By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
Codi Miller-McIntyre has been playing in Europe since 2016, when he joined Leuven Bears in Belgium, right after four years of college basketball at Wake Forest. He has played for many different clubs at various levels, but only last season did he debut in the EuroLeague with Baskonia, where he made his presence felt immediately.
The 30-year-old point guard from High Point, North Carolina, became only the third player to record a triple-double in the top European competition, and with 20 assists against ASVEL, he broke the EuroLeague record, all while averaging 9.6 points and a season-high of 7.3 assists.
After his standout season with Baskonia, he decided to embark on a new adventure, choosing Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet as his new team. Talking to Eurohoops, he explained that his decision to join the ABA and Serbian champions was largely influenced by their coach, Ioannis Sfairopoulos.
“His goals and what he wants to accomplish helped me make the decision to come. It’s very important for a point guard to have a great relationship with a head coach, to share a common mindset and goals about certain things. His mindset matched mine a lot,” Codi Miller-McIntyre said.
Joining Crvena Zvezda means he’ll share point guard duties with the legendary Milos Teodosic and Brazilian Yago dos Santos.
“Yago was the MVP and champion last year; Milos is obviously one of the best point guards ever to play the game, so I’m excited to learn from them. Watching them in practice, picking up very small things, I’m excited to play with both of them. It will be the first time in a while that I’ll play a lot of minutes with two other point guards. It will be fun and exciting.”
For Miller-McIntyre, joining Crvena Zvezda presents more than just an opportunity to fight for big goals and play at a high level. He’s actually returning to Belgrade, where he donned the jersey of Zvezda’s biggest rival, Partizan. Codi was part of the Black and Whites’ setup in the 2020/21 season but left midway through the season and moved to France with JL Bourg.
“I’m excited to come back. This is a place where a lot of good things and a lot of tough things happen mentally as well. Being able to come back and fix things for myself gives me a better feeling about my career in general, like a fresh start.”
Since leaving Partizan, he had a chance to play against his former team, but now he’ll stand in front of their fans in the red and white jersey of their arch-rivals, playing on the other side of the Serbian Eternal Derby.
“I don’t know what to expect; whatever it is, I’ll make sure to come to practice tomorrow and be prepared for whatever may happen in any game in the future, not just the derby. I can only control what I can control: giving my best every day and each night, and whatever happens, happens,” Miller-McIntyre said about his expectations for the first derby in Crvena Zvezda’s colors.
The Baskonia experience
As he prepares for the challenges of the upcoming season, he looks back on his previous year in Vitoria, where he made his name heard loudly across the continent. Still, he feels he has to do more.
“That’s just how I am as a person. Last year was exciting; it was great that a lot of people recognized the things I’ve been doing since my first year in Europe. I didn’t do anything different; the only thing different was that I had a EuroLeague team name on my jersey in a setting where most of Europe was watching. I have to continue to get better and make sure last year wasn’t my best year, and I keep improving.”
Miller-McIntyre, Markus Howard, and Chima Moneke were the driving force behind Baskonia’s push to the EuroLeague Playoffs.
“We built great chemistry, accepting the roles each of us had. It’s kind of sad that we probably won’t experience that again, us three, but that’s life; you move on and go to another opportunity. We talk all the time; the bond is still there,” Codi admits.
Baskonia had a rocky start last season, but everything changed with the arrival of former Crvena Zvezda head coach Dusko Ivanovic.
“I loved working with Dusko. As with any relationship, there are things that you agree with and things that you don’t. But his mentality and the way he approached every day were tough, but winning is tough. That’s the difference; when he came, he knew exactly what he wanted. He would tell you, and if you did it, you would play, and if you didn’t, then you wouldn’t play. Overall, I had a great time with him; I played the most minutes on the team, maybe even in the EuroLeague last year. He put me in a great position, not just with Baskonia; Dusko Ivanovic is part of the reasons why I’m here now.”
That’s why, when talking about the most influential coaches in his career, Miller-McIntyre mentions the experienced Montenegrin tactician.
“Every coach that I’ve had in Europe did something that transformed me in a certain way. It’s hard to pinpoint one coach. Me and Dusko had a great basketball relationship, but we weren’t texting or laughing off the court; it was very professional. When something was wrong, he would notice and ask me. With other coaches, we were great friends off the court, where I could call them right now, and they would probably pick up, and we could talk for 30 minutes. If I’m in a city, there are some of the people I would like to meet… Every coach along the way helped me and pushed me. It’s hard to pinpoint one.”
As he faces a new season in the EuroLeague with new challenges ahead, the U.S. point guard with a Bulgarian passport seems ready to give his all.
“To show up every day, practice, and give what I can. If I’m 100 percent, I’m going to give 100 percent; if I’m 60 percent, I’ll give you 60 percent. Focus on today, and the results will be tomorrow”, Codi Miller-McIntyre concluded while talking to Eurohoops.