By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The 34-year-old John Holland started playing for the Puerto Rican National Team back in 2011, just after graduating from Boston University College. Fast forward 12 years, and he’s on the verge of playing in his first FIBA World Cup.
“We played a tournament in Puerto Rico before I graduated in 2011. My mother is from Puerto Rico and her family, but it was then that I realized I could play for the national team. I hadn’t thought much about it before, but then I heard about the Puerto Rican league, and the idea of the national team emerged. I was on trial before the Olympic qualifiers and earned a spot – quite straightforward,” John Holland said in an interview with Mozzart Sport.
The experienced forward, who has played for many European teams including Hapoel Jerusalem, UNICS, Bursaspor, and Crvena Zvezda, is back with the National Team after a four-year hiatus, and he came as a replacement for the injured Gian Clavell.
Alongside Holland, Tremont Waters, Ismael Romero, Christopher Ortiz, and George Conditt are headline names in the preliminary 14-player roster for the Puerto Rico national team that is participating in the FIBA Basketball World Cup this year. They are in Group B with Serbia, China, and South Sudan.
“We have young and talented guys. We can achieve a lot. The experience we gain from the preparation matches will be crucial for us. We played against top teams like the USA and Italy, and we will also play against Serbia, Lithuania, and Latvia. All of that will help us in the first phase of the World Cup against Serbia, as well as China and South Sudan, who also have very good teams. I hope we can advance further. We want to win, and we try to do that every time we step on the court.”
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The team manager of Puerto Rico is former NBA player Carlos Arroyo, with whom Holland shared the court in the National Team.
“He has a great knowledge and experience. We played together for the national team before, so we know each other well. He’s always there to help us, and whatever he conveys to us is of great importance.”
The experienced forward had a chance to see firsthand what Team USA can do. They don’t have the biggest NBA stars, but they are still first contenders in the World Cup for a reason.
“They are really good. They’re big, strong, fast… Great athletes. They’re filled in every position. Maybe they don’t have the very best NBA players, but they are top-level basketball players on a global scale. There are many good teams, but they are the best. On the other hand, no one will have it easy, especially because this is probably the second-best basketball tournament after the Olympic Games. Everyone will be prepared, eager to prove themselves, and I can’t wait for it to start. I’m excited,” says Holland. “I see Team USA as favorites, the French, the Spaniards… Maybe even Slovenia, we’ll see.”
Holland finished the last season with Crvena Zvezda, losing in the ABA finals to arch-rivals Partizan.
“We didn’t start the season as we hoped, and that was one of the things that prevented us from finishing it the way we wanted. The beginning was tough, but from around the eighth game, we were one of the top eight teams in Europe. If the season had started then… We had a team at that high level, so even despite the weak start, we were achieving good results. If the start had been a bit better, maybe everything would have ended differently.”
He was the first to leave the squad, and many followed. Zvezda changed almost the whole team, with Dejan Davidovac coming back and eight new signings coming in.
“Every time there’s a significant number of new players, you have to wait to see how everyone will fit in. How the chemistry will develop. I can’t assert anything, we’ll see, but they have talented players, and I believe they will have a lot of success.”
The 34-year-old shooter born in the Bronx, New York, will have a chance to meet two of his old teammates when he faces Serbia in Ognjen Dobric and Filip Petrusev. They both changed clubs this summer as well, with Dobric signing for Virtus Bologna and Petrusev getting an NBA contract from the Philadelphia 76ers.
“I know how good they are. I’m really happy for Dobrić going to Virtus, as well as Filip going to the NBA – they’ll be great. I’m proud of them and excited. It will be fun being on the other side of the court.”
He already has a new adventure waiting for him after the World Cup, after signing a one-year deal with Hapoel Tel Aviv to return to the EuroCup.
“A great team, I think we have a chance to achieve a lot of good things. I can’t wait to get started. First, Puerto Rico, but we’ve had several conversations, I’ve played with a few guys from that team, and I’m excited,” John Holland concluded.