When coaches and commentators discuss how important rebounding is to winning games, the general understanding is that it is a task for the big guys and the guards will help out. For this season's 7DAYS EuroCup champion, at times one of the smallest men on the court became the most important rebounder.

Marcos Knight led AS Monaco with 3.8 defensive rebounds per game, set a EuroCup Finals record with 10 defensive boards in Game 2 of his team's sweep of UNICS Kazan and helped his team triumph in both finals games with decisive rebounds. 



"Rebounding is all about... wanting it more than anybody else."

Knight's rebounding mindset was instilled in him early as a player by his coaches. Just as much as rebounding is about positioning and boxing out, it's also about toughness and desire: "It is all about wanting to do it, wanting it more than anybody else... I think great guards always rebound, and it is something I definitely enjoy," he said.

That toughness came into play this season in many ways in addition to rebounding. Monaco coach Zvezdan Mitrovic credited Knight's toughness on defense as one of the keys to the team's success in a recent interview.

"Marcos is one of the MVP players in this EuroCup season. It is not only rebounds and numbers - we are an undersized team and since the quarterfinals, all teams started to play attacking us in the low post in position '3' because Marcos is a great player, but he is only 1.88 meters," Mitrovic explained. "Buducnost did that with Melvin Ejim, Gran Canaria did it with Beiran but these good post-up players could not find any advantages there, and for me, this was huge." 

"It is a blessing to being able to be a part of such a historic run."

Knight pulled down the two most decisive rebounds of the 2021 EuroCup Finals – one in each game. Monaco grabbed only 6 offensive rebounds in the first 39 minutes of Game 1, but got 3 in the final seconds. The last one settled in the hands of Knight, who was fouled, went to the line and made 2 free throws for an 88-87 lead. Monaco ended up winning 89-87 and Knight finished with a game-high 6 boards.

"I just wanted to do anything to help my teammates win and that was part of it, getting that rebound and securing that possession. That was part of us being able to be the EuroCup champions in 2021," Knight said. "After the rebound, I had to stay focused, lock in, and make 2 free throws. One second can change the game, so you have to stay focused and locked in the entire game until the clock says zero." 

In Game 2, J.J. O'Brien gave Monaco an 83-84 lead with 10 seconds left. UNICS called timeout to set up a play and Jamar Smith missed from downtown. Knight rose higher than anybody else to pull down his 10th defensive rebound, which set the EuroCup Finals record, besting JaJuan Johnson of Darussafaka Istanbul and Chuck Eidson of UNICS Kazan, who shared the previous record with 9 defensive rebounds in 2018 and 2014, respectively. His 12 boards also matched the EuroCup Finals record held by Alen Omic of Unicaja Malaga (2017) and Lazaros Papadopoulos and Antonis Fotsis of Dynamo Moscow (2006). Knight finished the EuroCup Finals with 18 rebounds. The next closest player was John Brown of UNICS with 13.

After the rebound, Knight drew a foul and made 2 free-throw attempts with as much cold blood as he showed in Game 1. When the dust settled, Monaco was the new EuroCup champion. Knight kept the game ball - a present for his son - and this time he was able to celebrate.

"It is a blessing. I always said I couldn't do anything without God, my family, and my teammates. It is a blessing to being able to be a part of such a historic run," Knight said. "It is the first time that Monaco won a EuroCup championship. I am definitely humbled and blessed. And being able to experience that, for me, it is not about winning the EuroCup title, I want more. I want to win more and that is something that is always in the back of my mind: winning more."


When coaches and commentators discuss how important rebounding is to winning games, the general understanding is that it is a task for the big guys and the guards will help out. For this season's 7DAYS EuroCup champion, at times one of the smallest men on the court became the most important rebounder.

Marcos Knight, Monaco: 'Great guards always rebound'

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AS Monaco won its first 7DAYS EuroCup championship and did so with a small rotation, but great heart and determination. Rob Gray became a key piece of the puzzle when he started playing for the team at the beginning of the Top 16. Gray went on to lead Roca Team in its most important games of the season, earning both EuroCup Semifinals and Finals MVP honors. Grat started the season with Boulogne Metropolitans 92 but his move to Monaco proved to be the most important one for any club this season. In 13 EuroCup games with Monaco, Grat averaged 18.2 points on 50.0% three-point shooting. He boosted his scoring average to 24.0 in the finals against UNICS Kazan. Gray is already thinking about his next goal, as he will play in the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign with Monaco. "I am definitely looking forward to playing against the best teams on the biggest stage in Europe," Gray said. "It's going to be a big off-season for me preparing and that is going to keep me highly motivated all summer, thinking about coming back to play in the EuroLeague next season."

