KK Cedevita Olimpija got back on track in the EuroCup by beating the Hamburg Towers 95-68 in Round 9.

Cedevita Olimpija coasts to 95-68 win against Hamburg

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana ended its three-game losing streak in perfect fashion on Thursday night, erupting for 95 points in a 95-68 triumph over Veolia Towers Hamburg, which is now 0-5 on the road this season. The Slovenian side is now 5-4 on the season and the German outfit is 2-7. This game marked Zvezdan Mitrovic's return to the bench after a spell away due to illness.

Devante Jones led six Cedevita players in double figures with 16 points, followed by DJ Stewart (15 points), Andrija Stipanovic (14) on his second debut for the club, Jaka Blazic (12), Devin Robinson (12) and Brynton Lemar (11). Hamburg's Jordan Barnett netted 23 points in a losing effort, while Johnathan Stove – on his debut – and Niklas Wimberg had 12 apiece. 

Game Videos

Hamburg got off to a good start by taking a 0-4 lead thanks to Osaro Rich and Brae Ivey, but a couple of scores by Stewart got Cedevita off the mark before Robinson stepped up to give Cedevita a 10-8 edge. Stipanovic netted 4 points, then four straight points to close the period saw Cedevita hold a 20-14 lead at the end of the first 10 minutes.

Blazic was able to capitalize on a Hamburg turnover to score the first points of the second quarter, 22-14, but the visitors fought back through Ivey, Stove on his debut and Barnett to make it 26-24. Cedevita then went up a notch, with Robinson and Blazic combining to put the hosts in a comfortable position, 34-24. Hamburg could not reduce that deficit before the break, with the score 42-32 after 20 minutes.

Game News

The start of the third quarter saw Cedevita put its foot on Hamburg's throat, outscoring the visitors 18-7 to take a commanding 60-39 lead on multiple scores by Jones and Stipanovic. When Lemar netted Cedevita's first triple of the night to make it 63-41, it was already clear which way this game was going. A couple of three-pointers by Barnett inside the final minute of the quarter put some gloss on the score, but it was 71-50 entering the final frame.

There was no slowing down Cedevita in the fourth quarter, with Aleksej Nikolic getting his first points of the night and helping Cedevita go 76-52 ahead. In fact, Barnett was the only Hamburg player to score through the first four and a half minutes, netting 7 points in that time, as the visitors trailed 84-59. He started to get a bit of help, but it was too late as Cedevita coasted the rest of the way en route to a 95-68 win.

It proved to be a comfortable night for Coach Mitrovic's men, who bounced back from three straight defeats in style

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2024-11-28T17:30:00.000Z)

Adam Mokoka set a career-high with 24 points and Zavier Simpson and De'Shawn Stephens both posted double-doubles as U-BT Cluj-Napoca bested Aris Midea Thessaloniki 87-79 on Thursday night at BT-Arena for the team’s third straight win at home. 

Adam Mokoka powers Cluj past Aris 

Adam Mokoka set a career-high with 24 points and Zavier Simpson and De'Shawn Stephens both posted double-doubles as U-BT Cluj-Napoca bested Aris Midea Thessaloniki 87-79 on Thursday night at BT-Arena for the team’s third straight win at home. Cluj improved to 5-4 on the season while knocking Aris down to 2-7.

Simpson and Zach Hankins finished with 14 points each for the winners with Simpson dishing 10 assists and Hankins collected 9 rebounds. Stephens posted 11 points and 11 boards and Karel Guzman contributed 8 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for the winners. Landers Nolley led Aris with 22 points, Vassilis Toliopoulos scored 19 and Sharife Cooper ended his EuroCup debut with 15.

Hankins got Cluj going with a fast-break dunk and Guzman scored off a steal for a 4-0 lead. Nate Laszewski stepped up with a jump hook that Simpson bettered with a triple. Hankins dunked again and Guzman boosted the hosts' lead to 11-4. Laszewski improved on Stephens's layup with a wild three-pointer before Mokoka gave Cluj a 15-9 lead. Nolley rescued Aris with back-to-back baskets, bringing his team within 17-13. Mokoka followed a layup-plus-foul with a bomb from downtown to make it a double-digit game, 23-13. Sasu Salin hit a triple before Toliopoulos and Cooper drew the visitors within 26-19 after 10 minutes.

