Before the reorganization of the group, you were also drawn with tough teams like AEK and Hapoel Holon. Now in the group of 4, two of your opponents, RETAbet Bilbao Basket and Fortitudo Bologna, have been underperforming so far. How did this change the regular season for you guys?
The biggest change is that we don’t play Champions League every week. There has been a huge gap in between each game so we don’t play as many games as we normally would.
I know it’s hard to talk about individuals in a team like yours, but the one who strikes me the most is Amath The Closer. You know him from Bologna as well. How’s playing alongside him like?
Amath is a super talented individual that gives us the advantage with a lot of match-up problems. He also plays at a high level of intensity so it helps the team perform as well. That’s my guy, I always enjoy to hoop with him as we continue year 3 together.
This summer you’ve signed a new 1+1-year contract with Karşıyaka. What were the factors that drove you to stay at Karşıyaka?
Overall, I like being here. It’s a good place to play and when we have our fans in the gym, it’s an electrifying atmosphere. Of course, my teammates and coaching staff had a lot to do with me coming back and I’m happy to be working with them again.
Given that we’ve been hearing news of athletes from basketball and other sports infected to COVID-19, do you think the season – domestic or international – will be paused or shut down altogether?
Personally, I don’t think we will have another shut down because we are all taking the necessary precautions to try and stay as safe as possible while working. The biggest challenge is really not knowing who is going to be available to play every game and being prepared to work through that.
For most of 2020, we’ve gone through unusual times. And there still is uncertainty looming over the world of sports. How has the quarantine been for you so far?
Quarantine is tough! Not being able to get into the gym as frequently as you want and doing home workouts has been very difficult for everyone. I have tried to just eat as healthy as possible and keep my mind in shape. Reading books and learning new skills have helped me a lot to get through this period.