By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
After spending the entirety of his career in the NBA and registering no less than 659 games over a span of nine years, Greg Monroe embarked on his maiden overseas campaign last summer, when he signed with reigning German BBL League champion Bayern Munich. The Bavarian team made some serious transfer buzz with this signing, one year after bringing former No. 2 pick Derrick Williams on board.
Monroe’s offensive skillset at the post has translated rather well in the uncharted and many times unfriendly for newcomers, European basketball territory. So far, the American big man has been leading Bayern in points (12.4), rebounds (6.4) and blocks (0.9) in EuroLeague while producing 12.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists in the BBL. Bayern is dominating the latter with an undefeated 14-0 run and, as of now, looks the favorite for the threepeat.
EuroLeague competition has been a different – and quite hostile – animal for Bayern this season since by Round 19, the team is in a four-way tie on the bottom of the standings, with a 6-14 record. In between the Round 19 and Round 20 games of the German side in Greece against Panathinaikos Athens and Olympiacos Piraeus, Monroe met with Eurohoops for a sitdown interview revolving around his first-time EuroLeague experience, the NBA and a certain former teammate of him who landed MVP in the league last season.
– How did the deal with Bayern Munich happen?
“After a while trying to explore options back in the NBA, it became pretty clear that I had to try and find something here. And first, clearly, I wanted to be in the EuroLeague.
It was the best league you can probably find outside of the NBA. The competition has definitely lived up to that. Playing against these teams and those players.
I kind of came in late to Bayern Munich. The team was the best situation for me. Just coming into a team where I think my skill set would help”.
– Was China an option?
“Personally, I definitely preferred to be in the EuroLeague. My first destination was definitely to find a team in the EuroLeague”.
– Did you have any offers by NBA clubs?
“No. Back at that time, I didn’t. That’s why I’m here. My first destination was to play in EuroLeague before trying to figure out anything else.”
– How does a nine-year NBA veteran – one who has averaged your numbers (13.2 points, 8.3 rebounds over 632 regular-season games) – feel when the offseason comes and there’s no offer by any team in the league?
“You feel like you’ve put yourself in a position to stay on the team. But it’s just not how it went. That’s how basketball is around the world. This is how it’s in basketball leagues everywhere. Obviously, you try and you try to stay in the NBA. But when the opportunity doesn’t present itself you find other destinations. I’m happy to be here in the EuroLeague. It’s been very competitive. It’s more than 450 players in the NBA and there are more than 450 great players in the world. I feel like here I’m competing against other great players still. Guys that I competed against before. New players that I hadn’t competed against before but are still great players. So the competition has been up to par with what I believed. It’s been fun.”
– Two years ago you talked about how traditional centers, big men like yourself who operate mostly close to the basket, are sometimes considered a bit outdated in modern NBA. Do you think that this is one of the reasons you are not in the league right now?
“The game has obviously changed. But, it’s about some opportunities. Sometimes you are asked to do some things and not asked to do some things. And can’t really showcase all the talents you have. Clearly, the game has spread out on the NBA.
Obviously there’s an emphasis on shooting threes.
It’s not like I’m incapable of doing that. It’s just about having the opportunity to showcase that and I haven’t really had the opportunity previously. Now here, it’s about just coming here and playing at a high level and try being the best player I can be.
At the end of the year, in summer I’ll always explore any opportunity no matter where it is. Do my due diligence and see what opportunity I’ll have. Right now, I’m just focused on playing right here. That has always been my way of doing things. Focusing on the task ahead, focusing what’s in front of you. Right now, I’m on Bayern Munich and I’m trying to be the best player I can be for this team”.
– You played 38 games with the Toronto Raptors last season before you got traded. Did you expect them to send you a championship ring?
“Well, it’s pretty standard for teams to give it to players that were on the team when they won it with. For me personally, I ended up playing against them at the playoffs (with the Philadelphia 76ers). These series… it came down to one shot that Kawhi [Leonard] made. Obviously, if they would’ve said “Hey, we make the choice to give to all the guys,” then it would be a very cool thing to receive it. But I definitely didn’t take it personally per se to not receive the ring”.
– You are active on Instagram but absent from Twitter since 2017. Is there a specific reason for this?
“I’ve been pretty inactive on Twitter for a few years now. Even before that. I might’ve gone on there one time. I mean, Twitter is just something that I used pretty early. When I was younger. I just choose not to use it. Just a personal preference. Instagram is something I prefer and that’s really it.”
– Many players love Twitter.
“Yeah. I guess I’d just rather express myself with pictures maybe. Twitter is more about giving your thoughts. And that’s just not me. I’m kind more of a private person really. A bit quieter. As I got older and more mature, putting out random thoughts to people is just something I would prefer not to do.”
– You have played in all EuroLeague games with Bayern Munich this season and thus faced every single team in the competition. Which are the teams and players that have made you the most impression?
“There have been a few teams that have impressed me. Obviously you have the teams that are consistently good, like the defending champions CSKA Moscow. Barcelona is really good. Panathinaikos is an extremely talented team. Every team has been competitive. We’ve had our struggles but it’s been fun competing with those teams.
Competing against new players and people I haven’t see? It’s been a lot of talented players that I hadn’t known about until now. If I started dropping names… I don’t want to leave anybody out. But definitely I have competed against many players that I didn’t know and are really talented.”
– What advice would you give to an NBA veteran such as yourself who is preparing for his debut stint in Europe?
“My advice would be…just be open-minded. It’s a different league and things are done differently but it’s still basketball. I think that at the end of the day if you really love the game if you really understand it and you are focused on that, even though maybe a lot of stuff is different than in the NBA but it doesn’t really matter. At the end of the day, it’s still basketball. It’s still about competing at a high level. To me, I’ve always said that it’s not much different”.
– For many players, it’s also an adjustment to a different lifestyle.
“Yeah. The lifestyle is different. But not that much different. You play in great cities. Like Athens. You get to play and travel to some of the best cities in the world. The only truly different thing is traveling. But it’s still a plane. A flight. Just be open-minded and understand that the whole thing it’s just means to an end.”
– You signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2015 when Giannis Antetokounmpo was entering his third season in the NBA. Back then, did you see a future MVP in him?
“I mean, yeah. Because I feel that when I was there, it was the beginning of his rise. The thing that I always admired about him is that he has the things you can’t teach. Definitely. His work ethic was unbelievable. And also his competitive nature. He’s probably, easily the most competitive teammate I’ve had. Every day he came to the gym and he worked. A lot of people don’t notice that about him. He goes to the gym every night. Family in, he’d already go back to the gym at night with his brothers. Work out with him. No matter what we did, no matter the practices we had, no matter what part of the season it was. He’d do lifts. His body is like it is because of his routine”.
“Τo see him now. It’s hard to say [back then] “hey I see MVP in this guy”. But I definitely wasn’t surprised that he made it to that level he is right now. He works for everything. He’s earned it. I’m happy for him.
It’s always good to see people that every day and every night, night in, night out you go to work with them. And you see the progression they make. And how they continue to grow as a player. To see him like that is a great thing to see. He’s a great family.
And… RIP to his father. I was on the team when he lost his father. The next morning he was in the gym. That’s when I knew how much he loves the game. And how much he didn’t take it for granted. He took it seriously. I think that was a part of his ascension as a player.”
– Do you keep in touch with him?
“Up to until this year, I’ve always talked to him. I talk to him every now and then. He’s definitely one of the better teammates I’ve had. Just a great guy. A humble guy.”
Feature photo: TF-Images/Getty Images. Photos: EuroLeague Basketball/Getty Images