Paris Basketball has had a truly incredible first half of the EuroLeague season, as the French rookies currently sit atop the standings with a record of 10 wins and 3 losses. Team star TJ Shorts spoke to Sportal.gr about this, as well as his individual season.
The words of TJ Shorts: “Yeah, it’s a really crazy start to the season. Obviously we’re in an incredible period, we’re making a lot of noise in Europe, but we’re trying to stay as focused as we can with all the noise, the media… We try to concentrate on one game at a time”.
On the difficulties of being a ‘small’ player: “Obviously it’s difficult, but I’ve been smaller than my opponents throughout my career and I’ve learnt some things over the years that work for me and benefit me. Obviously, I like to use my speed and change of direction, but my teammates and coaches have always put me in a position where I can make the most of my attributes”.
On the compliments from coach Bartzokas: “It is a great honour to be called a special player by him. He’s won so many titles, he’s been to the Final Four, he’s been everywhere and of course he’s an integral part of Olympiacos. It is an incredible honour for me that he recognises my qualities as a player”.
At the start of the season, Paris was not considered one of the top teams in the EuroLeague: “Yes, there were not many expectations for us. When we started winning, nobody thought we could do it, but as our winning streak got longer, we started to get more respect. More teams take us seriously now because we come, we take every team as seriously as we can and we always think we can win. It’s been a nice journey, but we have to stay humble”.
On his career: “I always believed that if I was in the right system with the right coach, I could show my qualities and talent. That’s what all of Europe sees. It’s an honour for me to show my talent in the EuroLeague, to be the MVP of the month in November and to be recognised among the best players in Europe”.
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