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Photo: BNS
BNS photo
Istanbul player Fenerbahche Leo Westermann had his first training session with the team yesterday after a long break, after which the basketball player gave an interview to the official website of the French league.
The basketball player gave his opinion on the possible extension of the season, spoke about the improved ability to pass, named him the best basketball player in the Euroleague, and noted that he would like to play again on the team trained by Šarūnas Jasikevičius.
Westermann played in Kaunas “Žalgiris” in 2016-2017. and 2018-2019. seasons of the year
– How do you stay fit in Istanbul?
– At home we try to stay in the best shape possible. I bought a bicycle, weights, many things. But no one can change the basketball court. Today (May 4 – past aut.) We had our first training, working with those who stayed in Istanbul. It is good to touch the ball, we immediately feel that everyone’s efforts are different. I threw in the basket for just an hour, and I felt like I had done a three-hour workout. For the first time since I was 5-6 years old and started throwing the basket, I was without ball or basketball for even two months. We need to feel the rhythm again.
– Can you imagine that the Euroleague season can be extended?
– I find it complicated, even if we continue the season in one place. They speak of Lithuania, Belgrade and Athens. We wouldn’t have much time to train, but we should get back to our rhythm. It will not be easy. Maybe the Turkish League will be extended, it seems easier because we would stay in the same country. Everything will be decided by the Ministry of Sports and Health.
– Transfers have always been your most beautiful episodes. How did you acquire this skill in your youth and become a player?
– There are many aspects. It was also due to an innate character. I have always liked striving for others first and only then having fun for myself. It gives me more excitement, I feel better when points are earned after a good transfer. This is how I have felt since childhood.
Also, there are things that can be improved. As a child, I had mastered my physicality before my peers. I was able to score a lot of points, then I didn’t have to make a transfer for the team to score points. As a result, I always played with much older children and got better. In this way you can learn techniques because you are weaker than your opponent and you have to find other ways to beat him. Also, there are innate qualities, reading the game, understanding where a teammate will end up.
– Your father Marc was also a professional basketball player and ended his career in 1989-1991 in the French Second League. How has it influenced your career choice?
– That’s why I’m in basketball. Dad was also a player, but our game is different. It was shorter but very fast. He left me to watch Euroleague games on television from my childhood. I remember watching NBA games, I often watched Steve Nash and Jason Kidd play. I also watched Magico Johnson episodes on YouTube. I really enjoyed watching these basketball players. As for the Euroleague, I grew up watching Jasikevičius and Diamantidis play.
– Which players and coaches helped you reach the highest level and understand basketball?
– When I was a teenager, I worked with Seidou Njoya. He was a great basketball player, but was hampered by injuries. I learned a lot from that. We were constantly playing against each other. I was 14 at the time, and he was 17-18. When I played INSEP, Philippe Urie helped me. He was demanding, he helped to understand many things, especially about discipline.
I played with a great basketball player. Sergio Rodríguez, with his talent, IQ, has also been playing with Nando De Colo for several years. The fact that I was trained by Šarūnas Jasikevičius contributed a lot to my game. He is the one who taught me the most to play two against two. This is a concrete example. He takes the time to do that, he explains. Jasikevičius asks about specific things. Learning from such a man is like a bonus. Playing on your team was great, I hope to play on your team again someday.
– Who do you think is the best transfer player in the Euroleague?
– Nickas Calathes. There is no better basketball player to pass. The way he plays, the technique he has, how he controls the ball with both hands, how it bounces off the balls and runs into quick attacks is exceptional. As a result, his transfers are unmatched in Europe, perhaps the NBA.
– In the NBA, it is a paradox that the basketball players with the most passes are not necessarily the players with the best passes. Russell Westbrook, for example, had an average of 10 effective passes.
– If you have 60 attacks in a match and make 30 shots yourself, then you have to do something with the ball for the remaining 30 attacks. Such is the NBA. There are great talents out there, so several players work on defense with a basketball player, necessitating a transfer. They can take three steps after catching the ball and still legible passes, making it easier to make more passes. But there are extraterrestrial basketball players who are very strong playing both one-on-one and one-on-two.
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