NBA
Kaminsky: “I like the physical game of Europe more than the NBA”
The American is set to make another Euroleague apperance with Partizan after eight years in the NBA. And, for now, his adaptation could not going much better.
Frank Kaminsky feels completely at home at Partizan Belgrade in his first experience in Europe after eight years in the NBA. The 7 foot center, born in Illinois but of Polish and Serbian descent (he has already flirted with the idea of playing for the Serbian national team) was a university star in Wisconsin (2011-15) and came to the NBA as the ninth overall pick in the 2015 draft. He enjoyed spells with the Hornets, Suns, Hawks and Rockets, and this summer he signed with Partizan with whom he will play his sixth Euroleague game tonight against Baskonia.
European basketball versus the NBA
The 30-year-old is beginning to settle into European basketball and admits that his first sensations have been positive: “Especially in the EuroLeague, every game matters. The preparation, how important everything is, every little detail. The big thing is you play in tough environments, the arenas are crazy, the fans are wild. It will be a fun experience. I haven’t played on the road yet in that environment, so I’m really excited about it,”
His new life in Europe and the differences between the game hasn’t surprised him too much, as he explained: “I talk to a lot with my team mates, guys who have played here for a while, and they kind of set the expectations for me. I’m just really excited to go and see it for myself. I’ve had a lot of big games in my career, and EuroLeague is some of the biggest basketball you can play.”
One thing he does agree with other former NBA players is the tougher approach and physical level of contact in the game in Europe: “I’m not really surprised [about who much more physical games are], but I like it because I can get away with a lot more. In the NBA, it’s a lot of athletic finesse, you can’t get away with as much contact. Here, you can hit people and kind of push people around, I like that,” he ended.
Partizan are currently 11th in the table with two wins from the first five games. Tonight’s game tips off at 20:30 hours local time (3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT) at Fernando Buesa Arena in Vitoria-Gateiz, northern Spain.
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