Lankaran basketball player Jeremy Burright gave an interview to the club's press service.
Idman.biz reports that the American player shared his thoughts about his arrival to basketball, his hobbies, and Lankaran.
- What did you investigate first when you received an offer to play in Azerbaijan?
- If I’ve never looked into the country before, the first thing I check for my family’s sake is if the country is safe or not. Not everyone welcomes Americans to their country. Azerbaijan had a good reputation online as being a friendly country with good values.
- What do you like most in Lankaran?
- The little city center has a nice vibe to it. For me, having a place I can go to disconnect is important. I’m a musician so I’m hoping to find a place where I can get a guitar or a place where I can go to play piano and check out from basketball. We’ll see.
- How are the exercises going? Are you used to the city?
- The most important thing is changing your sleep patterns. It’s 10 hours earlier where I’m from, so no matter how tired you are during the day, you have to stay awake until at least 6:30 so you can adjust to the time difference. We train hard twice a day, sleep is your friend during these months as we prepare to bring the best basketball to Lankaran.
- How do you evaluate the team's staff?
- Being the first time we’ve ever played together, we’ve flowed pretty well as a team in practice when we’re actually getting up and down. My teammates have a good understanding of the next pass and reads which usually boads well for success. I look at how we pass, and how players can make an impact even on their “off” days. So time will tell on the second part, but I enjoy being on the floor with these guys so far.
- You celebrated your birthday in Azerbaijan. What were your impressions?
- Birthdays have never been that important to me. I had some early life lessons that taught me that every day should feel unique and meaningful in some way. We’re not guaranteed anything in life. So to be playing a sport I love, and to have an opportunity daily to improve towards I goal I set out for myself only 9 years ago when I switched from Division 1 baseball, I’m grateful for that. Thanks to God, I was given a second chance to pursue sports as a career. I don’t take that for granted.
I went to a NBA G league tryout when I was 23 after 4 years of baseball at university of Portland. The coach and owner of the Bakersfield Jam, walked up to me and told me I can play and had enough talent, but, I needed to learn the game a bit more first. So I got a call from a junior college in Washington state and went there for two years. At LCC, I had two coaches with 600+ wins and one that played overseas that taught me how to be a guard at my size and how to read the game. Passing always felt natural to me. As did defense and rebounding. Had my best scoring season last year in Sweden. I studied the best scorers in the world to help round out my game and still am learning today which is what makes sports great.
Idman.biz
