American basketball player Derek Willis, in an interview with Eurohoops, talked about the upcoming season with Anadolu Efes.
The former Joventut and Reyer Venezia player touched on several topics, including his younger days spent on the Wind River Reservation in India.
“It was tough because people live in poverty there. Almost everyone is poor and earns less than the average American citizen. Moreover, there’s not much to do. But the nature and surroundings are beautiful. A great place for walks and hiking. In my family’s case, we needed a change. My parents felt it was best to return to Kentucky,” Willis said.
There, he had the opportunity to develop as a basketball player, playing for the Wildcats in the NCAA league.
“I don’t like to brag, but I’m very happy to have come from that environment and played for Kentucky with many NBA stars under John Calipari. I learned a lot from them. When I came to Europe, my goal was to play in the EuroLeague. Now I’m finally here. I’m very happy and grateful for this opportunity,” added the 28-year-old basketball player.
By spending time with the famous blue-and-white university team, the American player formed a special bond with Karl-Anthony Towns.
“Players often change their numbers when they join the NBA. There is only one name that hasn’t changed his number – Karl-Anthony Towns. He’s a very good friend; you can send him a message whenever you want,” said the former Venezia player about the center from the Dominican Republic and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A New Chapter in the EuroLeague After another season where he excelled in the Eurocup, Derek Willis received an invitation from Erdem Can and Anadolu Efes to move to Turkey to make his debut in the elite European competition.
In Istanbul, he will share the court with Darius Thompson, with whom he has already played.
“It’s always nice to have someone you already know when you go to a new place. We had a great season together in Brindisi. It’s nice to have him here as well.“
“When I went on Twitter and saw that Efes wanted him, I said to him, ‘Buddy, I just signed too.’ It was around the beginning of June, and I saw that Efes was expressing interest in his services. I asked him what he was going to do, and he said, ‘I really like Efes.’ In the end, he signed.“
Derek Willis also talked about the goals for the upcoming season with the Turkish champions.
“The coach has serious goals for this year. Last year, they didn’t have a good season in the EuroLeague; they finished 10th or 11th. They’ve won the title two years in a row now, so at least the expectations are to make it to the EuroLeague play-offs.“
“A new coach has come, and when we talked to him at the beginning of the summer, I saw that we shared the same opinion. When you look at the transfers, you see names like Tyrique Jones and Erkan Yılmaz. These are players who want to compete and fight for something,” Derek Willis concluded.