By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Crvena Zvezda guard Isaiah Canaan opened up on a tough phase he’s been going through recently after seeing three persons close to him passing away in the span of a month.
“The end of the year was hard for me. I lost three close people in one month,” Canaan said an in interview with Meridian Sport.
“Over time, you learn to deal with the challenges of life within your family and with yourself,” Canaan added. As a teenager, he survived the devastating hurricane Katrina in 2005 when it hit his hometown of Biloxi, Missisipi. “You try to separate your private life from your busines life and deal with everything as best you can with the support of the people who are close to you. At the end of the day, life goes on.”
Canaan explained how playing basketball and experiencing the support of the Zvezda fans has helped him.
“Whenever I see kids who look up to me or support me, it means a lot to me,” Canaan mentioned. “At every game, someone comes to watch me and that’s very important to me. Whenever I have the chance to say something back to them, I say a few words to them, because I know it will mean a lot to them. If I were in their shoes and had the chance to talk to my role model or someone I look up to, anything they would say to me, any words of encouragement, I would soak up. So, I try to do the same for them.”
So far in 2024-25, Canaan is averaging 9.4 points in 21:27 in the EuroLeague as Zvezda stands at 10 – 8. This is his first year with Red Star after two straight seasons with Olympiacos Piraeus and back-to-back Final Four trips.
He’s optimistic that this record can improve quite much given the return of previously injured big man Joel Bolomboy and the addition of experienced forward John Brown III.
“I’m looking forward to the second part of the season,” Canaan said. “I’m happy with how the team looks now. Joel is back, Brown is here, all of that will help us going forward. My wish is to continue winning games, to play at a high level and, with all the negative things that are happening, to try to stay positive and radiate positive energy – to push forward towards my goals and dreams”