**Hello, Rob. Congratulations on winning the EuroCup title. How satisfying it is to win this competition?**

"It is what you play for, you know, the ultimate goal, and I was just excited to be able to participate in the competition for my first time this year. You always want to win the championship, but you have to take it one game at a time. And it was a pretty cool experience to keep advancing and giving yourself a chance to win at all in the end."

**After winning the EuroCup Semifinals MVP, you said you wanted to be EuroCup Finals MVP - and you did it! How great was that?**

"Yes, as I said, you always want to play your best. I always have a higher standard for myself, high expectations, so I guess it was just meant to be, supposed to happen, I don't know. We were able to win in two games and I was able to put two decent games together to get it done. More than anything, I am just glad that our team was able to win the championship."

"I always have a higher standard for myself, high expectations, so I guess it was just meant to be."

**You started the season with Boulogne Metropolitans 92. How did the opportunity to join Monaco come up?**

"I was in Levallois [Metropolitans] last season so I chose to come back but they switched the coach and it didn't work out as smoothly as I was expecting, so they allowed me to terminate my contract. And at the same time, Monaco was also looking for a guard. So it was just perfect timing. I guess it was just meant to be."

**Monaco was only in a do-or-die situation in Game 2 of the Quarterfinals against Buducnost. How did the team manage to regroup?**

"We lost that first game by 1 and defensively, we felt like we could have done a couple of things to make sure that we definitely won. So we went to Ljubljana and just wanted to make sure to force a Game 3 back in Monaco. We were able to do that. And then from that point on, the guys were just motivated enough to guard and rebound and squeeze out a win at home against Buducnost. Then, after that, we were able to go on a little winning streak. So I think the first round, they tested us and played us physical and tough, so after that, we knew that we were going to be only that same style of play or even more physical, so we had to come ready."

**Can you take us back to the game-winning shot in Gran Canaria, which sent Monaco to the Finals?**

"Yes, we had a play that we have been working on for a special situation in practice. We were trying to either get the ball to me or J.J. [O'Brien] to get a good look off. And they were switching everything. So they switched small forward, power forward, and thankfully I was able to catch the ball on the move, get a little space and I get a good open look. And then fortunately it went in. So there was no need for Game 3 because we wanted to really get that series out of the way in Game 2 and move forward to the championship."

**Speaking of sweeping series, how important was it to surprise UNICS in Game 2, right away, and not go to Game 3?**

"When we won the first game, I think everyone in the organization understood and wanted to execute and get off out of Russia. So with that being said, if we won Game 2, we would leave. We had two travel methods on the schedule before we left. I believe when everybody looked at it, they were hoping we could leave Option A instead of option B, meaning, winning the second game and leaving that Saturday."

**Zvezdan Mitrovic was chosen as the EuroCup Coach of the Year. How is it playing for him?**

"I like playing for Coach. He is demanding, pays attention to detail, and is going to always prepare the team with the correct game plan, especially from a defensive perspective, from watching film and paying attention to other teams, players and their habits, and their system. Overall, he is a really cool guy, pretty easy to get along with. He is demanding and screams a lot, and he is intense, but much, much easier to get along with than he may look like. I like playing for Coach, he is always easy to get along with and it keeps it real simple."

"Success is always going to find the hardest worker. So you have to definitely work hard."

**In less than a decade, Monaco went from the French fourth division to being EuroCup champions. How does it feel to be a part of a franchise that is growing so quickly?**

"Yes, it is cool. I am glad that I am here for the European championship part, but it's definitely cool to be here with this timing, winning the EuroCup and continuing the rise of the club, now going into the EuroLeague. We just want to continue to keep that same progression, continue to raise the club, improve the brand and try to win some games in the EuroLeague, not just be happy that we are competing there."