Toliopoulos struck from beyond the arc and Nolley buried consecutive jumpers as Aris completed its comeback to lead 26-28 early in the second quarter. Stephens dunked to even things and Guzman pushed the hosts ahead with free throws. Gediminas Orelik scored his first points for Cluj with a triple, though Aris remained close behind Toliopoulos. Guzman fed Hankins for an alley-oop slam and Mokoka added a three-pointer that gave the hosts a 42-38 lead at the half.

Toliopoulos and Laszewski kept Aris on Cluj's heels, but the hosts remained in front thanks to Simpson and D.J. Seeley. The lead reached 9 before James Banks and Nolley went to work for Aris. Toliopoulos made it 51-48 from the line. The momentum continued to swing back and forth with Simpson and Mokoka rising to the challenge and Toliopoulos and Cooper answering back. A buzzer-beating put-back by Stephens gave Cluj a 63-57 edge after three quarters.

Guzman rocked the rim and Mokoka connected from deep to give the hosts a double-digit advantage. Nearly 3 minutes passed before Emmanouil Chatzidakis scored Aris’s first points of the fourth quarter. Joshua Roberts shined for the visitors with a block and a put-back slam to get Aris within 69-63. D Moi Hodge gave Aris hope with a three-pointer only to see Hankins dunk twice as Cluj extended its advantage to 78-68 with 3 minutes remaining to all but put the game on ice.

The shooting guard set a career-high in scoring with 24 points

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Aris Midea Thessaloniki (2024-11-28T17:00:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir College Istanbul defeated Joventut Badalona 89-78 to notch its sixth straight win in the EuroCup.

Bahcesehir downs Joventut, 89-78, for sixth straight victory 

Bahcesehir College Istanbul confirmed its spot atop Group A at the halfway point of the regular season after beating Joventut Badalona 89-78 at home for a sixth straight victory. Coming off the national team break, the Turkish side did not look rusty at all in improving to 8-1. 

Jaleen Smith scored 17 points to pace four Bahcesehir players in double figures including Sehmus Hazer with 15, Axel Bouteille 13 and Marko Simonovic had 11 points. Four more players had at least seven points. Joventut has now lost five of its last six games for a 3-6 record. Sam Dekker led the Spanish side with 22 points, Ante Tomic scored 18 points, Artem Pustovyi chipped in 17 points. Devon Dotson was held to 5 points, 10.1 below his average of 15.1. 

Bahcesehir opened the game hot from long range, with Smith and CJ Massinburg both hitting two three-pointers apiece for a 16-6 lead. A second basket from Tai Odiase had the cushion up to 19-8. Joventut went inside to Pustovyi, who had 9 points in cutting the deficit to 23-19. The score was 26-21 after 10 minutes. 

Dekker stepped up in the second quarter with a three-pointer among 7 points as Joventut evened the game 31-31. Hazer countered with a three-point play and Bouteille and Smith both drained three-pointers as the gap grew to 44-35. And the hosts scored the final seven points of the first half to lead 51-38 at the break.

A Tyler Cavanaugh free throw increased the cushion to 52-38 to start the second half. Yannick Kraag tried to get Joventut back into the game with 5 straight points to make it 52-45. Bouteille answered with 4 points at the other end while Dekker had Joventut within 61-54, but it was 66-56 after 30 minutes. 

Simonovic started the fourth quarter with a three-pointer to re-establish a 13-point lead and every time Joventut tried to get close Bahcesehir would answer. That was until back-to-back three-pointers by Dekker to finish a 4-12 surge to get the gap down to 75-70 with 5 minutes to go. Mateusz Ponitka punched back with a triple of his own and the hosts were back to scoring with consistency again as two Simonovic scores making it 84-73 with just more than a minute to go.

The Turkish side just had too many weapons, while the visitors' struggles continue

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v Joventut Badalona (2024-11-28T16:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv has further strengthened by signing Yam Madar on a deal until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Yam Madar seals his return to Hapoel Tel Aviv

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) continues to make noise in European basketball, with the club announcing the signing of [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/yam-madar/011052/) on a deal until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Madar (1.90 meters, 23 years old) returns to Hapoel after coming through the club's academy and playing in the first team between 2018 and 2021. 

The Israeli guard spent the first part of this season with [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, averaging 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in five games off the bench.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">עיר נשימתה עוצרת <a href="https://t.co/Vxd2zQZJ9B">pic.twitter.com/Vxd2zQZJ9B</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1862061120162296272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Madar has spent the last three seasons playing among the best of the best in the EuroLeague, having featured in the league for [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/) (2022-23), [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) (2023-24) and most recently Bayern (2024-25).

