Brandon Paul, the new player for Buducnost, spoke to Basketball Sphere about his arrival in Podgorica, his title with Ulm, and a player from Crvena Zvezda.
The American arrived in the capital of Montenegro just before the start of the new ABA League and EuroCup season. The Chicago native has come to teams mid-season several times in his career and says it’s something he’s already accustomed to. This time, it was Buducnost.
“To be honest, it was relatively easy. I’ve joined teams three or four times mid-season before. It wasn’t something I wasn’t already used to. Sometimes, I like to wait and make sure I’m in the right club at the right time. I waited for the right situation, and that was Buducnost,” Paul began.
“The culture is great”
Budućnost is currently undergoing a mini-revolution. The previous season was below average for the blue and white team. They can only boast titles in domestic competitions, while they suffered a convincing defeat to Crvena Zvezda in the ABA League semifinals. The American player emphasizes that he is happy with this team and that they can hope for a successful season.
“I think we have all the pieces to be a great team. We will be one of the most competitive teams in Europe, as well as in the ABA League and the EuroCup. We have a lot of guys in the locker room who aren’t selfish. I noticed right away how competitive the practices are, and the fact that everyone stays after practice to work on themselves. It’s the first time in my 11-year professional career that I’ve seen that. It speaks volumes about what the staff and coach have done, and they’ve really put together a great team. The culture is great, and something special is being built here.”
Last year, Paul was a member of Ulm. The German club won the national championship title for the first time, and they did it in a remarkable fashion. On their way to the title, they defeated two EuroLeague teams, Bayern and Alba Berlin, and in the final, they beat Bonn, who finished first after the regular season. Paul explained very emotionally what this title meant to him:
“It really meant everything to me. A few seasons ago, I struggled with the idea of how much I still wanted to play basketball. I had been in several situations where things weren’t going as I wanted, and some things were beyond my control. But as you get older, you see things you enjoy more. I started to enjoy things outside of basketball more. I was losing my passion for basketball and found myself in a situation where I left China for the third time and didn’t know what to do. Then Ulm came along, and it was a situation where I could play good basketball and win something.
It wasn’t a situation where I could say, ‘I’ll make good money and continue with my career,’ it wasn’t like that at all. I went there with a good attitude, and it was an incredible season for us and the whole city.”
Playing with Yago dos Santos
Yago dos Santos was also a member of the championship-winning Ulm team. Furthermore, he was the MVP of the Bundesliga playoffs, which recommended him to join Crvena Zvezda this summer. We asked Paul if he had any kind of mentoring role with Yago, and he gave us a very interesting answer:
“I wouldn’t say I took him under my wing. I think Yago always had the heart of a lion. Yago was Yago even before Ulm, he was always a winner. I think I helped him understand what it means to be a professional and play basketball at a high level. You can see that he always had that ‘something’ from the start, and it was a case of heart over height. He was our general, and we knew that with him, we had great chances to beat anyone.”
Then we looked back at his time with the San Antonio Spurs. Of course, working with coach Gregg Popovich is an inevitable topic when it comes to the Spurs. It was his valuable NBA experience, and he fondly recalls that time.
“I had the opportunity to work with the Philadelphia 76ers and their staff. Without that, I don’t know if I would have been in San Antonio. When you play under the best coach, not just in the NBA but in sports in general, you become humble because of it. What stood out with Pop is that he’s unique, and it’s not all about basketball with him. He wants young people to mature and make the most of their opportunities. To this day, if I send him a message or give him a call, I know he will respond to me despite his tight schedule. For a young guy from the north side of Chicago to say that, I’d have to pinch myself,” Brandon Paul spoke about Popovich.
Brandon Paul and his EuroLeague experience
The American player has played for several EuroLeague clubs. These include Anadolu Efes and Olympiacos. We wanted to find out how the EuroLeague compares to the NBA, and Paul had a lot to say about his experience.
“There are differences, but the EuroLeague is definitely the most fiercely competitive league after the NBA. Playing for Anadolu Efes, which is the most successful team in Turkey, and Olympiacos, which is also well-regarded, I think that speaks volumes about my character because I played for teams with a very rich history. The biggest difference is that every game matters. Every point counts, and I think that experience helps me when I play against opponents who may not be as experienced.”
In an interview with “Basket News,” Brandon Paul mentioned that if his season with Olympiacos were a movie, it would fall into the thriller category. He still holds that opinion.
“Yes, there were many things beyond our control. Nevertheless, I enjoyed that season, don’t get me wrong. Being outside the United States, Athens is by far the best place to live. I loved everything there, the culture, the weather, the people. I’m grateful for the fact that Olympiacos offered me an extension of my professional career. When I return to Greece, if I need training, they will take care of me. I really appreciate that, no matter how crazy the season was for us. We changed three coaches, and the pandemic happened, but it’s all memorable.”
Brandon Paul about goals for this season
“The goal is the same as last year, and that is to win. I came here, and I want to do everything in my power to achieve that. As a professional, you want to continue your career and build a name and help your family, but at this moment, all that matters to me is winning. It was nice to experience winning the championship last year, and that is the goal again this year, and I think we definitely have the pieces to do it and make that dream come true,” concluded Brandon Paul for Basketball Sphere.