By Bugra Uzar & Semih Tuna/ info@eurohoops.net
One of the most impressive transfers in this season’s Turkish Basketball Super League was without a doubt Chris Copeland‘s arrival to Tofas Bursa. The American forward came back to Europe, the place where he has spent an important part of his early professional career, before succeeding to earn a contract with the New York Knicks in 2012.
After four years of experiencing his lifelong dream of playing in the NBA, the American forward made the overseas journey once more, to be a part of the ambitious structure that Tofas Bursa is building.
Copeland talked with Eurohoops explaining what led him to this decision and what he thinks of his new surrounding and people he’s working with. He also revealed to us his emotions from stepping on the floor of an NBA court for the first, what he felt when hearing thousands of Knicks fans screaming his name and a lot more.
You had a pretty good stint in the NBA for the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers and then the Milwaukee Bucks. Why did you decide to come back to Europe?
“I decided to come back in Europe because I had a great time when I played here before. There’s a high level of basketball here. It’s a good place to be for me at this time.
I had offers from others teams. But I chose Tofas because of the coach and the staff. I’m familiar with Tolga (Ongoren, Tofas Bursa GM) from a long time ago, when I played with his teams in Germany and we’ve always had good relations. For me it was about being in a comfortable situation”.
What are your first impressions from coach Orhun Ene and your teammates?
“Our coach is a great coach. I’m very fortunate to play for a guy like that. He understands the game and pushes the guys to play in the right away. He is a very positive coach and a great leader. I’m excited about my teammates. Every guy in the team has a high knowledge of the game which makes playing easy. I really enjoy the characters and the type of people that they are. It’s a good group of people to be a part of”.
How goes your adaption so far? And what is your opinion on the Turkish Basketball Super League?
“The adaption process is going well. I’m getting better every day. I’m just continuing to learn from the guys here and keep growing. In regards to the Turkish league, I always heard it’s a great league but you never know anything until you actually play”.
How do you see your previous stint in Europe? You began your career here after all…
“I struggled in Spain. Then when I moved on to Holland, Germany and Belgium I think I continued to get better. I wouldn’t call it an “ups and downs” situation. Just going up. When I got here (Europe) I had to adjust. I was young and I had to learn. After Spain, which was my first destination, in every country I went to I got better”.
NBA is the ultimate dream for all basketball players and you made this dream come true. What did you feel when you first stepped on the floor of an NBA arena?
“It was simply great. A dream come true. Very emotional when I was told that I’m going to be in that team. I thank God and my family for being there”.
Madison Square Garden is known as the “Mecca of basketball”. Not only did you play a lot of matches there but you’ve also heard the fans scream your name multiple times.
“Yes they did! It’s unbelievable to hear the fans in the Garden screaming my name. I’m a New Jersey kid, that’s where I grew up. And I grew up watching the Knicks. So being there in front of tons of Knicks fans who are huge basketball fans and really know the game was great. And because they really know the game you have to to get their respect. It was amazing hearing them screaming my name.”
You’ve played against lots of great players. Who is the most difficult to defend?
“The most difficult player to defend? Wow…. that’s… tough! I’d have to say… Paul George. I played against him and he was my teammate too. The harder part is not only that you have to defend him and stop him in 1 on 1. But you have to score on him on the other end. He’s one of the hardest guys to score on. You are going to exert great energy to score on him. So you spend lots of energy on both ends. And he’s a killer!”
It’s a sad topic obviously but we’d like to ask you about it. When you were 13 years old you lost your brother who was your idol. How did this affect your relationship with basketball?
“It made me work harder. It was always my brother’s dream for me to play in the NBA. When he passed it make me work more and more.”
What is your favorite moment of your career so far?
“Easily my first game in the Garden. My mom was there and I finally made it in the NBA. I gave her a big hug after the game. Nothing can top that moment for me. That’s a truly unforgettable match. It was as big as it gets even though I played only five minutes. Maybe less. But it was my first game in the NBA and I’ve been waiting so long for it. It was against the Miami Heat when Lebron, Wade and Bosh were all there. A big win in the Garden. I stepped on the floor for few minutes and missed my first shot (laughs). But it was fun.”
Do you believe that the stabbing incident created an unfairly bad reputation for you?
“No, I don’t think so. I’m sure that there are people out there that think bad of me. But there were people who thought bad of me before the incident. Anybody who’s ever met me doesn’t think that I’m a bad guy. You can’t please everybody.”
What’s the next goal for you? NBA? EuroLeague perhaps?
“To win as many games as I can here. If I get back in the NBA, that’d be a blessing. But I’m happy now. I’ll continue to get better and try to see where things go. Maybe Euroleague. We’ll see.”