By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Being an American player in Europe means that, most of the time, you will find yourself in a vortex of change, year by year. Change of teams, locker rooms, and surroundings. The kind of changes in daily routine, language barrier, and playing style required on different courts all over Europe.
That’s what happened to Jordan Loyd since when he decided to move from the NBA – where he won a ring with the Toronto Raptors in the 2018-19 season – to Europe (he already played overseas in 2017-18 with Hapoel Eilat), joining first Valencia and then, season after season, Crvena Zvezda, Zenit Saint Petersburg, and finally AS Monaco.
This summer, however, things were different for the 30-year-old shooting guard, who didn’t have to pack and buy some flying tickets to jump on another team: for the first time in his professional career, he will stay with the same team for the second straight year, in Monaco.
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Building confidence within the same group
Talking to Eurohoops some days before the start of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, with AS Monaco set to visit Jordan Loyd’s former team Valencia on October 6 at 20:30 CET for their 2023-24 European debut, the UIndy Greyhounds product commented on how he’s feeling getting into this one.
This surely speaks confidence. “I’ve had a sense of comfort coming here in the first place with coach [Obradovic], having played under him”, he commented on being coached previously by the Serbian mastermind in Crvena Zvezda. “But having played with the guys for the whole season is great because you feel at home and you feel like you can get right to speed when you come back with the team”, he said.
“It’s nice, you know how people play, the chemistry. It makes the job a little easier. We’ve added some guys, I can’t wait to play with them and learn how to play. For me, it was a big deal to finally come back to the same team for the second year, and appreciate the benefits you get with that”, Jordan Loyd added before touching on the several experiences he has had in the past. “You get different things from different places, and that allows you to become a better player and a better person”, he added.
Having played in Israel, Spain, Serbia, Russia, and now Monaco has helped him grow. “I’ve always wanted to be a player to embrace the culture where I’m going to, embrace the people. That’s a big part of how you play on the court. I’ve been on all different types of teams, personals, different positions. Being able to adapt to different situations allows me to be ready for anything in a crazy season. I pride myself on that and being able to adjust no matter who we bring, no matter who the players are, and the coaches that I’ve been around. That’s something I try to pride myself on”, the 30-year-old commented.
New teammates and intriguing moves in the EuroLeague
After averaging 12.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game last season alongside Mike James and Elie Okobo, Jordan Loyd will play in this year’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with Kemba Walker, four-time NBA All-Star player who decided to move overseas this summer. “Everybody knows Kemba [Walker], we’ve seen what he can do the court. I’ve been getting to know him for the last couple of months, and he’s a super smart guy”, he first shared on the former Charlotte Hornets and Boston Celtics player.
Kemba Walker – who talked to Eurohoops here – will give AS Monaco a whole other dimension. “He’s gonna be the floor general on the court we need at times when things get bad, for sure. He’s gonna be able to break defenses down, and organize for us as well. At the end of the day, he’s a hell of a basketball player: anytime you can add a talent like that, you know what you’re gonna get. A lot of people talk about guys from the NBA coming to play in Europe and how they’re adjusting, but the way Kemba plays and how he knows the game, his IQ, I don’t think he’s gonna have problems at all”, Jordan Loyd added.
The former New York Knicks playmaker hasn’t been the only addition for the red-and-white side, which also added the Frenchmen Terry Tarpey, Petr Cornelie, and Mam Jaiteh. “Terry [Tarpey] is another person who is multifaceted, he can play different positions. He’s a great defender, he can shoot and he’s gonna do whatever the team needs, he’s very versatile. You always want a guy like that on your team”, he first said about the former Le Mans player.
You all were right, we will need 4⃣ balls this season 🤓 https://t.co/hVwT54LF8q
— AS Monaco Basket EN (@asmonaco_en) September 21, 2023
Jordan Loyd then talked about the arrival of Petr Cornelie. “We needed a stretch four really badly, everybody kind of noticed it last year. Petr [Cornelie] is super tall, can shoot the ball, has great hands, and has had great experiences, obviously with Real Madrid. Being able to stretch the floor for us will be great. He’s gonna be huge for us defensively as well with the height he’s in. He shoots the ball well, also”, before commenting on the former Virtus Bologna’s center.
“Mam [Jaiteh] is a beast down below, there have been a lot of times when we had to go small last year and had issues with some of the other centers. Being able to have multiple bodies at the five positions will be huge for us. He’s gonna be able to get offensive and defensive rebounds, protect the paint, and make the game a little physical, which is what we needed a lot last year”, the shooting guard said on Mam Jaiteh. “Great additions from top to bottom to an already amazing core. We just got to put it all together on the court”, he added.
