By Antonis Stroggylakis / info@eurohoops.net
ABU DHABI– After the EuroLeague semifinal win of Fenerbahce Beko over Panathinaikos Athens, Nigel Hayes-Davis half-jokingly declared that if his veteran teammate Errick McCollum was “2 inches taller” and “20 pounds heavier”, he’d be getting superstar money in the NBA.
Maybe this comment was a bit of a hyperbole from Hayes-Davis, still enthusiastic after seeing McCollum delivering a key performance in the semifinal. But it’s possible that it’s not that far from the truth.
“Hey, with that size… basically I’d probably beat my brother,” McCollum said with a laugh, referring to his younger brother, New Orleans Pelicans star guard CJ McCollum.
“Probably yes,” McCollum added, on a more serious note this time, when asked if it was a matter of some specific physical attributes that he didn’t have a career in the NBA. “I had some opportunities. But the role wasn’t right. Sometimes it was third point guard. Not many minutes, minimum contract. It just wasn’t right in my career. For other people, it may be good. But I’m a guy who wants to play. I want to have an impact. Be out there on the court making a difference.”
“There were opportunities. Probably I was a little bit taller and a bit heavier, these opportunities could be more,” McCollum added. “You can say that about a lot of guys. A couple of inches taller can change your career.”
McCollum has had a long and successful career in Europe in different competitions. In 2016 he was the EuroCup MVP, en route to leading Galatasaray to the title. He also became a household name in the Basketball Champions League while playing for Pinar Karsiyaka, another Turkish club.
Yet, he had never made it to the biggest stage that is the EuroLeague Final Four until now. After putting up 13 points and producing multiple key buckets in the victory in the semifinal, he’s now looking forward to claim the championship title in the Final vs. AS Monaco Sunday (25/5).
“I want to win it to win it,” McCollum said. “It doesn’t matter where. We’re in a practice and we’re playing a segment? I want to win. A game? I want to win. A preseason game? I want to win. For me, my mentality is always to win. I don’t want my career reflect because I’m not ready to be done. When that happens, I’ll be able to sit down and think about all I accomplished. Now, I try to live in the moment and I just want to win to win it. It’s prestige. The top honor. Not many people get the option or opportunity to do. Just to be there is a privilege. And I’m going to take advantage of it.”
The fact that McCollum isn’t ready done becomes abundantly obvious and crystal clear simply by watching him on the floor. He’s 37 but moves like he’s 27, still able to beat opposing defenders on the dribble and create his separation for his favorite pullup jumpers. On defense, he can leap to block shots and move with speed to cover space.
“You never know. Only God knows. I feel good. I’ve been blessed to be healthy,” McCollum said. “I can play as long as my body allows me. I can still play as I played 10 years ago. I can still score the same way. I can still block shots. Maybe I don’t jump as high but I can still do a lot of things.”
“A lot of things comes down to my family,” McCollum mentioned. “I hope I can play next year, maybe more. But it comes down to my wife and kids. 15 years [overseas] is not easy on the family.”
In the championship game, McCollum will once again have the support of his family in the arena, including CJ. Unlike most celebrities, big-time names and VIP players who are present in the Final Four, CJ McCollum, along with the rest of the family, preferred to be among the Fenerbahce supporters in the stands.
It’s also a part of the humble mindset that runs in the family and still guides Errick and CJ.
“We know where we came from,” McCollum commented. “We remember where we started from. When no one knew us. When no one respected our basketball game or who we were. That feeling doesn’t go away. We have no problem being humble doing this couple of things.”
“He also wanted to live the full fan experience. He wanted to be with the crowd. If this game was in Istanbul, he’d probably be in the fanatic section. They’d protect him, he’s one of us. When you wear the Fener jersey, he’s one of us. In any case.”