Euroleague MVP in 2023, Sasha Vezenkov (28 years old) still does not know if he will extend the adventure in Sacramento since his managers could transfer him, or even cut him. His “rookie” season will not go down in history with an average of 5.4 points and 2.3 rebounds, and like Vasilije Micic (30 years old), he may have arrived too late in the NBA. Moreover, in a team, the Kings, where Mike Brown had decided to trust the players who had made the playoffs the previous season.
Currently in Greece, the Bulgarian was the guest of the EuroLeague coaches' conference, and he spoke to the coaches about what really struck him during this first season.
“In terms of travel, my first season in the NBA was crazy,” he explains. “You go from one hotel to another and from the room to the facilities. Then you play another team and you have to read the scout report on the opponent. Then you play and travel again. It is very difficult to remember everything. You have to be very resilient and enduring, first mentally, then physically.”
Candor must be on both sides
To get through it, you also have to communicate with your coach, and this is perhaps the most difficult when you arrive from abroad. In the NBA, coaches are managers first.
“Coaches must be honest with their players and, of course, players must always tell their coaches the truth,” he added. “Because if I go to my coach and tell him certain things, and then he tells me something just to make me feel better, everything will change. Today there are more conflicts in teams and you have to be ready to learn from the coach and the coach from you.”
The Bulgarian explains that he was in conflict with the Olympiakos physical trainer during his last season. “Last season I played 30 minutes in the Euroleague and sometimes 15 minutes in the Greek championship. I asked why I had to play 15 minutes. He replied: 'Because that's what I decided and also because the coach says so'. Whether you play or not, you have to find a balance. When you don't play a lot, you have to practice more, you have to figure out how to work. In the NBA, everything has been very specific for years. Here in Europe we strive to move forward and help develop all of these.”
The players are “little children”
Sasha Vezenkov repeats: the most important thing is communication.
” I love sport. This is what we get paid for, we want to play more. Every player is looking for something. Athletes are difficult [à gérer]. Even if you play 40 minutes and you lose, you will go to the coach and say: 'See, I'm tired, why did I play 40 minutes?' Realize that we have problems all the time. We must communicate. We are like little children. You have to trust your coach and he has to trust you, and that’s how you build a good team.”