During his rookie EuroLeague season with Partizan, Madar helped the team reach the playoffs and was [later rewarded with the EuroLeague's Rising Star award](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/yam-madar-is-the-2022-23-euroleague-rising-star-winner/) for his efforts throughout the campaign.

2023 RISING STAR I Yam Madar EuroLeague highlights

With Hapoel competing in the BKT EuroCup, this will be the 23-year-old's second year in the competition with Partizan in 2021-22. That season, he averaged 8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists as Partizan made it to the eighthfinals.

The addition of Madar should strengthen Hapoel's odds of going far in this season's EuroCup, with the team having gone 5-3 so far in Group A, good for third place in the standings.

What's more, Madar reunites with [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-tel-aviv-appoints-dimitris-itoudis-two-time-euroleague-champ/), his former head coach at Fenerbahce, which should further help his integration into the team.

More Hapoel Tel Aviv News

The talented guard has rejoined the Israeli club after more than three years away

Yam Madar leaves Bayern, seals return to Hapoel Tel Aviv

Jean Montero is turning heads in the EuroCup with his excellent performances for Valencia Basket, but this is his story to date.

Valencia's Jean Montero piling up honors, but concentrating on limiting mistakes 

There are many things that [Jean Montero](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/montero-jean/010042/) can be proud of, including being one of the front-runners for the BKT EuroCup Rising Star Award, as well as two achievements he shares in common with the great [Luka Doncic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luka-doncic/005929/). But the thing the [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) guard is possibly most proud of is the statistic 1.5. 

That was the average number of turnovers per game that Montero committed last season at MoraBanc Andorra, despite playing more than 26 minutes per contest as the club’s main ball-handler. 

"That was one of the things my dad used to tell me - take care of the ball," said Montero, who was playing his second season in the Spanish League. "I was very proud of myself because I used to have the ball a lot in my hands and being able to control it and not just throw the ball away and make the right play every time. That’s what I am still learning.

“I'm a young age. I think it's very, very important. I think I am still developing that, and also in the future, it could help me.”

Jean Montero highlights Sept-Nov 2024

Montero mentioned he was young and it needs to be stated that the Dominican Republic playmaker played the entire 2023-24 season at age 20. He averaged 15.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.0 steals and the aforementioned 1.5 turnovers. And that in the strongest domestic league in Europe.

“The biggest thing I was trying to do last season as the leader of the team was to get my teammates involved every time, just trying to help them. They helped me too,” he said. “I think the most unique thing that we had last year was the friendship among everybody on the team, even the staff, the fans, everybody. You feel family. You feel love. So that was the most unique thing.”

Montero played the 2022-23 season in Spain for Real Betis and averaged 17.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.4 turnovers in 27 minutes per game - as a 19-year-old.

Both of the last two seasons ended with Montero winning the Best Young Player award for the Spanish League. Only two players had repeated as the top youngster in Spanish basketball: Luka Doncic with Real Madrid and [Carlos Alocen](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/carlos-alocen/010623/), who did it with Zaragoza. 

“I don't really put too much focus on individual achievements," he stated. "I just try to show the people that I'm a competitor and always give 100 percent on the court. I always want to improve. That's the most important thing for me. And as things go, those achievements are very welcome. But I don't put a lot of focus on that."

And what if he wins it again this season? 

“I will be the first one to ever win it three times in a row." 

That would be kind of fun, no? 

“Yeah,” he says with a smile. 

Montero has another thing in common with Doncic. In May 2023, he scored 25 points and dished out 10 assists against Girona, becoming just the third player under the age of 20 to achieve that in the Spanish League – Doncic and [Sergio Rodriguez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-rodriguez/cvm/) being the others.

“I remember that game. It was an important game for us," he recalled. "I mean, they're great players. Luka is still young and still has a long way to go. Sergio Rodriguez, I used to watch a lot of EuroLeague games of him in Madrid, and he was a very impressive player. I try to take one thing from everybody who came before me to improve my game. It was a very impressive game."

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One of the things that is impressive is the maturity in Montero’s game despite his tender age. But that comes from quite a striking past. 

Montero is the fifth oldest of a group of 10 children, who range in age by 27 years and are a total five boys and five girls. He started taking basketball seriously at age 10 in the capital of Santo Domingo. 

At age 13 he left his homeland alone for Mexico and the NBA Academy, and after one year there he left for the United States to play at the DME Academy in Florida. After just one season, he came to Europe and spent two seasons with Gran Canaria – during which he won the MVP of the ANGE Valencia in 2019-20 and appeared in four EuroCup games in 2020-21. 

