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How to talk trash in basketball


» The NBA Fan’s Guide to Talking Trash During Pickup Basketball

A couple of weeks ago, my wife and the baby and I were at the YMCA near our home in Houston. We’d gone there to go swimming, but had managed to show up during a 45-minute block of time that the pool was closed. Rather than go home, we decided to mill around for a bit and wait for the pool to open, which was just an excuse for walking back and forth in front of the doors that led to the basketball gym until she said I could go in there and play.

There were five guys in the gym — friends, it seemed — and they were all on the same side of the court about to start a game of 21. When I walked in, they asked if I wanted to join the game. I said yes. All of them were younger and taller and more handsome than me, so I already didn’t like them. They were also all pretty good at basketball, which made me not like them even more.

Of the group playing, there was one guy who was clearly the leader (he was easy to identify because he was the one dunking the ball before the game started), a second-in-command (smaller, but compact, muscular, and quick in a way that made him more intimidating than the guy dunking), two guys who jostled for the Third Best Player title, and a big oaf who was there just because, were I to guess, someone told him he’d probably be good at basketball since he was such a big oaf.

Now, you don’t need to know all the things that happened for the 45 minutes I played 21 with these guys. You just need to know that it started out politely enough and ended with me very loudly calling all of them bitches.

I couldn’t begin to guess what my career pickup basketball stats are, but I’d feel safe in assuming that I’ve remained somewhere near the league leaders in cussing at strangers. It’s just a thing that happens. It’s a compulsion. I can say, with certainty, that I’ve cursed at at least one person in every competitive game of basketball that I have played since I was 13. Which is why I was so surprised recently to learn that some people, god bless them, do not do this.

Some people, it turns out, just play. Without really saying anything at all. Like, not a single thing. That’s a thing I cannot abide, let alone understand. I asked a bunch of people who said they didn’t talk trash why they didn’t. The three most common responses:

1. “I’m not a confrontational person”: Duh. Most people aren’t, man. There are probably, like, 12 people on the whole planet who enjoy confrontation: DMX, Metta World Peace, J.J. Watt, the guy in Machete, Ronda Rousey, and the girls from Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta. That’s it.

2. “I’m a naturally quiet person”: That’s the second-best reason to trash-talk. If you’re quiet all the time, but then you get out on the basketball court and you start yelling at a guy that you’re gonna murder him, people are gonna be like, “Holy shit. Is Rick a murderer?” Boom, all of a sudden the guy you’re guarding isn’t so quick to put his shot up, because he’s afraid you might tear his throat out.

3. “I’m not that good at basketball”: That’s the best reason to trash-talk. Think about it like this: Let’s say you’re 5-foot-7 and kind of slow, and you’re stuck guarding someone 6-foot-1 and kind of fast. You’re gonna get roasted in that situation all day, right? Your only hope is to start calling him a “bitch” over and over again, and hope that he ends up playing four inches shorter than usual. That’s a little thing called game planning. That’s how Bruce Bowen was able to stay in the league for so long.

So: Here’s a guide to phrases to say during pickup basketball, along with the NBA spirit players.

♦♦♦

Here’s What to Say When Someone Fouls You

There are three options here. You can say:

“Foul!” But don’t. Don’t ever call a foul ever in your whole life. Ever. I remember one time a buddy of mine called a foul during a game. Nobody talked to him for three years. YOU NEVER CALL A FOUL IN PICKUP BASKETBALL. If you’re driving to the bucket and someone stabs you in the chest, you die right there on that basketball court like God intended. This is you being Steven Adams from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“And-1!” An “And-1!” is the bathroom selfie of basketball moves; it’s completely self-involved. It lets everyone know you were fouled on a play, without actually asking to have a foul call recognized. If you make the bucket, everyone knows you did so while being fouled, and that means you’re strong. If you miss the bucket, everyone knows the only reason you missed is because you were fouled, but that you don’t want the coward’s way out of being given the ball to try again. “And-1!” seems a viable option, but it’s a trap. You don’t want to be the “And-1!” guy. Nobody likes the “And-1!” guy. You know who the “And-1!” guy is in the NBA? Carlos Boozer, bro.

He calls it even when he’s not the one being fouled.

