Andrew Harrison began the 2018-19 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, then played for the New Orleans Pelicans, before signing a contract with Khimki at the end of February. The 24-year-old guard, who was one of the top high-school recruits in the USA, talked about the challenges of moving to the NBA from the NCAA and admitted that it’s hard work adapting to European basketball.
– Was the NCAA final the biggest game of your career? What do you remember?
– It’s one of the biggest basketball traditions in America. It was pretty cool. But I don’t think that was the biggest moment in my life. Especially since my team didn’t become champions.
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– NCAA stars often struggle in the NBA. Why?
– It really matters which team you end up with and which coach. Based on that, your opportunities are limited. You can’t control everything.
– You played with your twin brother Aaron in high school and in college. Did you guys compete with each other to see who could score more or dunk better?
– No, we supported each other more. We were also each other’s biggest critic. He helped me and I helped him get better.
– Why didn’t you enter the draft after your first year in college?
– I don’t know why I decided to stay a second year in college. It felt right then. If I had a chance to fix everything, I would have done differently, of course.
– You were one of the best high-school players in the country and played in the NCAA championship game, but got drafted 44th. Were you upset after the draft?
– Life doesn’t always go the way you planned. But you can’t get stuck on one thing. My life didn’t go the way I wanted then, but that’s only one of the stages in my basketball career.
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– Which is the best twin duo in the NBA?
– There aren’t that many twins in the NBA, so I don’t have many options. If we’re talking about guys that are playing, I’d say Brook and Robin Lopez.
– Who’s going to be Rookie of the Year in the NBA: Trae Young or Luka Doncic?
– Trae had a better finish to the season. But I think they both deserve the prize.
– You played for New Orleans this season. Were you surprised when Anthony Davis publicly asked for a trade?
– I try not to worry about other people and focus on my own career. Of course, if a player isn’t happy with the team or circumstances under which he’s playing, he has the right to do that.
– Let’s get back to the present. Alexey Shved said that you look lost on the court. Do you agree?
– I’m not exactly sure what Alexey meant. The style of play in America and Europe is very different and I need to do a lot more work to adjust to the game. Yeah, I’m still a little lost. The game is very different and I just need to find my rhythm. I’m sure I’ll get there soon.
