By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
First-time overseas ventures are experienced in highly diverse ways by American players.
For some, being far from home, family and friends, getting accustomed to an entirely new spectrum of lifestyle and adjusting to previously unexplored basketball terrain might become a heavy-handed burden. It’s natural.
Others, usually those who are entirely focused on the game, who set their minds on sharpening their skills and broadening their knowledge of the sport, who strive to improve themselves and grabbing all they can carry from the whole trip, get to win lots of things. On and off the court. During their present timeline and in regards to their future career.
2014 NBA champion Jeff Ayres is a newcomer to everything that European basketball encompasses and so far he has been savoring the taste of this plethoric journey Strongly enough to approach the second aforementioned category of overseas players.
“My experience has been great. It’s what you call a big time experience,” Ayres told Eurohoops. “There’s a big difference between here (Europe) and the NBA but at the same time there are a lot of similarities as well. It’s been nice to see all these different countries and cultures and realize that no matter how different each place is, they all love basketball very much.”
While some believe that the European basketball and the NBA have been getting much closer in recent years, in terms of the sport’s quality, there are many who insist that their distance is perhaps even bigger than the literal one of width of the Atlantic Ocean.
Even though he’s still a novice in the basketball surroundings of the “old continent”, Ayres has been forming a rather interesting opinion about the whole debate.
“Honestly for me, the difference is not as big as a lot of people might think,” he said with certainty. “I’m a foreigner here and I never knew what to expect. You always have any kind of idea of how it is here. As an American you kind of think ‘ah it’s not as big or as good as the NBA so whatever’. No. They are so many international players in the NBA and in Euroleague there are players that played in the NBA. Like Nando (De Colo), for example who is being great.”
“Basketball is just a mixture now. Talent is talent,” the 29-year-old player commented. “It’ doesn’t matter from where it’s from or from which league it comes. It’s still talent. If you are good, you are good.”
“There might be more players in the NBA, it’s a bigger league and everyone wants to be there. But people should not underestimate the Euroleague. There’s lots of great talent here lots of great teams and definitely lots of support from the fans.”
The latter has been making quite the impression to Ayres who has been witnessing first-hand how roaringly loud can European fans be when they see their team on court.
“To be in a game and have a rowdy crowd in Euroleague is a LOT different than in the NBA (laughs). In the NBA you might get some hecklers, somebody boo-ing you during a free throw. That’s it.”
Or someone giving you the finger like that Sixers fan did with Russell Westbrook. It’s as common as saying “good-morning” here sometimes, right?
“Well, that’s the worst you might get in NBA. In Europe? That’s nothing.”In Europe you might might get hit by things, people throw stuff on the court. Also, I don’t understand what they are saying but I can tell that it’s not very nice (laughs).”
He definitely knows what he’s talking about, since he didn’t watch this stuff on TV while eating his favorite snack. No, Ayres got really acquainted with how extreme the fans’ reactions might get during a game.
It was in his Euroleague debut and the match between CSKA and Galatasaray in Istanbul, where supporters of the Turkish team became infuriated with some calls and began hurling items on the court.
The refs had to disrupt the game for things to calm down and CSKA players went straight to the locker rooms for a bit. Despite the shock after getting into this kind of situation for the first time in his life, Ayres kept his cool.
“I wasn’t scared or anything when fans began throwing stuff. Not at all. Because at the end of the day, it’s not like they hate you. They just love basketball and they love their club so much. And that’s how they show it.”
“It’s not that it follows outside in the street. They wouldn’t come to beat me up or want fight me if they met me there. There’s a respect. They respect the athletes and we respect them. Because we see how much they care,” he emphasized.
“As an athlete and a basketball player this kind of atmosphere one of the best things to see and be a part of. Whether it’s home or away. You always want to play in an atmosphere like this. It sucks playing in a gym where it’s like nobody’s there. It’s like practice. But when you are around an atmosphere where you feel like everything is on the line and the crowd feels the same, It’s an electric game, the whole time. Those are the best games. Those are the things you want to be a part of.”
The invitation that brought him overseas for the first time in his career, arrived by no less than the reigning Euroleague champions. In need of an athletic, mobile big guy, CSKA Moscow picked Ayres as source expected to pour copious amounts of muscle, rebounding and energy on the floor.