One time, he was so excited about calling an “And-1!” that he punched a referee in the penis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7FOPBKIp9Y?t=7s

Don’t do it. Don’t Booz up your pickup game. What you should say when someone fouls you is …

[Silence. ] Nothing. You’re a monk. If you get fouled, and it’s truly a hard foul, the other team will usually recognize it and just offer you the ball (DO NOT ACCEPT IT). But even if they don’t, not a word comes out. Vietnam POWs made it through unspeakable tortures without saying anything. You can make it through a slap on the wrist during a layup.

Here’s What to Say When You Violently Dunk on Someone

I don’t know. I can barely touch the net. :(

Here’s What to Say When You Chuck Up a 30-Footer and It Doesn’t Even Hit the Rim

“Ay, my bad, guys. My bad.” And you say it as you backpedal back down the court on defense. And you have to tap yourself on the chest twice while you say it. This is you being J.R. Smith.

Here’s What to Say When You Cross Someone Over

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXqkelI0-hI

“OOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!” If you cross someone, like you SERIOUSLY CROSS SOMEONE, and they stumble or, heaven forbid, fall down, then everyone there will start screaming and running around and might even take their shirts off, or just sprint straight home.

You just stand there and let them. You’ve reached the pinnacle. People will remember a game-winning shot for a few days, they’ll remember a megadunk for a few years, but they will never forget the time you made that one guy fall when you crossed him up. That’s your legacy. You’re a legend at that court for the rest of your life. For extra effect, you can do a little dance or you can take the ball and just punt it into the stands as hard as you can. What a joy. This is you being Andre Igoudala.

See? Not a word. Just the crowd.

Conversely …

Here’s What to Say When Someone Crosses You

Man. Nothing. You just gotta move to a new town, man. This is you being the guy Iggy just destroyed.

Here’s What to Say When You Hit a Jumper Over Someone

This is your canvas right here. The entire wide world is open to you. You can go basic, and use one everyone knows, something like “Wet!” or “Splash!” or anything that has to do with water. You can even just shout “Water!” and the intent will translate. You can go pro commentator, co-opting something like Mark Jackson’s “Hand down, man down!” or NBA Jam’s “He’s on fire!”

Or you can go weird, and just make up some cuckoo shit that doesn’t have anything to do with basketball. Something like “Tell your mom I said hello!” or “Looks like they’re serving corn dogs for dinner tonight, boys!” If you’re not comfortable with that, you can always go:

“Kobe!” Really, you can insert any NBA player’s name here.

“He can’t guard me!” This one is a fight-level insult.

“Heat check!” I like to shout “Heat check!” on my first shot of the game. “Heat check!” almost always precedes a miss.

“Bang!” Use this one if you hit one shot in a row.

“Bang-bang!” Use this one if you hit two shots in a row.

“Bang-bang-bang!” Use this one if you want to get punched in the face.

“That’s too much space!” This is my personal favorite. You don’t even need the ball to use it. Sometimes I just shout it out, like between game breaks, or when I’m putting my shoes on before the day’s games start.

“Gimme all three of these!” This is fine to say if you happen to luck into a 3-pointer, but it’s best when you say it when you’re not shooting a 3, because then people are like, “Does this guy think layups are worth three points?” Then they don’t try to guard you that hard.

You can also just stare at your own hand. Another all-time move. That’s you being Dwyane Wade.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdGtGU2VaTo?t=34s

Here’s What to Say When Someone Hits a Jumper Over You

“Luck!” Never ever give credit. You cut your tongue out before you tell someone on the other team something nice.

“Leche!” It literally means “milk” when translated from Spanish to English, but really it means “you lucky prick. ”

“You gotta step up on that screen!” You say it to whichever of your teammate is standing closest to you, even if there was no actual screen that was set. This is you being James Harden.

Here’s What to Say When You Steal the Ball From Someone

“Call the cops!” Because you just got robbed. Get it? Pro tip: Don’t actually call the cops. Unless you know some cops who are good at basketball. Then I guess you can call those cops.

“Cookies!” Somehow this one got popular. It’s the worst. This is you being Carmelo Anthony. (I don’t have a link for you here. He just looks like the kind of guy that would shout “Cookies!” after he stole the ball from you.)

Here’s What to Say When Someone Steals the Ball From You

Any curse word.

Here’s What to Say When You Block Someone’s Shot

Oh, man. There’s no better feeling in all of the world than when you forcefully block somebody’s shot. There should probably be a rule in place that whenever you block somebody during pickup basketball, you get some sort of modern-day tribal war prize, like you get to choose between keeping that person’s car or having sex with his or her significant other. CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE?