**After the Finals, you mentioned how important your work ethic was. You made over 50% of your three-point shots this season. Of course, that comes with a lot of work. How hard have you worked to get to this level?**

"Work is mandatory when you are playing basketball or any type of competitive sport, or when you are doing anything that requires skill and practice, repetition. So if you don't want to put the work in, it is going to be hard for you to make it to this point and maintain and have a career without dropping off. So it is something that I look at as mandatory: You have to work. You have to put in hours. Success is always going to find the hardest worker. So you have to definitely work hard. And it's almost like a day-to-day routine that you get yourself into and put the hours in because you know what you want to get out."

**You will play the 2021-22 EuroLeague with Monaco. How much are you looking forward to that opportunity?**

"I am excited about the opportunity. I know, ideally, that's where everyone wants to be in Europe, in the EuroLeague. So I am definitely looking forward to playing against the best teams on the biggest stage in Europe. I mean, it's going to be a big off-season for me preparing, and that is going to keep me highly motivated all summer, thinking about coming back to play in the EuroLeague next season."

Rob Gray, AS Monaco: 'It was just meant to be'

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After leading an unheralded team from one of the smallest places on the 7DAYS EuroCup map all the way to the title, Zvezdan Mitrovic of AS Monaco has been named the competition's Coach of the Year for the 2020-21 season.

Mitrovic, 51, was chosen by Euroleague Basketball from among many deserving candidates after he guided Monaco to its first EuroCup trophy in a 2-0 finals sweep against UNICS Kazan of Russia. That result followed a semifinals sweep of Herbalife Gran Canaria after Monaco had aced the last two games of the quarterfinals to outlast Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. With that season-ending six-game streak, coupled with a first-place finish in its Top 16 group, Monaco won 11 of its final 13 games to finish with a 17-6 record.

Monaco's winning formula was familiar to followers of Mitrovic, whose team ranked high in several hustle categories, including pulling the most offensive rebounds (350) in competition history and ranking second in average steals (8.4) this season. Monaco also held opponents to a league-low performance index rating of 76.5 per game.

The Coach of the Year honor is among several awards that recognize the finest EuroCup participants for their efforts throughout the season. Aleksander Balcerowski of Herbalife Gran Canaria was named Rising Star Trophy winner for this season. Fan voting and Euroleague Basketball's in-house experts selected the All-7DAYS EuroCup teams, as well as the 7DAYS EuroCup MVP, which went to Jamar Smith of UNICS.

Mitrovic began his head coaching career by leading teams in Ukraine for 10 seasons between 2002 and 2014. He helped Khimik Yuzhny win the Ukrainian League title in 2009 and lifted the Ukrainian Cup trophy with Budivelnik Kiev in 2012. Mitrovic first joined Monaco in March of 2015 and led its promotion to the French first division later that season. Once in the French elite, Mitrovic immediately turned Monaco into a force, winning three consecutive French Leaders Cup trophies and ranking first after the French League regular season in 2016, 2017 and 2018. After helping Monaco finish third in the FIBA Basketball Champions League in 2017 and second in 2018, Mitrovic left to coach LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne for two seasons. They won the French League title in 2019, downing Monaco 3-2 in the finals, and also lifted the French Cup trophy. He led ASVEL to a 10-18 record in the 2019-20 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague before that season's ending was suspended and finally canceled due to the global pandemic. Mitrovic has also coached the Montenegrin national team.

In Mitrovic's return this season, Monaco won six of its first eight EuroCup Regular Season games to qualify for the Top 16, then opened the new phase with a resounding 65-93 road victory against Nanterre 92. Next, Monaco beat mighty Unicaja Malaga 90-71 en route to winning its group with a 5-1 record that was worth home-court advantage in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Monaco's last-second Game 1 to Buducnost in those quarterfinals put its back against the wall, but Mitrovic's team responded beautifully, winning Game 2 on the road and finishing the job at home.

Monaco went on to sweep the semifinals against Gran Canaria, which came with the prize of eligibility for next season's EuroLeague, and repeated that feat in the finals against UNICS, winning both deciding games in those series coming on the road. The fact that Monaco won its last five games by five points or less says it all about the team's resilience and how Mitrovic made the difference with his tactics. Two series-winning inbounds plays – Rob Gray's turnaround buzzer-beater in the semifinals and J.J. O'Brien's go-ahead three-point play with 10.5 seconds left in the finals – highlight Mitrovic's great choices in crunch time.

