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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

4:05 - Story we are watching - We take a brief look at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022.

7:20 - Young player of the week - It’s hard after watching the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022 not to be impressed with 2006-born Cooper Flagg of the United States.

10:40 - Up-coming event we are watching - Summer is here and that means more and more youth national team events with the FIBA U20 European Championship 2022 from June 16-24, FIBA U18 European Championship 2022 from July 30-August 7 and FIBA U18 African Championship 2022 from August 4-14.

Before we get into the talk with Thomas Käckenmeister, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Israeli center Gilad Levy, who will be playing next season with Hapoel Jerusalem after playing at the FIBA U20 European Championship 2022, which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

12:45 - Sneak preview of interview

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20:05 - Thomas Käckenmeister, head of media and marketing with Rostock Seawolves.

Are you looking for more Taking The Charge? Here are the first 300 episodes of Taking The Charge, just click here and head over to heinnews.com.

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Welcome back to the Taking The Charge Podcast. This week’s interview is with Jörgen Lind, a Danish coach and business owner who runs BBall Tours, Follow Through and the Kuei Foundation.

Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

1:55 - Story we are watching - All of the countries around Europe are starting to name rosters and extended lists for the up-coming youth European Championships and it’s exciting to just look ahead to the continental tournaments.

3:45 - Young player of the week - The 2006-born Cooper Flagg looks to be a fascinating prospect for United States at the up-coming FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022 as his game just screams out international hoops.

5:20 - Up-coming event we are watching - Of course it’s the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022 - check out the event website for all the content I am writing on there.

Before we get into the talk with Jörgen Lind, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Brazilian forward Guilherme Tesch, who is playing with North Broward Prep in Florida , which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

7:00 - Sneak preview of interview

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11:05 - Jörgen Lind - Organizer of Copenhagen Invitational and runs the Kuei Foundation and owns the companies BBall Tours and Follow Through

Are you looking for more Taking The Charge? Here are the first 300 episodes of Taking The Charge, just click here and head over to heinnews.com.

If you enjoyed this interview or any of the other content on the Taking The Charge substack, please, do yourself a favor and click on that “Subcribe now” button. That way you will not miss any posts when they are published. If you decide to be a paid subscriber, you will get access to the Taking The Charge Prospects podcast as well as the archived editions of the Talking Talent podcast.

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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

4:00 - Story we are watching - The build-up to the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022 - friendly games just about every day and roster news right and left.

5:20 - Young player of the week - Koa Peat made the USA roster for the U17 World Cup and as a 2007-born will become the youngest player in USA history to play at a U17 World Cup - the first player to play two years younger than the competition’s generation.

6:35 - Up-coming event we are watching - The 2022 NBA Draft - it’s THE night for so many people and it’s a huge night for youth international hoops fans as well.

Before we get into the talk with the U17 World Cup interviews, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Polish forward Kacper Klaczek, who is playing at Saint Joseph’s University in the United States, which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

8:30 - Sneak previewof interview

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12:55 - Jan Vide - Slovenia

16:35 - Bogoljub Markovic - Serbia

19:50 - Szymon Nowicki - Poland

22:30 - Petras Padegimas - Lithuania

24:40 - Izan Almansa - Spain

Are you looking for more Taking The Charge? Here are the first 300 episodes of Taking The Charge, just click here and head over to heinnews.com.

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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

1:40 - Story we are watching - The deadline has come and gone for international players to stay or withdraw in the 2022 NBA Draft.

3:40 - Young player of the week - The 2006-born Rocco Zikarsky has been loads of fun to watch for Australia at the FIBA U16 Asian Championship 2022 and he will be one of the leaders for the Australians at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022.

5:30 - Up-coming event we are watching - In addition to the FIBA U16 Asian Championship 2022 which runs until Sunday - when we will know the full field of the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022, there is also the FIBA U15 Centrobasket Championship 2022 which will qualify for the FIBA U16 Americas Championship 2023.

Before we get into the talk with Fran Fraschilla, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with German wing Esli Edigin who is playing with Dragons Rhöndorf of Telekom Baskets Bonn’s youth ranks in Germany, which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

8:50 - Sneak preview of interview

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15:35 - Fran Fraschilla - USA Basketball director and head coach of 3x3 men’s basketball, ESPN commentator, actor

Are you looking for more Taking The Charge? Here are the first 300 episodes of Taking The Charge, just click here and head over to heinnews.com.

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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

3:30 - Story we are watching - Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade won the ABA Adriatic League meaning they will be in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague next season. It also leaves unanswered the other teams who will be play in the EuroLeague with Partizan NIS Belgrade and Valencia Basket seemingly the front-runners.

4:25 - Young player of the week - Mohamed Diawara of France was named MVP of the 2022 Basketball Without Borders Europe camp.

5:15 - Up-coming event we are watching - We are two days into the FIBA U18 Americas Championship 2022 and the action in Mexico has been great. On Friday (early Saturday in Europe) we will know the first four teams in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2023.

7:35 - Taylor Jenkins - head coach Memphis Grizzlies

11:05 - David Adelman - assistant coach Denver Nuggets

14:00 - Edniesha Curry - assistant coach Portland Trail Blazers

19:00 - Danilo Gallinari - Atlanta Hawks/Italian national team

Are you looking for more Taking The Charge? Here are the first 300 episodes of Taking The Charge, just click here and head over to heinnews.com.