Boyfriend: I’m home.

Girlfriend: Hi, babe. How was your game tonight? You play well?

Boyfriend: Not really.

Girlfriend: That’s too bad.

Boyfriend: Hey, so, um, I need to introduce you to Rodney.

–scene–

Blocking a shot is the third-most primal, most manly, most intimidating thing you can do on a basketball court, short of obliterating someone on a dunk and the master class in flagrant fouls we see here:

So you really need something great to say when it finally happens. Some good ones:

“Gimme that!” A real winner. It’s nice and sophisticated and assertive without being prick-ish. For a nice flourish, you can add “bitch” to the end of it.

“Get that shit outta here!” Good to use when you really get a hold of someone’s shot, but also good to use if the person you blocked isn’t someone that you’re particularly fond of, but also good to use if you’re at home and one of your kids hands you a bedtime book to read.

“Not in my house!” Say this one only if you’re 50 or older. Also, maybe you should go sit down somewhere since you’re 50 or older. You kind of look like the old guy in bike shorts at the beginning of White Men Can’t Jump.

[The Mutombo finger wag.] You’re not Mutombo. Don’t.

“That’s embarrassing.” You block the shot, land back on earth, turn around, and then, in a soft, almost sheepish tone, you say, “That’s embarrassing” to yourself, but just loud enough that the person you just blocked can hear you. This is you being Dwight Howard.

♦♦♦

I sent out emails to about 60 people while doing research for this article. A sizable portion responded with personal anecdotes about trash-talking they’d encountered during pickup games. This one, though, from Colin Maxwell, a student at Syracuse, was my favorite:

“One time I had a big guy guarding me and he rejected my weak layup attempt. As I ran back on defense he said to me, real quiet, ‘I’m gonna fucking eat you, homey,’ and lemme tell you, I was rattled. ”

Basketball is the best.

    Filed Under: NBA, Andre Iguodala, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Steven Adams, James Harden, Dikembe Mutombo

    Tips from NBA & WNBA Pros

    Trash talk in basketball from opponents and hecklers is common. “Trash-talking is part of the game,” Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. “You have to give it. You have to be able to take it. It’s just that you don’t want to see it ever cross the line and become personal, because the game of basketball is never that serious in regards to disrespecting people. So you have to leave it on the floor.”

    So today we’ll take a look at how to deal with trash talk in basketball. We’ll share why players use it as a strategy, ways to improve your concentration, and tips for dealing with trash talk ahead of time and in the moment. So let’s get after it!

    What is trash talk in basketball?

    Trash talk is when a hooper says negative comments to or about a player, before, during, or after a game

    Why do basketball players talk trash?

    Players use this tactic to intimidate their opponents.  They try to disrupt their flow, and benefit from it. Part of Phoenix Mercury point guard, WNBA Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Diana Taurasi’s infamous on-court persona is about showing her confidence to get into opponents’ heads. The other part is about winning. It’s a cycle that feeds itself — the more Diana talks, the better she plays, and vice versa.

    “She gets on people. Just some of her combination of words — like, how do you even think of that?” said her Phoenix Mercury teammate Shey Peddy. “Sometimes she might get a technical for it, and I know a few times I’m talking to the ref like, ‘She didn’t mean that. She’s just joking around.’ She can be, uh, pretty ruthless out there.”

    Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is also notorious for trash talking and getting into the head of opposing players. “Everybody’s susceptible to that [trash talking]. I don’t care who you are.” said Draymond.

    “The only time it’s really crossing the line, is bringing someone’s family into it or talking about race or gender or something. But when it’s just bad words or some cuss words, man, that’s emotions. You have to let it go and let it stay on the court.” said Golden State Warriors sharp shooting guard Klay Thompson.

    How to deal with basketball insults and trash talk

    Here’s a great story from The Champion’s Mind that sheds light into how to deal with trash talk in basketball. There once lived a great warrior. Though quite old, he was still able to defeat any challenger. His reputation extended far and wide throughout the land and many students gathered to study under him. One day an infamous young warrior arrived at the village. He was determined to be the first man to defeat the great master.

    Along with his strength, the old master had an uncanny ability to spot and exploit any weakness in his opponent. He would wait for his opponent to make the first move, thus revealing a weakness, and then he would strike with merciless force and lightning speed. No one had ever lasted with him in a match beyond the first move. Much against the advice of his concerned students, the old master gladly accepted the young warrior’s challenge.