In 2021, Montero became the first international player to sign with Overtime Elite and was the OTE scoring champion in its inaugural season after averaging 22.5 points and 6.2 assists. 

Again, after just one year, it was back to Spain – where he joined Betis. 

Fast-forward to this season and Montero is back in the EuroCup and now is dealing with having a target on his back with the rest of the Valencia team.

“We just have to keep the same mindset, just live in the present and try to do things and control things that you can control," he said. "Just have the same mentality, day by day, game by game. That's how we can accomplish our best."

Montero has been a major reason for Valencia’s perfect start to the season with 10.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.3 steals. Oh, and a very respectable 1.8 turnovers per game.

More Valencia News

The 21-year-old playmaker is turning heads in the EuroCup

Trefl Sopot strengthened its backcourt by signing veteran scorer Nick Johnson for the remainder of the season

Nick Johnson lands at Trefl

Trefl Sopot strengthened its backcourt by signing veteran scorer [Nick Johnson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/nick-johnson/007426/) for the remainder of the season, the club announced on Wednesday. Johnson (1.91 meters, 31 years old), the nephew of the late Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Dennis Johnson, split the 2023-24 season between Hapoel Holon in Israel and Cholet Basket in France. With the former, he averaged 16.0 points and 6.5 assists in two Israeli League games and then posted 9.3 points and 3.0 assists in the French League.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="pl" dir="ltr">Nick Johnson wzmacnia mistrzów Polski! ✍✅ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/plkpl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#plkpl</a><br><br>Amerykański rozgrywający ma na swoim koncie <a href="https://t.co/OugxMW2Cpf">https://t.co/OugxMW2Cpf</a>. 37 występów w barwach Houston Rockets, z którym w sezonie 2014/2015 dotarł do półfinału NBA. Mierzący 191 centymetrów zawodnik to były mistrz i MVP finałów… <a href="https://t.co/VaX1vaCVzC">pic.twitter.com/VaX1vaCVzC</a></p>&mdash; MISTRZ POLSKI 2024 🏆 (@treflsopot) <a href="https://twitter.com/treflsopot/status/1861728312986386621?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Johnson returns to the EuroCup for the first time since the 2016-17 season when he averaged 10.5 points and 3.0 assists in 14 games for FC Bayern Munich, which he helped to the competition’s semifinals. Johnson began his professional career in the NBA with the Houston Rockets, which he helped to the NBA semifinals in 2015. He also played in the G League for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Austin Spurs and Wisconsin Herd and was the G League Finals MVP in 2018 when he led Austin to the championship. Sine then Johnson has played for Nanterre 92 and Cholet in France, Turk Telekom Ankara in Turkiye and the Beijing Ducks in China and Holon in Israel.

More Trefl Sopot news

He returns to the EuroCup after a seven-year hiatus

One of the reasons that Bahcesehir College Istanbul has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup is guard Jaleen Smith and his playmaking in particular.

Jaleen Smith is thriving as a playmaker and leading by example at Bahcesehir

One of the reasons that [Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/bah/) has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup is guard [Jaleen Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaleen-smith/011192/) and his playmaking in particular.

Taking up the mantle of the main point guard of Bahcesehir, Smith is averaging 6.0 assists to go with 11.8 points as the Turkish side has started the season with a 7-1 record to lead Group A. That marks the second-best record in the competition, surpassed only by undefeated Valencia Basket.

Smith has had multiple playmaking highlights but none like the show he put on against Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv. Going full “Point God” mode, the 30-year-old dished out 15 assists to his teammates in a statement win for his squad. This is an insane number, tied for third in EuroCup history behind 16-assist performances by the great Omar Cook in 2014 and J'Covan Brown two seasons ago.

“It wasn’t just me finding guys. Everybody contributed to those assists and whenever they were open, they were making shots,” Smith humbly told Eurohoops. “I wouldn’t have those assists if those guys didn’t make shots. I credit my teammates for making it happen.”

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1748232/jaleen-smith-is-thriving-as-a-playmaker-and-leading-by-example-at-bahcesehir/).

The four-year EuroLeague guard is thriving in his debut season in the EuroCup

Coach Dimitris Itoudis's era on the bench of Hapoel Tel Aviv BC has started with the signing of a big man in Marcus Bingham, the club announced Tuesday night.