Mitrovic is the EuroCup's first Coach of the Year from Montenegro. The previous winners were Oktay Mahmuti of Benetton Basket in 2009, Ilias Zouros of Panellinios in 2010, Aleksandar Petrovic of Cedevita Zagreb in 2011, Jure Zdovc of Spartak St. Petersburg in 2012, Fotis Katsikaris of Uxue Bilbao Basket in 2013, Andrea Trinchieri of Unics Kazan in 2014, Maurizio Buscaglia of Dolomiti Energia Trento in 2016, Pedro Martinez of Valencia Basket in 2017 and Sasa Obradovic of Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in 2018. Aito Garcia Reneses is the only coach to win the award twice – with Gran Canaria in 2015 and ALBA Berlin in 2019.

7DAYS EuroCup Coach of the Year: Zvezdan Mitrovic, AS Monaco

In a remarkably close and entertaining final game of the 7DAYS EuroCup season, an inbounds play deciding the trophy might have seemed like a quirk of fate with a lot of unpredictability involved.

A constantly tight scoreboard and non-stop small shifts in momentum made Game 2 of the best-of-three finals between host UNICS Kazan and visiting AS Monaco a joy to behold and a credit to both teams.

The game's first 39 minutes, 40 seconds had featured 15 lead changes and 11 ties, with neither team leading by more than 6 points. Monaco had reached that difference twice, lasting a combined span of 25 seconds, while UNICS had held 5-point leads soon after the opening tipoff for a total of 40 seconds. The rest of the game had been played within a 6-point band of Monaco's next-highest lead, 4, or UNICS's second-best, 2.

But in the closing seconds, the play that decided the game and made Monaco the champion was not unpredictable at all, not to anyone who had been following the game closely.

Indeed, the same exact play that decided the series had been run successfully just 78 seconds earlier, ending in the same exact move and shot by the same player, 29-year-old small forward Jaleel (J.J.) O'Brien. In between, Monaco had a similar inbound position and had given the ball to O'Brien again. There was a good reason for Monaco head coach Zvezdan Mitrovic choosing to run his team’s chances through O’Brien all three times, as he explained after the celebrations died down.

"That was a sideline out-of-bounds we played for J.J., a guy with experience, a guy with a cool head and a cool hand, and he scored in the end," Mitrovic said. "It's like a song, 'Cool head, cool hand, scored in the end.'"

Monaco had held a 69-75 lead with less than 6 minutes left after scoring 9 of the fourth quarter's first 11 points. But that's when UNICS guard Jamar Smith, the newly-minted EuroCup MVP, came alive with 6 points in a row to put his team ahead 79-79 with 1:38 to play.

Monaco called timeout and ran a sideline inbounds play that saw the passer, Dee Bost, wait for O'Brien to get open in the middle of the half-court with space to work. O'Brien drove left, pivoted hard and then spun to his right with two wide steps to hit a running hook shot over his shoulder and put Monaco back in front, 79-81.

After Jordan Theodore tied it 81-81 for UNICS with a layup, Monaco's top scorer, Rob Gray, missed his shot and the rebound was knocked out of bounds by UNICS as O'Brien fought for it into the corner. Again Bost inbounded from the same side to O'Brien, but after they passed between each other this time, O'Brien lost his handle on the ball momentarily and had to throw up a quick jump shot that missed. Smith came the other way and buried a huge go-ahead shot for UNICS to take its biggest lead in almost 18 minutes, 83-81 with 15.4 seconds left.

After another timeout, Monaco went back to the same sideline to make the same inbounds choice. Bost again put the ball in the hands of O'Brien. This time, just like in the previous minute, O'Brien had the middle of the court to himself. He pushed defender Okaro White toward the baseline again with a left-handed dribble and then executed the same spin move, dropping the same right-handed running hook shot. Only this time, nearby defender John Brown of UNICS tried to help but was whistled for an arm slap, giving O'Brien a three-point opportunity that he converted for the go-ahead point with 10.5 seconds left.

UNICS went to its hot hand, Smith, for 2 more three-point attempts that both missed, in between which Marcos Knight rebounded and hit 2 free throws.

The hot hand was eclipsed by the cool hand and the cool head, O'Brien's, to complete what was arguably the biggest upset ever in the EuroCup Finals.

