After years of shining in Europe, Sasha Vezenkov, drafted in 2017, made the decision, with a contract of 20 million dollars over three years, to join the Kings and the NBA this summer.
But why take this big leap in 2023 and not before?
“I like to win matches and that helped in my decision”, he explains during his presentation. “We saw it, the Kings were fantastic last season, playing superb basketball. But the most important thing is that they won matches. I didn’t see all the matches, but some, and that really helped me. »
Monte McNair, the GM, and Mike Brown, the coach, also regularly approached the 2023 Euroleague MVP during the course of last season to convince him to come to the NBA.
“We had his rights for two years but it remains a big decision for him”recalls Monte McNair. “The idea, when we went to see him, was to establish a relationship. If he had the NBA in the back of his mind, I wanted to show him that it could be a good place for him. And a good thing for us too, because we know he’s a great player, that he can stick to our team. »
Crossing the Atlantic is obviously a great moment for a European player, so for Sasha Vezenkov (28), who arrives with ambition in the United States.
“It’s a big change for me, for my family, my partner, my friends, the people who supported me. Everyone helped me in this decision. Everyone in the franchise, from Monte McNair to the players to the staff, helped me. They did everything to make me feel at home. Even though I’ve only been here a few days, it’s like having a new family. »