Hapoel adds Marcus Bingham to frontcourt

Coach Dimitris Itoudis's era on the bench of [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) has started with the signing of a big man in [Marcus Bingham](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-bingham/013506/), the club announced Tuesday night. Bingham (2.13 meters, 24 years old) has signed a contract until the end of the 2025-26 season.

Bingham arrives from fellow Israeli side Hapoel Holon, where this season he averaged 17.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in the Israeli League and 17.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in the Basketball Champions League.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">יש למישהו 4? <a href="https://t.co/ussWnJ3CTa">pic.twitter.com/ussWnJ3CTa</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1861515525555142709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"He is a player who can play in both positions, '4' and '5', provide us with rebounds and blocks and contribute in passing offense", Coach Itoudis said.

This is Bingham's second professional season. After spending four years at Michigan State University, he played last season with Hapoel Haifa.

Now he is set to make his BKT EuroCup debut for Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, which sits in a share of third place in Group A with a 5-3 record.

More Hapoel News

The 24-year-old has signed until the summer of 2026

Hamburg Towers sensation Kur Kuath spoke to Euroleague.net's Javier Gancedo about his impressive start to life in the EuroCup.

Kur Kuath, Hamburg Towers: 'This is just the beginning'

[Veolia Towers Hamburg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/veolia-towers-hamburg/ham/) bounced back from a 0-5 start with a pair of home wins against Turk Telekom Ankara and Aris Midea Thessaloniki, with center [Kur Kuath](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kur-kuath/013313/) shining in both games. 

After posting a 15-point, 9-rebound and 3-block performance against Turk Telekom, Kuath became the second player in EuroCup history to record at least 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocked shots in a game during his team's win over Aris. The other was [Matt Costello with Gran Canaria in November 2020](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2020-21/herbalife-gran-canaria-dolomiti-energia-trento/U2020/60/#boxscore).

Originally from South Sudan, Kuath's family fled the country and lived in a refugee camp in Egypt before arriving to the United States. He played college basketball at the University of Oklahoma and Marquette University before embarking on a professional career in 2022. He first played a few months in Greece and then moved to the Spanish second division for almost two years before joining Hamburg, where he is making the most out of his work ethic and defensive skills. 

As he explains to [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net)'s Javier Gancedo in an exclusive interview, the 26-year-old – who leads the EuroCup in blocked shots (2.2 bpg.) while averaging 9.2 points and 5.5 rebounds for a PIR of 15.7 – credits his parents for being in this situation as one of the most intriguing big men in European basketball.

**Congratulations on the last two weeks. What was the key to bouncing back after a rocky start to the season?**

"Thanks. It's just staying on the course. It was definitely a big learning experience for the whole team and for me in the beginning of the season. I feel like we played some pretty good opponents in the beginning and that was a test for us, to see how good we could have been and how good we can be. I am glad that we were able to compete against the highest competition in the group and basically test our talents,  our hard work. You have to be in this competition to play against some of the best teams."

"Nobody was expecting me to be able to do things that I have been accomplishing."

**You have been outstanding lately, contributing in many aspects of the game and looking stronger than ever. Is it something you focused on in the off-season?** 

"Oh, yes, for sure. It was always one of the biggest parts. I was strong enough to compete at the highest level. As you see, I am just a guy that is going to be pushed around if I am not strong enough. I have been focusing on working out and trying to get my body to its best possible \[shape\] to try to compete and be one of the strongest big guys in the league. That was one of my focuses this summer, just getting in the gym and getting some weight and some strength."

**Only one other player has had 5 blocks, 5 assists and 10 rebounds in a EuroCup game. How do you feel when the hard work is paying off?** 

"Of course, it's good to hear that I am doing well. Nobody was expecting me to be able to do things that I have been accomplishing, and I just want to continue to learn and grow. I feel like this is just the beginning. It is not anything to be too obsessive about because I have a long career ahead of me and I want to continue to grow on this last game and not just think too much of stats. Just continue to play hard and play for the guys."

Veolia Towers Hamburg center Kuy Kuath averages 9.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, a league-leading 2.2 blocks and a PIR of 15.7 so far this season.

2024-25 EuroCup highlights: Kur Kuath, Hamburg


**This is your first EuroCup season. After almost two months in the competition, how do you find the playing level, what's good about it?** 

"I like the depth. It is a deep league. Every game we play is going to be a competition. Like I said, it's some of the best players in the world and me being able to compete at this level is amazing to me, just because you get to see different talent levels, different skills. And I learned a lot from playing against better players. I feel like this league is actually helping me learn about myself more as a player and seeing where I can compete and where I'm at currently in my growth and my individual development. And also, it is testing my team and seeing how hard we have worked. So this is what I like about the EuroCup. It's just a test to see where the level of skill and the level of talent that I can play at."