    As the two squared off for battle, the your warrior began to hurl insults at the old master. He threw dirt in his face and spat at him. For hours he verbally assaulted him with every curse and insult known to mankind. But the old warrior merely stood there, motionless and calm. Finally, the young warrior exhausted himself. Knowing he was defeated, he left feeling shamed.

    Somewhat disappointed that the old master did not fight the insolent youth, the students gathered and questioned him. “How could you endure such indignity? How did you drive him away?” “If someone comes to give you a gift and you do not receive it to whom does the gift belong?” the old master replied.

    In short, don’t let others push your buttons. Refusing to let negativity from others get in the way of your preparation and performance is how you can “own your own buttons” and keep your emotions in check. You should be to ignore the noise both on and off the court – whether it’s articles news outlets write or things your opponents say.

    Improve your concentration

    One way to not let others influence you is to improve your concentration. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that the amount of concentration separates you. Everything starts to get in your head. If you can just look at one game at time, you’re able to really concentrate on what the task is at hand.” said Utah Jazz star point guard Donovan Mitchell.

    Just focus your attention on what’s relevant to what you’re currently doing. Dr. Ronald Kimmons, Performance & Wellness Director for the Utah Jazz said, “Concentration is the ability to be present and be in the moment. You have to be able to slow your mind down when you’re trying to perform at a high level. Focus can be wide or narrow. You have to be able to distinguish between the two. But you use them both together. They’re like a dial in your mind that you’re constantly moving wide and narrow, wide and narrow. ”

    • Wide focus: Focus your attention toward many things. For example, when you grab a rebound you have to see where everyone is in an instant as you look to get the ball down the court in transition.
    • Narrow focus: Focus your attention on fewer or even one thing. For example, when you’re shooting, or just seeing the person you’re going to pass the ball to.

    “The best thing to do when you find your focus is slipping is to take a deep calming breath, breathing in through your nose, allowing your lungs to fill up with air, and letting that breath out slowly, allowing yourself to come back to the moment.” Dr. Ronald explained.

    Other ways to overcome basketball trash talk

    • Use positive self-talk: Self talk is saying words or phrases to yourself prior to or during playing basketball. Performing these techniques can improve focus and slow your brain down. This gives your brain the ability to devote more power to the specific task at hand.  
    • Tap into your confidence: Self-confidence is your belief in your ability to achieve and activity or task. Specifically it’s a strong belief in your skills, preparation, and abilities. For example, you can have high confidence in your ability to be a great basketball player.
    • Handle anxiety: Pressure is in the mind of the beholder – that means you! So don’t let trash talking apply more pressure. Try to see pressure as a privilege.
    • Practice mindfulness: Learn how to step back and observe your experience in an uncritical way, and get in the zone while performing – a state of being “completely focused, while slightly not caring.”

    Deal with trash talk in basketball

    Trash talk is a part of the game. But now you’re ready to deal with it. Up next, explore basketball leadership tips to elevate your game even further.

    Alexey Savrasenko: "You can't throw away a player like garbage" - Basketball

    Alexey Savrasenko: "You can't throw a player like garbage"

    "A special approach is needed to any basketball player"

    - You rarely agree to an interview. Why?

    – You know, no matter what athletes say, they are all superstitious in their own way. I'm not an exception. I do not like to talk a lot before the game, but I strive to prove everything directly on the court. I usually give interviews at the end of the season. It can be said that I sum up the results of the year.

    - So you are not afraid of personal questions?

    - I don't have any secrets, I just try to concentrate more on the game, so my words don't appear in the press so often.

    "So far there is too much difference between the army men and the rest"

    - UNICS is now in excellent shape, which was shown by the last matches against Olimpia and Siena in the Euroleague. "Zalgiris" in the VTB United League, you generally dismantled for spare parts. What contributed to the addition?

    - First of all, I would like to note our aggressiveness in defense. Now we miss 50-55 points, and this is an excellent indicator. This helps us to control the course of the game, and it is already easier for our leader to prove himself in the attack. We clearly carry out the coach's plan, and therefore we win.

    - This year, for the first time, you are playing under the guidance of a specialist who is not just a boss and boss for you, but also a good friend. Do you feel the difference?

