Over the course of this week, Euroleague.net will be posting interviews with the Hoop District team captains
Getting to know: Rookicks, Team Paris captain
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15 Mins read
The excitement is already building for the inaugural Hoop District tournament, which gets underway this coming Saturday, March 30, in Paris, France. So, ahead of the event at the brand-new Adidas Arena, it’s time to get to know the team captains a little better.
In the first of six ‘getting to know’ interviews that will be dropping this week, we got to speak to Reda Ouahbi, otherwise known as ‘@rookicks_’, who is the captain for Team Paris. Here’s what we found out.
Tell us about yourself. Who is @rookicks_?
“@rookicks_ is a content creator that loves basketball a lot. I really love basketball, and it is basketball that drove me to love sneakers. Since I was four years old, I’ve been in love with basketball – watching a lot of games, playing basketball outside and obviously sharing my passion with all of the French community. I’m a basketballholic!”
How did you come up with the name Rookicks? What does it mean?
“My first name is Reda, so with an ‘R’, and my last name is ‘Ouahbi’, so it’s like ‘oo’ – it’s like the first two letters of my last name. And ‘kicks’ for kicks [sneakers]. It’s quite simple, but it sounds good so I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’”
What made you want to become a basketball content creator?
“I played basketball for a long time and I was the guy who always had different sneakers. People like wearing regular sneakers, but I was coming with new colorways and knew every product that came on the market, so people around me were like, ‘You need to advise people on how to choose their basketball shoes and stuff.’ That’s where my journey began. Then I kind of expanded all of the content I’m doing by covering big events, like EuroLeague events – I’m a basketball fan, so it was the next step to [take after previously] just talking about sneakers.”
Is there a particular moment during your time as an influencer that particularly stands out?
“To be honest, there are so many. But last year I went to a EuroLeague game, it was Olympiacos against Panathinaikos, and it was so loud. The crowd was crazy! I was like, ‘Is that the real atmosphere? It’s like that?’ Because I saw a lot of NBA games, French League games, and it was not as loud as the derby in Greece, so that was a big memory for me.”
Have any EuroLeague or EuroCup players inspired you?
“There’s a lot. Nando De Colo was one of the top players that inspired me because he comes from not the same city but the same state, kind of: the north of France, like me. There’s obviously one of the top young players in the EuroCup, Nadir Hifi, who plays really well. I know him as a friend so we talk a lot, even before he was a pro player. He’s very inspiring because he’s young, he plays really well, and I can’t wait to see him playing in the EuroLeague in the next few years.”
Which former or current EuroLeague player most closely resembles your style of play?
“That’s a good question. I’m a guy that loves shooting… and I need to be humble. I’m not going to say a player like Mike James! I would say a point guard who passes the ball. I love a guy named Marcelinho Huertas [a nine-year EuroLeague veteran]. I know he’s not a young player, but I love his energy, I love the way he plays, and I know he’s a really professional player. He takes every day and every training session seriously, so I’ll say Marcelinho Huertas.”
What criteria did you look for when picking your team?
“I’m kind of an entrepreneur, so I need to go for the cash prize. There were two things I looked for: creativity and being a content creator, i.e. people I follow so that we can create basketball together; and then people who can play basketball because there is a cash prize to win, so we need to be good. And [the Hoop District tournament] is in our hometown, so we need to represent Paris and we need to be as good as we can.”
Which Hoop District team could be the trickiest to face?
“Maybe the Spain one or the UK [team]. I know the SBB guys – they play basketball well and they’re such nice guys. They’re creative and they’re doing a great job in the UK. I love their content. We’re going to be in the same group, so I’m going to say the UK team. And shout out to the SBB boys!”
What does it mean for you to be a Team Captain?
“It’s such an honor. When I saw the video, I thought, ‘That’s so nice.’ I’m the kind of guy who works a lot – I’m in my room creating content. I’m kind of in my space and when I saw that the EuroLeague, a big league, is talking about the tournament and I can see myself in the video, that’s such a blessing, so I’m really happy about that. I can’t wait to be there, to play basketball and go to the final, maybe. It’s such a blessing. I couldn’t have imagined this happening.”