Déjà vu inbounds play gave Monaco the title

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I don't think we realized yet what we’ve done. It's a great feeling because we came a long way with the team we have, the players, the road we took from the quarterfinals where we lost the first game. We had a chance to win, but Mathias Lessort missed the last shot and I remember telling him, "It's gonna be okay, we're gonna be alright. Don’t get down on yourself. We‘ve gotta stay positive." The way we were able to bounce back after that game with our back against the wall set the tone for the rest of the competition for us.

We are really grateful for the opportunity. It’s not easy to win the championship. It’s not given to everybody to win a championship in their career. The way we did it on the road, against fans, during the pandemic with 10 players – eight pros and two young guys – doesn’t happen a lot. I think what we did was unique because usually, teams in the EuroCup have at least 12-14 guys. We were just dogs. We were able to play with the players we had.

"The way we did it on the road, against fans, during the pandemic with 10 players... doesn’t happen a lot."

And the way we did it. 2-0 against a really good team. I don't think we were favorites against UNICS. Obviously, we had the home-court advantage in the quarterfinals against Gran Canaria. We were the favorite, but lost the first game at home against Buducnost. But we always believed in ourselves and played to our strengths. We really are just dogs and wanted to win.

We just have good players who can make plays. I think about obviously the Finals MVP, Rob Gray. He saved us a couple of times. Marcos Knight had some huge rebounds under stress as well. Last possession, big free throws. I don’t think people realize that J.J. O'Brien also in the last game saved us with the and-one. I think we always stayed poised and we always knew that if we stay in the game, if the game is close, we have a chance to win it. And that was our goal: to stay in each game and make a play in the end. Those are good teams and they can come back even if you are up like 5-6 with 2 minutes to go, they have players who can make plays. We just made more plays than them.

After we won, I ran to the locker room and got my phone. Some guys went live to be able to experience it from the inside, to show what is going on. It was a really emotional moment for some players. Being able to capture that moment live was great, especially as you have a few minutes where you can’t go and actually get the phone before they give you the medal. Damien Inglis thought about that and I just followed him and did the same thing. We were able to get back fast enough to get the medal and celebrate.

I was carrying the trophy for the most part onto the plane for the trip home. We flew at 3:45 in the morning and we took two flights. We flew from Kazan to Moscow and Moscow to Nice, which was great. We didn't have to go back to Paris. I had the trophy by my side the whole time. It was sitting by me in its own little seat with its seatbelt on and all that. It was a great feeling. Winning is an amazing feeling and the way we did it makes it even better.

Our fans were waiting for us when we came home to Monaco. We had a small parade outside the gym and we showed off the trophy and chatted with them for 15 or 20 minutes. We didn't do much else, for now. I think we may organize something later on, but we went right back to preparing for French league games. It's going to be tough to really celebrate, especially the way things are going with the pandemic and stuff. Things aren’t really open here, so it’s tough to organize something. Maybe we’ll just go meet with the prince sometime soon. Other than that, I would love to have more interaction with the fans, but I don’t know if we will even be able to do that. We'll see.

"Winning is an amazing feeling and the way we did it makes it even better."

This is a blessing because it can never be taken away from us no matter what happens after this. We are part of history, part of this club's history. Being able to do it the way we did it, they will talk about us for a long time. You are not guaranteed anything when you play at this level. You are not guaranteed to play in a final. You are not guaranteed winning it. The way we did it was amazing for the team, for the club. Some guys have been here since the fourth division, the fans as well, it's historic and I think they will always remember that moment because of the way we did it and the years of work and dedication by the team, the staff, the president, of putting into the club. It's paying off now.

I’m really excited about Monaco playing in the EuroLeague. I’m not under contract for next season, but I am hoping to be a part of it. I think it's gonna be a great experience to play at the highest level in Europe. It will be a great experience for me and the team to play against big teams. When we watched the EuroLeague Playoffs, we thought about those teams coming to Monaco. That would be great for the fans and for us. We earned a seat at this table. We worked really hard to get access to the EuroLeague and I feel like next year we’ll have a good squad to be able to compete and make some noise. We’ve enjoyed the journey and look forward to being a part of the best league in Europe.

 Wilfried Yeguete, Monaco: 'We've enjoyed the journey'

AS Monaco guard Rob Gray was voted the MVP of the 7DAYS EuroCup Finals after leading all scorers in both games of the series. Gray, who joined Monaco in midseason, had 23 points as Monaco won at home, 87-89, in Game 1. He turned around and did himself a basket better in Game 2, with 25 points, as Monaco upset UNICS in Kazan, 83-86, and picked up the EuroCup trophy to bring back to its tiny principality on the Mediterranean Sea.

