By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
The last time Dairis Bertans scored at least 29 points in a single game, he was 27. Back then, he was coming off the bench for Darussafaka in the EuroLeague, learning from a master like David Blatt and being surrounded by high-level caliber players: Brad Wanamaker, Will Clyburn, Scottie Wilbekin.
Throughout his whole career, he had never overcome the 30-point mark. But this simply doesn’t belong to reality anymore, as he decided to put on a show against physics laws in the opening round of this year’s Basketball Champions League Regular Season.
When Dairis Bertans last played an International encounter in Arena Riga, sadness was all over the place. Brazil came to Latvia to overcome the odds and qualify for the Olympic Games, leaving the hosts with a bitter taste in their gut. Waiting for the national team to return, that’s home to VEF Riga now.
Hearing the crowd erupting again in the same venue made the 35-year-old sharpshooter happy like a kid on Christmas. “It’s a great feeling. Getting those kinds of emotions is one of the feelings why we play basketball. To do that, especially in front of a home crowd, is amazing and unbelievable”, he opened to Eurohoops when asked how he feels about making his people happy again after that tough defeat in July.
Games like these haven’t happened too often in Dairis Bertans’ career. “Somebody told me that too, yes”, he reacted when remembered this marked his all-time career high. “There have been those kinds of games, once in a while”, he also followed before recalling a memory from the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
“Heading towards our first game against Lebanon, we didn’t really know what to expect. So to win like that in your debut at the World Cup, where every shot was falling in… it was a similar feeling. But that’s why I said “once in a while”: it was more than a year ago”, the Latvian shooter followed.
They call it 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐚, but we all know it’s 𝙏𝙝𝙚 @DairisBertans 𝙋𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 – the owner is here, 22pts, 5/7 triples at the half 🔥#BasketballCL | @vefriga pic.twitter.com/2iHd1j0yt2
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) October 1, 2024
“I wanted to come home”
The 35-year-old started his professional career back in 2005 in his hometown of Valmiera, staying in Latvia up until 2013. For the following ten years, he explored every bit of Europe – and more: Bilbao, Darussafaka, Milan, Khimki, Sevilla, with a short stint at the New Orleans Pelicans.
Back in Italy, something changed with his playing approach to the game. “Starting my career, I wasn’t just a three-point shooter. I was also a point guard, creating and driving, aggressively attacking the basket as well. Playing for [Simone] Pianigiani in Milan, my role changed”, he recalled.
“We had guys who could drive and create, and I had to become a shooter. That’s when I started to put in the extra work, especially in shooting. On day-offs or after practice, I go through shooting set plays. Making the same steps and scoring hundreds of times make me so confident with the same move, with the same exact situation, that I just know I can make that shot”, he spoke about his working routine.
When he decided to pack his things to return to where everything started to take place, he knew it was the right time. “There were some offers, but nothing crazy that could have made me change my decision about coming home. First of all, it was 10 years of playing abroad”, he opened.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play in great places, like Bilbao, Istanbul, Milan, and Moscow back in the day. I’ve really enjoyed being abroad, but after Sevilla, I wanted to come home. Most of the time you don’t see family and friends”, he added. His son entering first grade also took a part in the decision.
The icing on the cake regarded coming back to a winning place. “In Sevilla, we were fighting to avoid relegation, and in the second year, we failed. That made me even more tired. Being part of a winning organization and fighting to enjoy some victories again made the difference as well”, Bertans admitted.
Despite not making it to the Basketball Champions League Play-Ins in 2023-24 with a crazy ending against his former team Darussafaka, they were still able to celebrate victories in June. “Back home we won both Latvian Cup and Latvia League. At the end of the season, we held those trophies and raised them above our heads. That’s another reason why we’re in this business”, he added.
Living these kinds of nights may have postponed Davis’ brother’s decision to retire from basketball even further in the future, but he’s not thinking about any deadlines yet. “I’m living it day to day, game to game, season to season. The season has started, and I’m super excited to see where it will take us. Then, after the season, I will sit down, and see how my body feels”, he calmly reflected.
But recording his career-high at 35 surely makes him reflect. “Big-time games help lean towards the decision to keep going because even with minor health issues I can still go out there and score 30 points. There’s probably something left in me, to offer people. I’m not thinking about [retiring], I’m trying to enjoy it day to day and game to game”, Dairis Bertans also explained.
Can VEF Riga go further than the BCL Play-Ins?
Since making their first appearances in the competition, VEF Riga has never progressed further than the Play-Ins stage in the Basketball Champions League – except for the 2020-21 campaign, where they advanced to the Top 16 dragged by Kyle Allman. In the past two seasons, they haven’t overcome the challenges brought by a tough and balanced Regular Season.
In 2024-25, with two former tournament winners like Telekom Baskets Bonn and AEK in their Group E, things won’t be easy anyway. “Bonn came out of the toughest group of the Qualifications Rounds, from where Sassari or Andorra could have emerged victorious”, he first said about the German side. “Other teams like AEK always have big goals and ambitions, and this year isn’t an exception”, he followed.
“Maccabi Ramat-Gan isn’t so well known, but they proved in the first game that they’re gonna compete. It’s a tough group, and for us to win the first game it makes it a little bit easier: starting last year with two losses and getting back in the position where we could actually fight for the Play-Ins was tough”, he said.
This season, he will also have backcourt contributions from both Harrison Cleary – who went through third divisions in Spain and Germany, while also playing in Finland – and Issuf Sanon. “We have a great group of guys. I’d say humble, who want to work hard and be part of the team, not thinking about their own wellness. Everybody puts the team first, which is very important”, he opened.
Commenting specifically on those two teammates, he had nothing but great words. “We expect them to be tough players. Harrison [Cleary] had some important buckets down the stretch. Issuf [Sanon] plays with great energy. Sometimes I even have to calm him down, even too much. But he’s hungry to win, hungry to prove he can be the main guy in the team. I really respect his attitude”, he added.
“The other day, after the game, Issuf [Sanon] asked me: “How could you be so calm during this game?”. And I don’t know, there’s nothing really to worry about, especially when the game goes your way. Everything goes great, and that shows to keep going. I hope they will take something from my experience and knowledge. I’m always happy to help somebody else”, Dairis Bertans concluded.
The Basketball Champions League has made us acknowledge it throughout the years as a competition where veterans age like fine wine, and the list of examples isn’t long enough: Tyrese Rice, Keith Langford, Marcelinho Huertas, David Holston. You can add the Latvian killer to it.
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PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League