By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following 168 appearances in the NBA over four years, Aleksej Pokusevski returned to Europe and joined Partizan Mozzart Bet last August.
Talking to Greek sports pay television network Cosmote TV, he recalled struggling to find his comfort zone, playing alongside Vasilije Micic, and further conclusions from his experience in the NBA.
“To keep working,” was his advice for youngsters selected in the NBA draft, similar to him being the 17th pick of the 2020 draft, “For me, what I understood the last years, whatever happens, either you get hurt or play well, you must wake up and work, and sleep well at night, feeling you worked to your best and did everything you could.”
Pokusevski, 23, went from a promising prospect making plenty of noise to being waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder last February and then by the Charlotte Hornets at the end of the 2023-24 season.
“Every year, many teams in the NBA do not try to win but want to develop players,” he mentioned, “This happened to me as well. It was going well. However, I got injured on some occasions, at the wrong time, I can say. The team also told me this. I could have stayed but it was not what I wanted at this stage of my career. I did not want to stay in the United States just to be there, without being able to play and learn, and have a significant role.”
Shortly following his departure and relying mostly on youngsters, the Thunder went on to become a dominant force in the league. “I am not jealous. I am very happy for them,” he stressed.
Fellow Serbian, Micic was among his teammates last season, an experienced player with plenty of success in Europe, including two Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championships and multiple MVP nods, but a rookie in the NBA.
“It was weird at first because he was asking me what to expect. Of course, I learned a lot from him about basketball and life,” mentioned Pokusevski, “He helped me very much with how to work out. He supported me when I was suddenly not playing much, telling me to keep going and everything will work out.”
However, he was even more revealing talking about the overall approach to European players in the league.
“That they can play basketball and are very good at it,” he replied to a question about what Americans have collected from European imports, “And some people there do not like that, from the Americans. That is why there is competitiveness between the players, which is very good.”