By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Providence product Alpha Diallo appearing on Euroleague Basketball’s “A quarter with Kyle Hines” explained how basketball dominates Harlem.
“Growing up in Harlem, basketball is a part of your life,” he noted in the latest episode of “A quarter with Kyle Hines, “Every two blocks that you walk there’s a basketball court in a park somewhere. You really can’t get away from it. I gradually jumped into basketball after playing other sports. Just because all my friends were doing it, and from there I just loved it and tried to take it as seriously as possible, and then thought it would be my way to go to college. And from there, had a good college run and started my professional career.”
Coming out of Providence, he turned pro in Greece as a member of Lavrio Megabolt. After a solid run in the Stoiximan Basket League, he penned a multi-year contract with the Greek giant Panathinaikos OPAP. Being released before his official debut moved him to AS Monaco.
“I didn’t know there were domestic leagues and then European leagues. I didn’t know all the different types of leagues, and if you win that country there are leagues in that country, and all the type of things like that,” he recalled regarding taking his talents to the Old Continent, “I was just excited to go out and start my professional career after college.”
Averaging 9.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game, he is among the strongest rookies in Europe’s premier club continental competition. His effort helped La Roca Team reach the Playoffs in its EuroLeague debut.
“Hard, man, hard. A grind,” Diallo described EuroLeague, “A lot more methodical and more skill-based, like with players and stuff like that. Not really fast-paced too much. Certain teams play a lot fast pace, but a lot more sets and grind-it-out type of game.”
Photo Credit: EuroLeagueBasketball.net