In an exclusive interview, one of the League’s most talented players talked about going 1-on-1 with his brother, Sergei Bazarevich’s advice, De Colo’s crossover, Chevy Camaros and tattoos.
– CSKA lost in the preseason Gomelsky Cup final. Was that a wake-up call for the team?
– It’s always tough to lose, especially when your team has big ambitions. But I don’t think anything tragic occurred at the Gomelsky Cup. All the important games of the season are still ahead.
– Have you talked with Dimitris Itoudis about how much you’ll play this season?
– No, I think everything depends on me. If I can prove at practice and in games that I deserve more playing time, I’ll get on the court more often.
– Does Dimitris Itoudis understand Russian?
– He actually understands very well! But he doesn’t speak fluently, so we still talk in English as a team. It’s not an issue at all.
– Your brother left CSKA in the offseason. Did his departure have an effect on you?
– No, not at all. This is my third season with the team and I feel very comfortable here. Of course, I’ll miss my brother, but his departure won’t have any impact on me, especially since I’m sure we’ll get to play together again, and not just on the national team.
– Would you have double the motivation, if you played against Dima on the court?
– I’m going to play with double or triple motivation against every opponent, because I want to prove that I can play basketball.
– Do you and Dima play a lot of 1-on-1? Who usually wins?
– We always played 1-on-1 as kids, summer and winter. He used to always win, but I gradually got better and now it’s about 50-50.
– Sasha Gruich, one of Sergei Bazarevich’s assistants on the national team, coached you when you were a kid…
– I played for Sasha Gruich for several years in CSKA’s sports school. We won a Russian championship together. He did a lot for me. But Alexey Valeryevich Zhukov was the most important coach of my childhood. He coached in CSKA’s youth program for a long time. This season, he’s going to be an assistant to Zoran Lukic at Nizhny Novgorod. I wish him success. I hope everything turns out well for him at his new team.
– Did Sergei Bazarevich give you any personal advice during EuroBasket?
– Yes, both during the tournament and in camp. He used to be a point guard. But I’m not going to share what he told me. Let’s keep that a secret.
– There’s always a lot that happens behind the scenes that fans never hear about. What’s the funniest thing that happened at EuroBasket this summer?
– How about I tell you about something that happened at CSKA last season? Once at practice, Nando De Colo tripped up Aaron Jackson with a crossover. The next day, De Colo used tape to outline Jackson’s body on the exact spot where he fell. We all thought it was hilarious.
– Russia’s junior teams haven’t done very well at the European championships. Why haven’t they had success?
– It’s hard for me to say. I haven’t had a chance to watch the games. I’ve only see the results. But it’s really sad that two different age groups will be playing in Division B. That’s a huge disappointment to me because when we played at that age, our team regularly went to the playoffs and battled for medals. Nobody could even imagine playing in the lower division.
– Which Russian player under 20 do you think has the most potential?
– I can’t name a specific person, but I do think CSKA has an excellent youth program. They’ve produced a lot of talent over the years.
– You may have the best chance of being the next Russian to make the NBA. Did you think about or receive any offers to play in the Summer League or preseason?
– I won’t say anything about any offers, but I would love to play in the NBA. It’s been my dream since I was a kid. I understand, though, that I need to do more than simply play for CSKA. I need to show what I can do and create a name for myself. Then I can make some serious decisions.
– Almost immediately after the season ended, you began preparing for EuroBasket with the national team. How much vacation did you get this year?
– It’s weird, but I had more time off this summer than in years past. It was about two weeks. First, I spent some time in Moscow, then I went to Greece to see my friend Slava Fedorchenko, who was running a basketball camp there. Then I took a vacation in Spain before returning to Greece to prepare for the new season and get a little more rest.
– There’s only two weeks between EuroBasket and the start of the season. Is that good or bad?
– I think it’s a positive for players that got to play a lot. They had some time off following EuroBasket and get to start the season in excellent shape. Of course, everything depends on the person. Some guys might not have enough time to recover.
– CSKA has a farm team now in the Superleague. Will you go to any games?
– I’ll go when I have a chance since a lot of my friends are on the team. I might even help out in some games.
– Do you watch any YouTube bloggers? Have you thought about making your own videos?
– I didn’t used to care about video bloggers. I though it was stupid to watch someone else’s life. I watched a few this summer when I was really bored and didn’t have anything to do, like Dnevnik Khacha and Komanda A. I haven’t thought about starting my own blog, but I know Evgeny Sedykh, who works for CSKA, has his YouTube channel. I’d love to do a video with him sometime.
– Which would you prefer? Going for a drive or playing on a PS4?
– I’d go for a drive first, then hop on the PS4. I’m a lot more into cars than I am computer games.
– You love Chevy Camaros. Is there another car you’re obsessed with now?
– The Camaro was more of a dream and I’m really happy it came true a few years ago. To me, it’s still the best car on the planet. Nothing can match it.
– There aren’t any European teams on the new NBA2K18. Which team will you pick?
– I haven’t downloaded the game yet, but it’s really too bad they don’t have EuroLeague teams. I don’t know which team I’ll be, but I will definitely create my own player.
– Are tattoos a passion for you?
– I just like how they look. I don’t plan on covering my body in tattoos.
– Should we expect any new illustrations or inscriptions?
– I might get a new tattoo soon, but I honestly haven’t though about it yet.
– Complete the expression: “If not CSKA, then…”
– The Russian national team!