**You are originally from South Sudan, where basketball is more popular than ever. How excited are people about basketball in your country of origin?** 

"They love the sport back home. It is a big, popular sport nowadays. Now that we brought more attention to basketball, for sure, it's positive impact for our country, and it is a way to bring everybody together, which I love to see. And it means more than the sport back home. It is kind of a sign of peace. I feel like everybody enjoys watching together and it brings that togetherness that our country has been needed in its war-driven history. So it's good to see the growth and development of the sport there."

**Do you follow countrymen Wenyen Gabriel and Carlik Jones in the EuroLeague? Do you talk to them any often?** 

"Once in a while I talk to Wenyen and see how he's doing. But now, I have just been watching him play. I know how busy the schedule can get, so it's kind of hard to keep up, both of them playing two competitions a week. But yes, they are both amazing players and great guys to be around. I feel like those two guys are a testament to our country. And basically, I look up to them because that's the level I want to be at. I want to be at the highest level possible, and I definitely look up to them. They are great leaders for our country and the future of our country as well."

"My teammates trust me to be one of the defensive leaders, basically be the eye of the defense."


**You are one of the best shot-blockers we have seen in the EuroCup in a while. Other than your physical skills and amazing wingspan, what allows you to be so good at it?** 

"I feel like it's the timing, just wanting to get good timing and having that sense of urgency to protect the paint. My teammates trust me to be one of the defensive leaders, basically be the eye of the defense, so I am always trying to clean up anything around the paint, and always be on the back side up to help if anybody gets beat. So just them trusting me to be there and my teammates following the players helps a lot. For me, blocking shots is more natural than a skill. I just jump and try to time the block."

**After a first experience in Greece, you played in the Spanish second division for the best part of the last two years. How important has it been for you to stay patient and keep moving forward in the last 2-3 years in which basketball became your full-time job?** 

"That's amazing. I can't complain at all, it's amazing to be able to play this sport. It's a full-time job and it is fun playing in different competitions and different countries, for one. It was one of my dreams, to be able to play basketball for a full-time job and meet great people along the way, explore new countries. So it's been great for me and I want to continue to grow and explore more and play in more places."

**Your parents moved to Utah when you were a kid and sacrificed a lot for you to give you a better opportunity in life. How much of an inspiration are them for you?** 

"They are one of my main reasons for continuing to play. I told them that for them sacrificing their lives and family, I was going to give everything I got to take care of them. And at the end of the day, that's my job, to make sure my parents are good for giving me and my siblings opportunities that we could have never even dreamt about. It is amazing the sacrifices that they made and continued to make, they persevered and never complained, never showed us any signs of weakness and continued to work hard. And they embedded that in our heads, we got to work for everything we have, and they are a big reason why I continue to play hard every day. I am able to live my dream because of them."

Kur Kuath's best blocks through EuroCup's first eight rounds.

Kur Kuath's best blocks


**Are they planning to come to Hamburg? I read that your mom is an excellent cook, so you probably miss her food, right?** 

"I definitely miss her! I will try my best to try to get her out here. With the schedule and playing twice a week, it is a little hard. But yes, I definitely want to bring her. If not this year, then I will have her come next season, in the upcoming season or so. I know she wants to come see me play. It is just the timing and the situation of everything, so once I get everything handled, scheduled and everything, I will definitely have my family come out to a few games."

**Finally, you and your team are on a roll now. What can we expect from you, personally, and from Hamburg in the remainder of the season?**

"I expect a lot for us. We have high expectations on everything, and I want to continue to say that this is a high potential team. You can expect us to play hard in every game. We are going to do what we came to do because we have a group full of great guys and great players, so expect us to be a team to watch out for. We can be one of the best teams in the EuroCup, but due to the circumstances with all the injuries and stuff, we had a minor setback. But now we are working on coming back to full strength and if we continue to uptrend, we will be one of the best teams in the EuroCup. And a lot more wins, a lot more blocks, a lot of threes. Just expect highly of us because we are going to go get our respect. Right now, we are not respected and we continue to put our foot down and gain that respect."

More Hamburg News

Hamburg center has been dominating in the paint, and making history, in his first EuroCup season.