The EuroCup MVP and Paris forward caught up with Javier Gancedo before Game 1
Paris’s TJ Shorts, Tyson Ward feeling confident ahead of EuroCup Finals
The BKT EuroCup Finals have arrived, with Paris Basketball hosting Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse at Adidas Arena in Game 1 this Tuesday night. For Paris duo TJ Shorts and Tyson Ward, they are optimistic about their team’s chances.
Ward is one of six Paris players, as well as head coach Tuomas Iisalo, who lifted the Basketball Champions League title with Telekom Baskets Bonn last season, so they now have the chance to lift back-to-back continental trophies, something the American forward relishes.
“It feels surreal. For a couple of guys, it’s a chance to win another international tournament,” Ward tells Javier Gancedo of EuroCupBasketball.net. “For a couple of guys, it’s a first time to be in the championship [games]. It’s super exciting for me, it’s super exciting for the guys, so we’re looking forward to it, for sure.”
Paris's its style of play
Paris has made waves right across Europe with its high-paced, exciting brand of basketball this season, which Ward believes is one of the team’s key strengths.
“It’s our identity,” he states. “That fast-paced game is hard to keep up with, but it’s about how well we can get them out of their spots and make them as uncomfortable as possible. That’s our goal for everybody and that’s how we’re going to do it.”
Watch the rest of the interview below.
Curiously, Bourg defeated Paris 83-81 at Ekinox in the French League back in December, meaning Coach Iisalo’s men are 0-1 against Tuesday night’s opponent. Yet, Shorts insists that there’s no added motivation to avenge that defeat.
“I don’t think it’s any extra motivation,” he states. “If you’re still looking for motivation at this point in the season, it’s probably too late. We know they got us in the French League – we’ll be prepared, we know they’re a really good team. They’ve got great pieces, they’re intense on the defensive side, so we know that they’ll be ready for us and we’ll be ready for them.”
A chance at history
Just in its sixth season as a club, Paris has the chance to lift its second trophy in club history if it goes all the way in the EuroCup. Earlier this season, Coach Iisalo’s men beat Nanterre 90-85 in the French Cup final to secure Paris’s first-ever title, with Shorts earning MVP honors in the final. He would certainly sign up for a similar outcome against Bourg.
“I’m more than looking forward to [the EuroCup Finals],” Shorts comments. “Any chance you get to play in a final, you can’t take those moments for granted, so I’m just grateful to be able to be in yet another final this season with Paris and hopefully we can do something special and get that ticket to the EuroLeague.”
Watch the rest of the interview below.