“It was awesome receiving the offer by CSKA. It’s a great feeling. Going to the team that are the defending Euroleague champions simply felt great. They were interested in me and they wanted me to come and help them out. It means a lot to be a part of this team and this organization. Especially now that I see how great they are and how well they play. “
Of course, he was no stranger to the Russian club and vice versa. He had actually played CSKA in the 2013-2014 preseason, wearing the San Antonio Spurs jersey. The Texan team had taken a narrow 95 – 93 overtime win, with Ayres scoring 4 points. Back then he was also sharing locker rooms with current teammate Nando De Colo.
But, naturally, the one who did all the lecturing on the qualities of the European powerhouse was Gregg Popovich himself.
“You know coach Popovich talks about how big CSKA is as a club and how good they are as a team. Besides that, I also did my history and some extra research to know exactly where I’m coming from. I realized that this is a great organization from any way you look at them.”
His current deal with the Russian club is of two-month duration and is expiring on November 22.
Although his only substantial participation in a game so far took place in the Euroleague battle vs Anadolu Efes (where he scored 10 points on 4/4 shooting and also grabbed 4 rebounds, in 15 minutes he stayed on court) he is hopeful that his day-to-day grind will quite possibly bear the fruits of a contract extension.
“We haven’t talked about any of that stuff as of now. We are just focusing on basketball right now. I haven’t received any… bad messages so far from anybody. And everyone that I’ve talked to say that they like me here and that they are happy about me being here. We’ll see where it goes. My agent and the front office of CSKA will care about these things, I’m only focused on helping win games.”
American ballers in Europe can’t help but carrying NBA thoughts. Whether they are stored in the deepest parts of their minds or ceaselessly burning inside their heart.
It’s small wonder that big guy from California has no problem admitting that he envisages a possible return to the NBA as well.
“It’s always a dream to go back to the NBA of course. But right now… for me it’s all about playing basketball. My main goal is getting time on the floor, extending my career and earning potential as much as I can and for the longer that I can. Whether that’s here, in another European team or back in the NBA. I don’t feel I’m done playing basketball yet so I’m taking what I can, where I can.”
Among Ayres’ new teammates in CSKA there’s a guard of Serbian origin who has attracted no small amount of attention from USA. His name? Milos Teodosic.
Watching the Rio silver medalist with the “Orlovi” unfold his talent in practices or during games, Ayres has been rather impressed. Who wouldn’t be?
“I’ve seen Milos Teodosic do some things that I’ve never seen anybody doing.”
“And I’ve been around some really good point guards. He has a special talent about the game. He loves to play and he’s super competitive. All these are the type qualities you need to play in the NBA. Of course, It’s not easy, because you are up against great points guards every night. But I think he can be up for the challenge because he truly is a great player.”
With the discussion now boiling with NBA related topics, it was inevitable to ask Ayres his opinion about the current status of the San Antonio Spurs. After all, he holds a special connection with the team he won the 2014 championship ring.
“They are still big as heck man!” he almost shouted with a wide smile on his face. “A great player under the name of “Pau Gasol” arrived on summer. LaMarcus Aldridge and Kwahi Leonard are coming up big. They are playing really well. Last year, it was a growing situation with LaMarcus having his first season in the Spurs and Tim Duncan on his way out. New team, everybody getting used to each other etc. Look at LaMarcus for example. He was somewhere else (Portland Trail Blazers) for a long time and it was a little difficult to adapt in a new team. They got great veteran guys, I know that Pops is getting everyone together to hang out with each other and really work on getting the group to jell together.”
“You can tell everybody is playing really well. Even though they are in the first weeks of the new season they already look pretty oiled right now. I know Pops is pretty happy about it. It shows how much the system works and that the guys want to fit into it they want to comform in it. They know that if they do that, they will be successful.”
Another thing that doesn’t really come as a surprise to Jeff Ayres is the high efficiency levels of Kawhi Leonard. Does he think that the 2014 Finals MVP is emerging as the new Spurs leader?
“Well the torch is still on Tony (Parker) and Manu (Ginobili) but Kawhi… he is so pretty damn good man! Everything he does is within the system, of course, that’s how it works. If you are really talented, coach Pop is going to put you in positions where your talents will be even more successful. You have to work, but you’ll make numbers because of the system. Kawhi doesn’t have be out there forcing things. He is taking what is given to him and works super hard on defense. And then lets everything happen.”