Monaco, of course, hasn’t been the only team which added new pieces to its roster. Among tons of newcomers in several EuroLeague teams all throughout Europe, Jordan Loyd is particularly intrigued by the EuroLeague rookies. “Top to bottom, all the teams got better. I’m interested to see how Jabari Parker does at Barcelona, that will be big because he’s a big-time player. He can make a difference. PJ Dozier at Partizan, I’m interested to see him”, he first said.
Then, he went on praising the newest Panathinaikos‘ guard Kyle Guy, touching on one of the biggest transfer bombs of the summer with Nikola Mirotic to Italy. “And my guy Kyle [Guy]. He can really feel it up. He’s a hell of a shooter, a scorer. He’s confident, and I’m rooting for him too. He’s gonna have a hell of a year. Obviously, [Nikola] Mirotic going to Milan is big. Every time kind of got better, that’s why you have to continue thinking that last year is out of the window: you have to always get better and evolve, and I think we did that. It will be a great year”, Jordan Loyd commented.
Jordan Loyd’s advices to Team USA
Unlike other overseas player who established themselves as prominent figures in the Old Continent, Jordan Loyd never played for another national team. However, he had interesting words regarding the whole debate which surrounds naturalised players nowadays.
“I’m not too familiar with the rules and how long it’s been like that. I know a lot of countries and people wanna see their people play, and it makes sense. I have known Lorenzo Brown since I was in high school, and I remember not really feeling it. I played in Spain and people there want to see their guys – great players, obviously – play, which is fine. Every country should be like that”, he first said.
However, things change if a win or a loss come as results. “But when they ended up winning the whole thing and he was a big part of it, everything kinda changed. It’s tough because if it goes well people will be happy. If it doesn’t go well, it’s gonna be all like “What is this guy doing here?”. It’s a tough situation, but as a player the guys who are getting naturalized I look at it as a positive thing: they’re embracing other people’s culture, doing something positive”, Jordan Loyd added.
“I don’t see too many negative things besides maybe the fact they haven’t grown up or lived there. But basketball is a world sport. I’m okay with naturalization, but I’ve never played in a World Cup competition or stuff like that”, he commented before being asked whether he would like to play for a national team in the future. “I would. As a basketball player, it’s something you kind of want to do”, the shooting guard admitted.
Jordan Loyd then gave an advice to the whole American national team organization, considering the recent results brought home from the 2023 FIBA World Cup. “I’ve always wanted to play for my own country, but it’s tough in the US with the NBA guys. That’s a whole other point: I think Team USA should try to look at some EuroLeague guys to give us a chance because we understand FIBA rules”, AS Monaco’s own added, following Wade Baldwin’s take.
I think the NBA should take a closer look at recruiting out the Euroleague.
— IV (@The_Fourth_Wade) September 8, 2023
Touching on Steve Kerr’s team experience in Manila, Jordan Loyd believes they took the competition not seriously enough. “You can see the sense of urgency might have not been there for all the games. I don’t know if people could tell, but watching it I had the feeling other teams were playing a little bit harder. That’s my perspective. That kills you in this type of game. Every possession matters and counts, and you know how the NBA is a little bit different, you can kind of take some off. Seriousness and sense of urgency were missing”, he said.
“The style of play, when they played Lithuania they were super physical with them and bigger. Team USA is in my opinion pretty small. The NBA is becoming a smaller, type of fast-paced game. There were some things they could definitely do to clean it up. We just have to be a little bit more serious about it. If we send people who wanna play, we have to do a better job of coaching the generation who’s coming up to play basketball, and not just 1-one-1 or the NBA type of basketball. It’s interesting for me because I’ve been able to see both sides. I played in Europe, in the NBA, in the G-League, seeing the different types of styles”, Jordan Loyd then added.
The best learning you can take from such a defeat, at the end of the day, is trying to teach the future generation of players to get used to this kind of basketball. “For the next generation, you have to realize the game is not like that everywhere. Playing that way is great, I love the NBA style of play, but you have to be able to adapt. The world is obviously caught up. There are amazing players everywhere, and the rules are different. The defensive three seconds, certain things that you don’t really get in the league, the way they referee the game“, the 30-year-old also stated.
“Hats off to Germany for winning everything. I still believe the NBA is the best league in the world with the best players, but that’s not gonna guarantee a win. They need to have a better sense of urgency, be a little bit more serious, play harder, and try to build the team a certain way, maybe taking a look at some EuroLeague guys”, AS Monaco’s shooting guard finally said to Eurohoops.
PHOTO CREDIT: AS Monaco Basket