    - When we played together with Evgeny Yuryevich Pashutin - this is one thing. Now the relationship at work is based on the coach-player principle. He tells me what to do and I do it. Everyone is keeping my distance. But the main difference, probably, is that it is very easy for me to communicate with this coach. At one time, when I left CSKA, Evgeny Pashutin gave me a chance to continue my career at Spartak. I am very grateful to him for this.

    - When you were 17 you signed a contract with the Greek Olympiakos, where the great and terrible Dusan Ivkovic was the coach. Tell us about this period.

    - I was young and got into the team with the best coach in the world...

    - Do you still consider Ivkovic the best?

    - Yes, he made me who I am today. Professional athlete. He showed me what discipline is. Step to the right, step to the left - execution! Sometimes he was cruel, but Ivkovic taught me everything.

    “I don't think 'big' players should be coddled. And any basketball player needs a special approach”

    - Isn't it considered that centers need a special treatment?

    - I don't think "big" players should be coddled. A special approach is needed for any basketball player. If he feels that the coach does not trust him, then it will be much more difficult for him to open up. Therefore, now I'm in UNICS. The coach believes and trusts me, and I try to play at my best.

    - Did the factor of coach Pashutin become decisive when you decided to leave Khimki last year?

    - Yes. I could have stayed at Khimki, but I talked to the management, explained my position and they let me go. I liked the fact that they understood me right away and did not create any obstacles. The team from the Moscow region coped with its tasks: we won the VTB United League Cup, and took second place in the Russian Championship. I hope that the season in UNICS will be no less successful for me.

    - In your opinion, why does Khimki fail to become the first? You were on the team, you know the situation from the inside. What do they lack?

    - You see, CSKA is on a completely different level. The club has a rich history, a good budget, competent management. Such teams can only be beaten if you give your all in every moment. We need to fly into touch after every ball, work at maximum defense and hope that CSKA will make a mistake. So far, there is too much difference between the army team and the rest.

    - How do you generally assess the composition of UNICS and the set of "big" players?

    – In the off-season the team strengthened quite well. Mike Wilkinson, who played last year in Lokomotiv-Kuban, perfectly fit into the team. This allowed us to vary tactics. When you need to add speed and aggression, a fast five with Veremeenko and Wilkinson enter the court. Protection and selection are required - they let me out. There is rotation, and this is the main thing.

    - Do you already feel like a part of the command mechanism?

    - To be honest, I'm still looking for my game. I establish contact with point guards, I work more in defense. I think the most important thing is to reach the peak of form for the decisive matches.

    “I am never the first to go into conflict”

    - Many people know Savrasenko as a basketball player - you played in many Russian clubs. Tell us about Savrasenko the man. What do you like to do? How are you resting?

    – I like to fish. The last time I did this was in the summer when I came to Krasnodar to visit my parents. On the first day, my father and I went fishing. We rarely see him, so these moments are very dear to me. The first time, as a child, it was he who took me to the lake and gave me a fishing rod. I have no sporting interest in fishing. It's just a hobby where you relax, enjoy the process itself. If you manage to get up at 5 am - good. No - we arrive in the evening and sit on the shore for a long time.

    - In one of your few interviews, you said that Greece has, if not all, then a lot. What exactly did you mean?

    - I said it a little wrong - the journalist embellished it already. But Greece is really beautiful. There are very hospitable people, mild climate, the sun shines all the time.

    “They constantly write about me that I am a conflict player, but this is not true”

    - Doesn't this kind of environment make you relax?

    – I say that I immediately got there with such a coach that I could only dream of rest. You can't spoil Ivkovic. Every day we had training, and there were very, very few days off. But those seven years in Greece I will never forget. There I became an athlete, they recognized me there. My sister and three nephews still live in Greece, so every summer I try to go there and relax.

    - Have you thought about how your career would have turned out if you had stayed in Greece? Didn't want to replay the moment when you made the decision to play for the Russian team at the Sydney Olympics?

    - I never try not to regret the things I have already done. This does not only apply to this situation.

    - Are you hinting at what happened in CSKA?

    - They constantly write about me that I am a conflict player, but this is not true. I'm never the first to go to the conflict. I always try to find mutual understanding with the coach and partners. I keep thinking back to what happened in CSKA. Too much dirt was poured on me then. They said that I was dissatisfied with the playing time, that I was too conceited and starred. But no, the reason was different. The human factor played its role. When a player gets very badly injured, he wants the coach to give him a helping hand. For a mentor to help him get out of a difficult situation in which the player got into fighting on the court. But I didn’t see this particular helping hand from my coach. Once again, the reason was not that I demanded more playing time, but in human relations. You can not throw the player as garbage. You need to respect him at least for what he did for his team.

