By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Almost a year ago, Nigel Williams-Goss was in the national spotlight, leading the Gonzaga Bulldogs to their first-ever NCAA Championship match.
He didn’t win the title, but he had already made a name for himself for basketball fans around the world. A versatile pass-first point guard who was a real floor general is a commodity.
He was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the second round and then he did something that nobody expected. He signed with a traditional but struggling powerhouse, which raised many eyebrows.
However, as he explained to Eurohoops, his decision was almost a no-brainer: “I wanted to come to a traditional program that has a history of developing young players. And I knew the intensity of the game in Serbia that can help a young player like myself develope. So those were the main reasons for my choice to come to Europe and especially to Partizan. I was familiar with players who have started their career in Partizan, like Jan Vesely, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nikola Pekovic who became a starter with the Minnesota Timberwolves. There’s a long line of players, going back even to names like Vlade Divac”.
You would expect from a point guard of his level to know basketball history, even outside the US borders. And his second biggest asset proved to be his adaptability. It’s easy to smile now, but when he arrived at Belgrade things were not exactly ideal: “I knew that the scenery was going to be entirely different, but in just a few days I realized how great things were. You could feel the energy, the basketball culture around the city and it was pretty quick. It was easy to adapt after all”.
After all, in Belgrade and in Partizan, they speak basketball. “I think that basketball is a global language”, says Williams-Goss,”You can tell the guys who genuinely love the game and you can see other guys who are playing the game in a certain country. And what I realized in Serbia is that if you love to play and you want to compete every night, you might not win every night but you can definitely contribute and help like it happened with me and Partizan”.
Restoring the old glory
Partizan is the biggest dynasty of Serbian basketball. They have won the EuroLeague, six Adriatic League titles, 21 domestic league championships and 14 domestic cups. However, they have won their last Adriatic league title in 2013 and no Adriatic league championship means also no participation in the EuroLeague, the top European competition.
Partizan started to decline, while arch-rival Crvena Zvezda was dominating the local basketball scene and represented Serbia in the EuroLeague. It was the worst possible combination and without having the financial assets that Zvezda had, Partizan was destined to mediocrity.
A special talent was needed, one like those that Partizan produced regularly in the past in order to turn things around. And in a strange turn of events, that talent arrived from the States and it was Nigel Williams-Goss. With him averaging 16.9 ppg and 7 asp in the Adriatic League, Partizan gains back its respect.
However, his masterpiece was the Serbian Cup final, named after the legendary Radivoj Korac. Williams-Goss got the MVP award, finished the game with 23 points, seven assists and three rebounds, leading Partizan to the 81-75 over Crvena Zvezda and the trophy.
“It was the biggest thing that happened to me”, says Williams-Goss without any hesitation.”We knew how big this game was and we were all prepared for the final. We wanted to show what we were capable to do against EuroLeague players and we knew that Partizan had not won any major title since 2013”.
And to do it against Crvena Zvezda, it was just special. “I have experienced rivalries in college, but nothing that was so intense. Everyone expects the games between Partizan and Crvena Zvezda throughout the year, it was the only thing I was hearing during the week of the game, no matter where I went in the city. Restaurants, cafés, everyone was talking about this. Gonzaga fans are also passionate, they are one of the best fan bases in college basketball. However, the passion here is on a different level and the way the fans approach the game and love their teams. I don’t think that they are many fans like the Partizan fans. Especially near the games against Crvena Zvezda, everywhere you go, it’s the talk of the town and everyone is asking you to win”.
It was a bumpy road with coach “Muta” Nikolic being fired in December and Nenad Canak taking his place. “We started the season with a veteran coach who was replaced by a younger one. It’s a two-way process. I am learning from him and he is learning from all of the players. I think the coaching in Serbia, in general, is of really high level”, says Williams-Goss who established himself in Europe after that game as an up-and-coming star.
The future
So what’s next? With another Gonzaga alumnus, Kevin Pangos, having a stellar season in the EuroLeague, it seems that Zags point guard are becoming a trend in Europe. “Honestly I don’t know if it’s something special about Gonzaga’s point guards”, explains Williams-Goss about the mentality he had during his college days. “What I know is that with coach Mark Few we learn that team comes first. And I think that in our days, in Europe and in many cases also in the NBA, it’s about the team and not about the individuals. So when your mind is that the team comes first, it makes easier your transition to European basketball. Because in Europe they really preach team basketball, ball movement and being a point guard I know that this is easily translated”.
And Europe also helped him. “The whole experience is invaluable to me. After leaving college, I wanted to grow as a player and also as a person and I think that what happened was the best possible way in order for this to happen”.
So what’s next? Nigel Williams-Goss knows that if he continues to improve like he did this year, only good thing will happen.“I just want to continue my path and continue playing and growing. Obviously, if I return to the States and get a chance in the NBA, it will be great. I was drafted by the Jazz, so I know my NBA team. I am focused on my own game, on how I can improve and how I can get to the next level as a player”.
Partizan may once more produce an NBA player, but this time the candidate to make the jump is not born at Belgrade, but in Happy Valley, Oregon. “Yeah if that worked, it would be great”, Williams-Goss admits. “After all there’s nothing but respect, not only from me but also from the Jazz for Partizan and if I can continue the long line of Partizan players who continued their career in the NBA, it will be amazing”.
And after all, the Partizan legacy must continue…
Photo credit: ABA Liga