
- They say that the Bulls may draft a Russian guy, Yegor Demin. Do you know this guy?
- Yeah, he went to BYU. He's pretty good, got good size, and I've seen that he got better, and I watched some of his pre-draft workouts, and he looks good, and I think he's going to be good in the NBA.
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