    "For me now every game is like the last in my life"

    - And why didn't you respond to criticism when you were being poured with mud from all sides?

    - You understand that this was a provocation, and you shouldn't respond to it. Any of my words would have turned against me. I had no defenders, and only inside the team they knew and saw how everything was in reality. Naturally, the club management sided with the coach. In general, I think that this is correct - the coach is responsible for the result. What happened is normal. Remove one player, put another - it will be CSKA, nothing will change. Why didn't I say anything then? So after all, they could terminate the contract with me, and everything would be over. So I took a break.

    - Has your relationship with the people from CSKA been restored somehow?

    - Human relationships are not an easy thing. For example, when I came from Olympiacos to CSKA, Sergey Valentinovich Kushchenko helped me a lot. His strong-willed decision allowed me to be in the Moscow club. Again, when this conflict situation with Messina arose, it was only thanks to Kushchenko that I managed to move to Spartak St. Petersburg to Pashutin. You see, I just can't speak badly of CSKA senior management. I was given a chance to continue my basketball career. I did a lot for CSKA. Just like CSKA for me. You just need to treat each player with respect and let him finish his professional career in peace.

    I would like to end my career in CSKA

    - Would you like to end your career in CSKA?

    – Yes, there was such a desire. Well, now I will finish it in UNICS. I made this decision this year. It is this team and this coach that will be the last in my career. I want to finish it beautifully and calmly go fishing. I also have two daughters - I will take care of their upbringing.

    - You guessed my question. What else do you plan to do after basketball?

    - I have a lot of friends and acquaintances while I'm searching, but I think I'll find a job that I like.

    “I myself followed the path of a professional athlete, it is very difficult. I'm not sure I want the same life for my children"

    - Will it have something to do with sports?

    - No, not at all. We need to try to realize ourselves in something else. Before that, my only motivation was for my eldest daughter to see my dad playing on the court. And now, when I see her here in the stands, I try to play for her. For me now every game is like the last in my life.

    - Will you introduce your daughters to sports somehow?

    - Of course, our eldest will be very tall, athletic - this is already evident. I will not insist, but if she herself wants to do something, I will help her in every possible way. Although, you know, I myself went down the path of a professional athlete, it is very difficult. I'm not sure I want the same life for my children.

    - But there were many good things too! What career moment is still in front of your eyes?

    - Of course, Prague - victory in the Euroleague.

    - This episode, by the way, is called by almost all army men.

    - Well, of course, it was a triumph that CSKA had been working towards for more than 30 years. When you become the best on the continent, it is unforgettable. And no matter what anyone says, the first victory cannot be compared with anything. If we had not won the Euroleague then, it is not known how the fate of each person in the team would have developed. To be honest, they demanded results from us, they pumped us up. And from the fourth time we climbed the pedestal.

    “If they called from the federation and said they needed my help, I would come”

    “There is a very friendly atmosphere in the national team - I have never seen anything like it anywhere else”

    - Almost immediately after that, you won a gold medal in the national team at the European Championship. Are the feelings similar?

    - This was a slightly different victory. We ourselves knew that we were going to the European Championship as outsiders, and here, bang, we won the first place! In the final, they beat the Spanish national team by one point. This is such a surprise.

    - This year, when the national team was going to Lithuania, and Sasha Kaun got injured, your name came up several times in discussions. How do you think you could help the team?

    – No, if the federation had called and said they needed my help, I would have come. And so we have Andrey Vorontsevich, and other guys who can play. Now the situation in the Russian national team is a little different - there are good players for every position.

    - Many people think that the strongest position in this team is that of David Bluth. What is the point of this trainer?

    – The trick is that there is a very friendly atmosphere at the training sessions – I have never seen anything like it. He is always open for dialogue, communicates with everyone, and for the players this is the most important thing.

    - You already mentioned that you want to leave beautifully. How much longer do you think you will play basketball?

    - I haven't mentioned it anywhere yet, but I think I don't have long to play. I came to UNICS because I want to enjoy the game, the process itself. We have a friendly team and a great atmosphere. I've been looking for this my entire career. Now you can finish.

    Beverley 'rubbish' at Westbrook and Lakers during game - Basketball

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