The talented guard caught up with Javier Gancedo ahead of the EuroCup Finals
Nadir Hifi, Paris: 'We just have to do our jobs and get to the EuroLeague'
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Paris Basketball star Nadir Hifi has really put himself on the map this season and now, heading into his first BKT EuroCup Finals, the ‘Prince of Paris’ is full of confidence.
On Monday, the 21-year-old became one of the youngest players in competition history to be named to the All-EuroCup Second Team, with his streetball style and no-fear approach resonating with basketball fans right across Europe.
Averaging 16.9 points on 95.3% free throws, 2.5 assists and a PIR of 13.3 in 22 minutes per night in his rookie EuroCup season, Hifi has played a key role in Paris’s 20-1 record and understands perfectly that the club's next goal is to make it to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by winning the EuroCup Finals. But first, Hifi and Paris must defeat a domestic foe in Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.
Hifi sat down with Javier Gancedo of EuroCupBasketball.com to discuss the upcoming finals, playing alongside T.J. Shorts and plenty more.
Hello, Nadir. Congratulations on making it to the final. How much are you looking forward to this opportunity, to win the EuroCup and to get your first trophy at this level?
"It is the first time that I’m playing in a final. It is something different and very special for me. We have working since August for this, so now we have something between our hands. We just have to do the job tomorrow and [in Game 2 at Bourg] on Friday."
"We have working since August for this."
As a team, you are breaking all of the EuroCup's scoring records – Paris is the best offensive team in the history of the competition. What has allowed you to play so well and so fast?
"Yes, this is our style of basketball: to run, play with intensity and shock the [opponent] teams. But this is our way to play basketball. We don't count statistics or the points that they scored against us. We just want to win every game."
Head coach Tuomas Iisalo arrived with six players from Telekom Baskets Bonn. You are also a newcomer. How did you adjust to this system so fast?
"I think it is a good thing because it is a different style of basketball, and when you have six players who know this style, we just have to adapt. So yes, it was one of the good things."
Even though you only lost one game, did you have any tough moments during the season?
"Yes, we had a lot of tough games. I would say against Joventut, that double overtime game against London. It has not been so easy but I think losing one game in the whole season is very tough, so we can be proud of ourselves."
Let's talk about you a little bit. I cannot think of a young player coming into the EuroCup with such self-confidence. What does it come from?
"I think it is just a state of mind. I worked so hard to be here, so I'm confident in my game. I think I'm ready to play at the best European level but yes, I'm working so hard. This is my style of basketball: to be confident and take every open shot and just play my game."
Speaking about style, how important is style for you off the court?
"Yeah, the style off the court is important, but this is a little bit of a problem for me because I'm so focused on basketball that I don't do extra things off the court. But I’m working on it. It's important to see other things."
Bourg is that only team that you haven't beaten this season. What do you like about them?
"Bourg is a very tough team. They play very aggressive, and, as you said, we lost once against them [in the French League] at the beginning of the season, in November or December I think. We did big things from there, so I think we are ready. It is going to be a big matchup for us, but I think we are ready."
Generally speaking, what do you need to do to win this series, to win two games against Bourg?
"I think we’ve just got to do what we’ve done since August. We’ve worked so hard to be there, so we have to be aggressive, play our game like we did during the year and everything will go fine. I think we are going to win."
"T.J. [Shorts] is like a brother to me."
How great is it to play with T.J. Shorts, and how amazing has his season been until now?
"T.J. is like a brother for me – off the court and on the court. It's very important that at my age, to be a good player... it's not only T.J., but every teammate I had this year pushed me to get better and my staff, my coach. So I'm very proud to be there in basketball, and I just get better every day. And that's what I need at this time of my career."
And finally, what would it mean to you to win the EuroCup and go to the EuroLeague with Paris next season? How great would that be?
"When I signed with Paris Basketball, this was my first goal. I know we are going to have a very competitive team and we are going to get to win two games to put Paris Basketball in a good situation next year. But we just have to do our jobs and then be in the EuroLeague next year."