Chris Singleton spoke to Basketball Sphere about his current team, time in Russia and Anadolu Efes, working for Ergin Ataman and Tomislav Mijatovic. He also revealed why he didn’t sign with Crvena Zvezda despite receiving offers.
Our interviewee has moved from Turkey to the desert of Qatar. He currently plays for Al-Arabi in Doha. For him, on a personal level, moving to the desert country was a great move, but regarding work, it’s a bit different. Basketball is a novelty in the Middle East, as highlighted by the American, and he is trying to develop the sport we love in that region.
“Qatar is great, especially for things off the court and my family. This is one of the safest countries in the world. On the other hand, the league is underdeveloped, with a lot of room for growth. Basketball is a relatively new sport and a new interest in this part of the world. That’s why I’m here, trying to develop the sport in this country. I think Qatar has the right pieces, and I believe they just need to connect the dots and focus more on marketing, but definitely, everything is moving in the right direction,” Chris Singleton started the conversation for our website.
Another Final Four and title followed for the team from Anatolia, this time in Belgrade. It was a more beautiful title for the American for one simple reason—it happened in front of a big crowd.
“It was special because people thought the first time was accidental since there were no fans. The criteria were different because the audience was involved, and there was more pressure, especially when you come to Serbia, known for its fans. Still, there were our fans and fans of other teams. We felt the energy in the Arena. We wanted to show everyone that we were rightful champions, and we did that.”
Then we discussed the key details of the final. By his own admission, it was an ugly game to watch, but one of the main moments of the match was orchestrated by Singleton. He took the ball at 50:49, and the momentum shifted to the side of the team from the Sinan Erdem Dome.
“I don’t know if that was exactly ‘the’ moment, but it was certainly one of those moments. I saw an opportunity and noticed that my teammate was pressuring the ball, and I saw that Real’s players weren’t paying attention to that. It was a transition. They stopped, and we were in the bonus and I couldn’t commit a foul. I took the ball clean and dunked it on the other end.
It was an ugly game overall. Nobody shot the ball well. I think only Anthony Randolph, Walter Tavares and Tibor Pleiss had a good game. Everyone else shot the ball bad, and it was a low-scoring game. In the end, defense wins championships.”
The final possession went perfectly for Anadolu Efes. They had the ball and Shane Larkin in the corner. He took the shot, missed it, but Chris Singleton was there. He tapped the ball upward so that the Real Madrid players wouldn’t have a chance for a game-winning shot on the other end, and he detailed his thinking in that crucial moment.
“I think we had the ball with 27 seconds left. Then I heard Pablo Laso, the coach of Real Madrid, yelling: ‘No fouls! Play the possesion’ You have to know the game in such moments. We weren’t shooting well, I went for the offensive rebound, but you have to know the situation in the game. Referees won’t call fouls, especially on rebounds, it has to be a clean foul. Larkin had a great look at the basket, the shot we wanted him to take.
One hundred out of a hundred times he would make it, even a million out of a million. He missed, and the only thing I could do was try to keep the ball in play. It was for the title, and I knew I couldn’t grab it with both hands, so the next best thing was to tap it upward. If one of them caught it, I hoped there wouldn’t be enough time on the clock, and then they would make one of those miraculous shots you see on the internet all the time. Luckily, the first scenario happened.”
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Along with him in the package was Tomislav Mijatovic. For many years, the Croatian expert served as an assistant coach in the Turkish club, but now he is finally the head of this team. Most players who have worked with him praise him in various ways, and that’s no exception for the former Barcelona player.
“He’s definitely a very nice person. He’s the kind of person who has a very positive outlook on the world. He’s never down, always supports players, coaches, and enhances the game plan itself. Even when we were losing and not in the game, he would say to stay in it. You can see best what he’s like from the sidelines.
I’m watching a game, and the dude shoots, and even before the ball reaches the hoop, he says, ‘Good shot.’ And he says, that’s him, that’s his shot. He knows the game amazingly, and I hope that if he’s not with Anadolu Efes, he’ll have another chance to be a head coach.”
Crvena Zvezda was a possibility
“Belgrade atmosphere is unique”
Chris Singleton had the experience of playing in front of Crvena Zvezda fans. Through his answer, you can see how much he values the fans of both Belgrade teams.
“Belgrade is unique. Even when both teams aren’t as good as the fans would like, they still come to every game, at least in my eyes. You can feel their presence. When I played in Greece, I loved that atmosphere. Serbia and Greece are similar in that sense of how dedicated the fans are to their teams. I think every organization should envy that and strive for it. They love the game and give it their all with their chanting, anthems, and similar things.”
Finally, we talked about his “clutch” moments and composure. When it gets tough, he shows up with a steal or a big three-pointer. He never excessively celebrates, and he opened up about why that is.
“I think I had a tough upbringing. When I look back, we practiced everything we do as kids. You love basketball as a kid, and when you shoot, you count down three, two, one, and then the ball goes in with the sound of the buzzer, and you’re thrilled. I remember everything I did, all the practices, all the hard work. It’s not pressure, and there isn’t any, it’s just comes down to will. Will for something.
If it’s a foul, it’s a foul, I can’t change things. But I’ll give it my all, and that’s what teams want from me. If I fight and give it my all on the court, the fans will love all of that, and that’s what you play for—for yourself and the fans. So, I owe a lot to the fans and the organizations I’ve played for,” concluded Chris Singleton for Basketball Sphere.