By Nikos Varlas
Henry Domercant is a unique kind of shooter. A player with an great career in seven European clubs, but also a great person off the court and a dedicated family man! Domercant’s family already has three members, he has a daughter, but a second baby is on the way! It is a boy, as the guard of Unics Kazan said in Eurohoops.net, just after the home loss of his team against CSKA Μoscow.
Domercant junior will be also a killer shooter? Who knows. The sure thing for now is that Domercant senior is the best three point shooter in Euroleague with an average shooting percentage of 51,2% (43/84), the same as his fellow American Jaycee Carroll of Real Madrid (37/72). But Carroll and the Spaniards will not be in the Euroleague playoffs.
Henry! You are already 31 years old, but time works for you! What is your recipe?
“When I am back home, in the off season, I work with NBA coaches and personal trainers and I try to get better all the time. In the morning I work in my shots, my dribbling and in some other aspects of my game. I never stop to practice when I am on vacations”.
Yes, but you get more efficient as you get older!
“(Laughs)! Look man, as time goes by, you have to get smarter, to understand the game better. In order to stay in the highest level, you have also to avoid injuries. This means a lot of work on your body. I can’t play like I could when I was 25, but I am better and more experienced! I feel more relaxed on the court”.
This year more than ever, you create for your teammates, or is it just our idea?
“I think you are right, because other people have told me that too! When I was young, everybody knew me as a scorer. Where ever I went they said: here is Henry the scorer! Now, I have also other aspects in my game”.
With 51% on threes, you are the best sharp shooter in Euroleague. What is your secret?
“I will tell you the secret! Just keep shooting the ball! I work a lot and think little. I do extra shots after the practice of the team. You have to feel good, you have to repeat and you have to build the right psychology. I try to get whatever the defence gives me. Against Panathinaikos for example, there was too much pressure on the ball. So I tried to adapt, to shoot from the middle range, or behind the screen”.
But when you do that cross over, you let it fly almost from every where and usually it’s in!
“Ha! I know what move your mean, cross over and then under my legs! I work every day in a few moves. Maximun three. Not in ten! And I try to do them perfect. Now I am working on my step back”.
Unics Kazan is the underdog against Barcelona in the Euroleague playoffs. But your opponent played ugly in its last games. Does that gives you hope?
“I think we can win if we have enough confidence. In this league every team can win every body. Everything starts from defense. When we played them at their home, we looked them in the eyes until the end. We have hope… but because it’s a series of games, you must also have a deep bench, you must get better between games and you must be ready for the crucial moments. There are no secrets”.
Can you make any predictions for the other series? Just tell us the favorites in one word…
“One word? Man, this is hard. I am not so sure. The Panathinaikos – Maccabi series looks too close between two great teams. Panathinaikos is still playing his classic brand of basketball, but Maccabi has a lot of talent and some great players.
What about the other series? You have seen with you own eyes what CSKA can do…
“They played really well against us. They made a run and then it was too hard for us to react. When they control the tempo and they make the shots, it’s hard to face them. I agree that they are the favorites against Bilbao. But I wait for the great battle between Siena and Olympiacos, two of my former teams”.
If I am correct you have played in seven different European teams! Why you don’t stay in any team, even though you always are a great contributor; And which is your favorite ex-team?
“I don’t even remember how many they are (laughs)! Of course I know them, but I didn’t count them. Well, two in Turkey, three in Russia, one in Italy and one in Greece! Yes, seven! But Olympiacos man was something different, we were like family. We went out for dinner after practice, we hanged out together, it was great. I really liked Olympiacos. And when I left, there were some moments in the following years when I believed that I could go back, but it just didn’t happened. In Siena I also had great teammates, people without any selfishness. My wife loved Greece and the weather. I am really concerned when I hear all this stuff about the crisis and I know that the Greeks have problems. I also liked Istanbul! Look, in Olympiacos the coach (Pini Gerson) wanted an other type of player and not my style. In Siena everything was good, but there were other players like Sato and Hawkins, so I played for 16-17 minutes. I wanted a more important role in an other team. But I have every respect for coach Pianigiani and the Siena system”.
Are you still in the music business?
“I don’t have the time. I already have a daughter and we are waiting an other baby, probably a boy, that will be born in September! When you have a family, kids and you are also a professional basketball player, music takes a back seat”.
Well, we wish you luck Henry and keep shooting…
“That’s for sure, because we have very important games in front of us!”