His 24.0-point average tied for third-best ever in two games of the finals, after Justin Doellman averaged 27.0 for Valencia Basket in 2014 and Scottie Wilbekin put up 26.0 per game for Darussafaka Istanbul in 2018.

Gray, 27, is in his first EuroCup season, but he didn't start it with Monaco. His first EuroCup team this season was Boulogne Metropolitans 92, for whom he averaged 14.5 points in 4 games before joining Monaco. Due to transfer regulations, Gray could not play with Monaco until the EuroCup Top 16. He finished by averaging 18.2 points in 13 games with his new team. He was also chosen as the EuroCup Semifinals MVP, scoring 25 points in Game 1 against Herbalife Gran Canaria and the game-winning shot on the buzzer in Game 2, sending Monaco to the finals.

"I'm super thankful," Gray said while celebrating the title. "You know, it's a surreal feeling. More than anything, I'm just thankful and looking forward to getting back to Monaco, getting this travel out of the way and really celebrating with my teammates and my extended family, basically. It's a big deal and we're thankful."

Monaco's Gray is voted Finals MVP!

All-EuroCup First Team center Mathias Lessort was again at the forefront as AS Monaco edged UNICS Kazan 89-87 to take the opener of the teams' best-of-three 7DAYS EuroCup Finals. He led all players with a performance index rating of 28 after posting 17 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks. The big man gave it all while playing a career-high 32:08 minutes. Before heading to Russia for Game 2 on Friday night, Lessort spoke to Eurocupbasketball.com about the first game and looked ahead to the next one. "It will be really exciting to play in front of fans. It might be a little strange at the beginning, but we've gotta get that out of our minds and remember what we are playing for," Lessort said. "For them it might make a difference when they make a run or something... But we have to get that out of our minds and just enjoy the game."

**What was the key to your team's Game 1 victory?**

"We just dug it out. We fought, we hustled. It was a dog fight out there for both teams and we knew that was what it was going to be, so we just gotta fight."

**Monaco was down 9 in the third quarter. What was the key to the comeback?**

"We are a team with character. We’ve been there before. We knew what our mistakes were and that we could get better. So we just stepped it up and fought like dogs. I'm proud of my teammates." 

"We are a team with character. We’ve been there before." 

**How important was UNICS's foul trouble to the outcome?**

"For sure that was a good thing to get them out of the rhythm of the game. It was a team effort. We were, of course, trying to take them out of the game. We know that Jamar Smith is the MVP of the competition and we know what he can do. John Brown is probably the best defensive player on their team, so we just tried to attack them and we knew that the team is different when these guys don't find their rhythm.

**Did you expect Artem Klimenko to play so much and be so effective?**

"Yeah. We struggled with the pick-and-roll defense against him. They were finding him pretty easily and he was making the right decisions all the time. We can fix that for the next game."

**You only allowed UNICS 1 offensive rebound in the first half. How important was your boxing out?**

"It was very important, for sure. We played very hard on defense, we tried to make them take tough shots and if we don't secure the rebound, we did that for no reason. So for sure, the key to defense is getting the rebound at the end." 

"It will be really exciting to play in front of fans." 

**Are you looking forward to playing Game 2 in front of fans in Kazan?**

"Oh yeah, for sure. It will be really exciting to play in front of fans. It might be a little strange at the beginning, but we've gotta get that out of our minds and remember what we are playing for. It's five against five on the court. For them it might make a difference when they make a run or something, [the fans] might push them or give them a little more energy. But we have to take exception to that. I mean, we've played with fans before, so it's not like… Of course, we're not used to it anymore and it's gonna be different. But we have to get that out of our minds and just enjoy the game."

**How does it feel to be one win away from the EuroCup title?**

"Of course, it is really exciting. But we are two games away from losing it. We've only done half the job and getting that one win is a lot."

**You were named to the All-EuroCup First Team. What does that mean to you?**

"I had been already in the second team and now I made it to the first team, so it shows progress. It is just a team thing; I think that if the team had not made it that far, I wouldn't be in the first team, so it is an individual award, but it is also a team award. They had to put somebody from Monaco and they put me. Thanks to my coach and my teammates for putting me in a good situation this year and allowing me to be on the first team." 

