By Evangelos Papadimitriou/ info@eurohoops.net
“Tonight, basketball died.” The notorious quote of the late, great Petar Skansi made headlines after Boza Maljkovic’s Limoges team beat Tony Kukoc’s Benetton Treviso, coached by Skansi, at Peace and Friendship Stadium back in the trophy game of the 1993 Final Four of the EuroLeague.
Limoges made history and went all the way presenting a slow-paced and calculated version of basketball that resulted in a 59-55 final score. Maljkovic, the architect of the phenomenally talented Yugoplastika teams that had won three straight titles between 1989 and 1991, had created the total opposite in Limoges, a team of blue-collared workers. However, you always need to have a scorer and Michael Young was the man on that 1993 EuroLeague title team, the only French champion ever.
Almost one year earlier, in June of 1992, Young had become a father. His son Joe is now part of the 7DaysEuroCup, playing for Promitheas Patras after building a name as – what else? – a deadly scorer all around the world and especially in China.
“My father played in Europe years ago,” Joe said to Eurohoops about the legacy that he has to uphold. “I know we are talking about a different kind of basketball, but of a high level. It’s all about adapting to something. See something, learn, and then do it. Always take the right steps. He taught me everything I know. It made me adjust to the game. I talk to him before every match. He played in Europe and knows how high the level is here, so he helps me with that, too.”
Joe Young scored 20 in his first EuroCup game for Promitheas, proving that he is ready to go.
And while his father certainly could score the ball, Joe Young has taken this art to another level, recording a personal best of 74 points in the Chinese CBA. When the news was announced that at 30 years old and at his peak, Young finally was coming to Europe after playing exclusively in the NBA and China, a lot of heads turned and everyone was eager to see how he would adapt.
As he explains: “I feel good, it’s a new culture, a different style of basketball. I feel like I’m adapting quickly. I’m fine, although it’s still early in the season. There were several proposals, many teams saw what I can do. But I chose Promitheas for a number of reasons. It’s my first time in Europe, I want to start something new here.”
Besides his father, Joe has another famous relative with whom he can speak about basketball issues.
He played together in Indianapolis with Paul George, his cousin, and they still have a close relationship: “We connect constantly. We talk about basketball and our families. He is an awesome cousin. He has a place in my heart. He always has a good piece of advice to give me.”
But what’s the advice that Joe Young himself can give to someone who wants to score 74 points as he did on July 23, 2020, in China?
“I just was in rhythm, “ he says. “I kept scoring, I was hot. And at the final buzzer, I ended up with 74 points. It’s not that easy to put up so many points, despite what they say about the Chinese league. Only six players have achieved something similar. It was a great experience.”
Maybe the best advice is the example that Joe Young can give with his actions. Not only basketball is part of his genes, but he loves his craft so much that in 2017, after a big win in Memphis, he slept on the court of the Pacers training facility. And it was not a first…
Slept on the floor last night after we landed from that great team win in Memphis!! Woke up twice and got 500 made shots up each time I woke up!! My bed was nice and cozy!!! U gotta stay ready at this level..#Grind pic.twitter.com/FBCZM6nbGY
— Joe Young (@JoeyBuckets3) November 16, 2017
“Yes, I slept on the floor. I’ve done it many times,” Young recalls. “I do it to feel comfortable on the court; it feels like my home. I love the sport so much. You always feel comfortable at home, don’t you? So when I’m on the court, it’s like I’m at home.”