By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
VTB league’s Final Four is starting and we invited Ali Traore to explain everything about this tournament. He talks to Eurohoops.net about the emotional roller-coaster he had this year, his life at Krasnodar as a player of Lokomotiv Kuban, and how Sergei Bykov… helped him decide to play in Russia together with Bozidar Maljkovic. He also reveals his affinity for Barcelona and his wish for the Euroleague’s Final Four
– Its fair to say that last year was quite interesting for you, right? You were at Virtus Roma, before the Italians lost their license to Euroleague and then you sign to Lokomotiv. At the same time, you were at the French national team, then you left their camp and finally you came back and had a great experience at Lithuania. Can you point out the highlights of this year?
“Actually, you are right. I had a great season! Of course, our success in Eurobasket was the highlight of the last year. At the start of the negotiations with Lokomotiv I wasn’t sure about my choice. But I decided to sign, because of coach Maljkovic. It’s great to work with him. It’s so important for me to play in a such high level and improve my game”.
– How hard was from first learning your new team’s name to become a big part of it? And how is life to Krasnodar, compare to Lyon, Roanne, Havre and Rome?
“I wasn’t familiar with my new team before I decided to sign. But now I feel great. I really can say, it’s a good surprise for me, the city has everything you may need and… the weather! From the end of March it’s soooo hot. I like the people and I would say i feel totally like… a Russian”.
– How Russian League and VTB League compare to French and Italian championships? Was the presence of Bozidar Maljkovic at Lokomotiv’s bench one of the main reasons you said yes to this offer? And which was the second most important?
“I had many offers. Lokomotiv offered me a good contract, but it was another reason that made me choose this team: the coach. Later I understood that it’s a big team and I confess that I am impressed by my team and the quality of the league. From Russia, I knew only CSKA Moscow and Khimki. Now, I see that the Russian league and VTB league are very competitive and high level tournaments and its another good surprise”.
– Sergey Bykov suggested to you (in 2009) to sing to a Russian club. You followed his advice and… now you are teammates! Can you tell this story in your own words? And do you believe in fate?
“(Laughs) It’s true. I’m generally open-minded. I like to talk to people, hear what they have to say, their experiences etc. So, I was in the lobby of a hotel, in 2009, and while I was drinking a coffee with Sergey, he told me I should come and play in Russia, because it’s a great league. I never forgot it. So, when I had the offer from Lokomotiv I remember what Sergey told me”!
– You learn how to speak the Russian language? What was the first word? And the sentence you use more often?
“I like to learn new languages. I try to mingle with the people everywhere i play. I learned to speak Italian in one year… Now I am starting to understand Russian, but you know in every country you go, you learn first the… bad words. I know for example that in Greece you use so often the word “malakas”. So, lets go to the first appropriate word I learned in Russian: it was how to say good morning”.
– Now, about the VTB Final Four, can you give us your first thought, when you hear the name CSKA Moscow?
“They have very good team with a deep roster, coach Kazlaouskas uses perfectly all his players and they have started to play together. It’s the favorite of the competition. But in one game anything can happen”.
– Your opinion about Unics?
“It’s a good team. They reached the Euroleague play offs. They also have a deep roster. I think we have 50-50% chances, to qualify to the final in our game”.
– What about Lietuvos Rytas?
“We know them well because we have already played four times with Lietuvos, this season. It’s a good team as well and they have a great player, Valanciounas, who keeps improving”.
– And finally… Lokomotiv?
“We are the underdog of this Final Four. We have talent and will play with respect towards our rivals, but no fear”.
– Do you see yourself and your teammates with the trophy in your hands and what you need to do to take this title?
“We must play as solid team, be competitive from the first to the last minute. I think we can reach the final and there anything can happen”.
– Can you give us your predictions for Euroleague’s Final Four? Which teams are going to be at the Final and why and which one will take… over Europe?
“CSKA is the absolute favorite. But I think that no one must underestimate the two Serbians coaches. They are smart, experienced and they can change the game to their benefit. Olympiacos has a very good team. They play very good together, but I hope for Barca to win. Barca is my favorite team. My dream is to play there. If a had an offer I would go over there riding a… bike”!
– What about French national team? Last year you succeeded something magnificent. After all this time, which are your best memories of this road to success?
“My happiest moment was when we won Russia and qualified to the Olympics, over my teammate… Sergey Bykov. I was too happy because Toni Parker should have already played in the Olympics”.
– You tried to play at the NCAA but you didn’t get to play for the NBA, like many of your friends at the national team. How was that? You didn’t have the dream of playing at the NBA? It was a matter of circumstances?
“I played only one year in college, but why not? If I had an offer I would like to play in the NBA. But I want to be clear: my to goal is to play at a top level Euroleague team. My priority is… to play. So I would prefer to play for 20 minutes in a high level European team, than to play 5 minutes in a small NBA team. My prime goal is to have minutes on the court, because I’m not really happy when I stay in the bench”.