All-EuroCup First Team center Mathias Lessort of AS Monaco spoke to Eurocupbasketball.com about his team's victory in the opener of the best-of-three 7DAYS EuroCup Finals.

Mathias Lessort, Monaco: 'We just gotta fight'

Since he first came to Europe to play basketball in 2012, Jordan Theodore has made the most out of his professional career. Theodore embraced the culture and especially the passion European fans bring to basketball. He always made sure to share these experiences with those close to him. His life took a critical turning point in the 2016-17 season. After a great year with German powerhouse Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt, Theodore returned to Turkey to play for his third team in that country, Banvit Bandirma, after previous experiences with Antalya and Mersin.

Theodore was named MVP of the Turkish Cup final after leading Banvit to the trophy with a 66-75 victory over Anadolu Efes Istanbul. He tallied 19 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in that game. Theodore was later voted MVP of the Basketball Champions League after taking Banvit to the title game; he topped that competition with 7.5 assists per game and ranked fourth in scoring with 16.2 points per game.

Despite his many on-court successes, Theodore will remember that season for something much greater: he found true love. Theodore began a relationship with Tugba Tasci, a well-known Turkish basketball player.

"Becoming a father has been amazing, one of the best things I have ever done in my life."

They had actually met years before, as Theodore described: "I was down near the Mediterranean Sea. She was in Besiktas at the time and we met. I saw her one day and I just couldn’t stop staring at her. But she didn’t pay me any attention. I introduced myself, but I think she was in a relationship at the time and she just didn’t pay me any attention, which was okay. I was a rookie, I wasn’t looking for a girlfriend at the time."

Four years later proved to be the right moment for Theodore to make a move. "We ended up running into each other when I was in Turkey last season and I had to tell her, 'I’ve had a crush on you since I first met you… And I’m at a point in my life now where I think it’s time," he told EuroLeague.net in 2018.

Jordan and Tugba are together and stronger than ever. In fact, they have a growing family.

"Everything with me and Tugba is great. We are married now. We have a beautiful little girl. She's going to be one next month. It hasn't been easy traveling so much like I do, but for the most part, my marriage has been great. Becoming a father has been amazing, one of the best things I have ever done in my life, and I'm looking forward to the next!" Theodore said.

Jordan and Tugba's daughter, Lila Jordyn Theodore, was born on May 7, 2020. Tugba changed her surname and is now Tugba Theodore.

"The wedding was amazing. We had it in Istanbul, right on the Bosphorus. It was a beautiful ceremony for about 200 people, all family and friends," Theodore shared. "My family flew in from the States and everybody from her side was there. It was really amazing."

Tugba had a long career and finished in style by lifting the EuroCup Women trophy with Galatasaray in 2018. She decided it was time for the next chapter in life.

"She retired from the game after she won the EuroCup with Galatasaray," Theodore confirmed. "She was like, 'my body's done mentally. I'm done with all the traveling'. She just wanted to be with me and for us to get started on our family."

Tugba has followed Jordan to each of his stops ever since. He played for AEK Athens and joined Besiktas, a team his wife knew well: Tugba played for that club for six seasons. For the better part of the last two seasons, Jordan and Tugba have been in Kazan, Russia. Understanding the game so well - Tugba also played point guard - has given Jordan an extra boost off the court.

"She has a tremendous IQ. She was really good at what she did out there on the floor. She could really play, so it's very important for me to have her in my life because sometimes things are not easy, you know?" he explained. "This season, it might seem like it, we have been winning a lot of games, but in my past and I have had some down times and she would definitely pick me up."

Of course, living with someone who understands the game so well can be dangerous sometimes.

"Trust me, she's not easy to please, man. She is my toughest critic. I used to be myself, but now it's definitely her. She has taken over that responsibility," Theodore joked. "Sometimes it is annoying because it's like basketball doesn't stop. You know, home is supposed to be a place where you go, relax, get away from work. But for me is with work 24/7 because the things that that I don't do well in the court, she lets me have it. Even the things I do well in the court, I need to do more!

"It's a beautiful thing. I mean, sometimes you don't want to hear it, especially on the down days. You might lose a game or you might just have a bad day at practice, you know how it goes. But for the most part, it's been amazing. She is very helpful and keeps me grounded."

"She is my toughest critic. I used to be myself, but now it's definitely her."

Returning to Kazan this season was important for the Theodore family. First, Jordan believes he had to finish the job and win the EuroCup with UNICS, playing alongside one of his best friends, the freshly-crowned EuroCup MVP Jamar Smith.

"Kazan is a great place and I love the management here. I love the coaching staff. I was here last year with Coach Priftis before COVID struck, so me and him and all the rest of the guys have a great relationship," he said. "And it was important for me to come back and play with Jamar Smith, he is somebody that's like a brother to me. Congratulations to him for being named EuroCup MVP! He has been great all season. We had unfinished business last year. We felt like we could have won the EuroCup, and that's why when I got the opportunity to come back, I definitely looked at it as me and Jamar being able to finish what we started."

Tugba already won the EuroCup Women, and Jordan now has the opportunity to lift this trophy. What Jordan cannot do, however, is see Tugba play while he is in the stands with their daughter.

"No, it never happened. And I am kind of disappointed a little bit that she stopped playing because I want it to be there. I wanted to have my 'Love and Basketball' moment where I am with our daughter on the sidelines sitting courtside, cheering for mommy! But I don't think I'll ever get that."

Jordan and Tugba Theodore: Love and Basketball

For the fourth time this season, UNICS Kazan is with its back against the wall, in a do-or-die situation. Its 89-87 loss against AS Monaco in Game 1 of the 7DAYS EuroCup Finals means that UNICS cannot lose again if it wants to lift the trophy. UNICS was previously in a do-or-die situation in Game 3 of its quarterfinal series against Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar and Games 2 and 3 of the semifinals against Virtus Segafredo Bologna. One of its main players this season is center John Brown, who has always stepped up for UNICS when the going gets tough. Brown was chosen to the 2020-21 7DAYS All-EuroCup Second Team and is averaging 10.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals and a PIR of 14.0 in 23 games, mostly coming off the bench. Brown believes UNICS will bounce back, as he told EuroCupBasketball.com in this interview. "This is the final game and we are going to be ready to play in our gym!" Brown said. "We just have to keep our eyes on the prize and feed off our fans' energy."

**Hello, John. UNICS had a good lead in the third quarter, but in games like this, 2 bad minutes can be decisive. What happened?**

"Yes, it is not allowed. At this time of the season, you can't have those lapses on defense and offense, but we have to come back and do better next time."

**You managed to get a shot up in the final 6.1 seconds, but it was hard to get a good one.**

"Everyone makes mistakes. [Jordan Theodore] had an opening, so he took it. He is a professional but it didn't go in, unfortunately, and they got the rebound. That's how it goes." 

"We have to come back and do better next time." 

**Monaco fought back in the second half. How much credit do they deserve for this win?**

"Of course, no disrespect for them, but we had to play better. We had a long stretch in the game in which we were up like 10 points at one point. We just had to take the lead up and not get relaxed."

**Artem Klimenko and Pavel Antipov stepped up big. Does it prove how deep UNICS is?**

"Yes, they played wonderfully. We just need them to do that one more time! I need to pick up my slack, not foul as much and learn when to do it and went not to do it."

**Did foul trouble cost you the game? You fouled out, plus Okaro White and Jamar Smith got 2 quick ones.**

"I have to do a little better not trying to seize the moment too many times. It is my nature not to do it, but I have to improve on that."

**Is there time for adjustments before Game 2?**

"Not at all. We just need to make the right plays at the right time in this game."

**How much are you looking forward to playing such an important game in front of your fans?**

"This is the final game and we are going to be ready to play in our gym! we just have to keep our eyes on the prize and feed off our fans' energy." 

**Can fans be an X-factor for UNICS?**

"Well, we won against Virtus with their fans so, at this point, it is all on us, and we'll do what we have to do to get a win."

**You were already down 1-0 against Virtus. Can that experience help you?**

"For sure, for sure. We have been here before and just have to regroup, make the right decisions at the right time, watch a little film, and it will be alright."

**No time to leave anything in the tank, I guess...**

"Not at all. All out. All out!"

When the going gets tough, UNICS Kazan knows it can rely on All-EuroCup Second Team selection John Brown. The big man spoke about his team's Game 1 performance and looked ahead to Game 2 in this interview.