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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

2:10 - Story we are watching - The NBA Finals are set and the Golden State Warriors will battle with the Boston Celtics. The series starts Thursday.

3:20 - Young player of the week - Justus Hollatz has decided to make a big move and leave Hamburg Towers, where the 2001-born German point guard was the face of his hometown club to join CB Breogan of the Spanish ACB.

6:10 - Up-coming event we are watching - The 2022 Basketball Without Borders European camp runs from June 1-4 in Milan.

Before we get into the talk with Vitor Galvani, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Senegalese guard Insa Kane who is playing with Torrejon Basketball School in Spain which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

7:00 - Sneak preview of interview

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11:35 - Vitor Galvani - Brazilian U18 national team head coach

Are you looking for more Taking The Charge? Here are the first 300 episodes of Taking The Charge, just click here and head over to heinnews.com.

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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

1:50 - Story we are watching - Now that the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague has been competed - congrats to Anadolu Efes Istanbul for winning back-to-back titles - the European basketball world is looking at the organizers to determine which clubs will compete in which competition: EuroLeague, 7DAYS EuroCup or Basketball Champions League.

4:05 - Young player of the week - Victor Wembanyama has not been included in France’s roster for the summer FIBA window and the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers. Maybe they want to give him a rest after a long first season as a leading player with a pro team. But I would be shocked if he’s not in the France team for FIBA EuroBasket 2023.

5:30 - Up-coming event we are watching - The NBA Playoffs are starting to get to the end of the season - the Eastern Conference Finals are deadlocked at 2-2 between Miami and Boston while Golden State have a 3-1 lead over Dallas in the West.

Before we get into the talk with David Driver, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with German guard Jacob Patrick who is playing with MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg in Germany which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

7:15 - Sneak preview of interview

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10:20 - David Driver - freelance journalist, author of Hoop Dreams in Europe: American Basketball Players Building Careers Overseas

Are you looking for more Taking The Charge? Here are the first 300 episodes of Taking The Charge, just click here and head over to heinnews.com.

If you enjoyed this interview or any of the other content on the Taking The Charge substack, please, do yourself a favor and click on that “Subcribe now” button. That way you will not miss any posts when they are published. If you decide to be a paid subscriber, you will get access to the Taking The Charge Prospects podcast as well as the archived editions of the Talking Talent podcast.

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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

1:50 - Story we are watching - The Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals tip-off in Belgrade on Wednesday with three teams as leading contenders and a fourth side with solid chances.

3:55 - Young player of the week - 96 players will be in Belgrade hoping to shine on the big stage at the ANGT Finals. So we are are going with all of them.

4:25 - Up-coming event we are watching - Thursday night is the start of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. It’s the basketball event to watch in Europe.

Before we get into the talk with Wendell Maxey, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Latvian guard Arturs Zagars who is playing with Basketball Löwen Braunschweig on loan from Joventut Badalona which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

6:15 - Sneak preview of interview

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Wendell Maxey of the Around The Basketball League substack, 12:05

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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

3:00 - Story we are watching - The Spanish ACB relegation battle is super fascinating and it will see at least one if not two very successful teams be dropped to the LEB Gold second division.

5:30 - Young player of the week - Khalifa Diop of Gran Canaria was named the EuroCup Rising Star. The Senegalese big man was not a bad choice though either of the players tied for second place - Jaime Pradilla of Valencia Basket or Joel Parra from Joventut Badalona - would have been good selections as well.

6:40 - Up-coming event we are watching - Wednesday night is the 7DAYS EuroCup final - Virtus Segafredo Bologna or Frutti Extra Bursaspor

Before we get into the talk with Johnathan Stove, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Turkish forward Berke Buyuktuncel of Tofas Bursa in Turkey which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

8:05 - Sneak preview of interview

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Johnathan Stove, guard, Hapoel Galil Elyon, 12:30

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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

2:40 - Story we are watching - The magical ride of Frutti Extra Bursaspor continues as the Turkish club reached the 7DAYS EuroCup Final by knocking off MoraBanc Andorra. The only thing that stands between Bursaspor and a spot in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague is the winner of Wednesday’s other Semi-Final between Valencia Basket and Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

4:10 - Young player of the week - Nikola Jovic played at the ABA U19 League Final Four and played a major role in Mega Mozzart Belgrade winning the title. He had 29 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists against Igokea and then picked up 9 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in the final against SC Derby.

5:20 - Up-coming event we are watching - Friday is the start of the Basketball Champions League Final Four in Bilbao. The Semi-Final matchups are Hapoel U-NET Holon vs Lenovo Tenerife and MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg vs BAXI Manresa.

Before we get into the talk with Kita Waller, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Slovenian guard Ziga Samar of Fuenlabrada in Spain which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

7:25 - Sneak preview of interview

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Marquita “Kita” Waller, guard, Capitol Bascats Düsseldorf, 14:00

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Welcome back to the Taking The Charge Podcast. This week’s interview is Ermay Duran, the Global Director of Basketball at InStat. The discussion centers on big data and data analytics and its place in the game as well as how advanced stats can help teams as well as national team programs and how the world of scouting players is changing.

Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

1:40 - Story we are watching - The three wild cards for the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals have been rewarded and Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade, Mega Mozzart Belgrade and Maccabi Tel Aviv will be playing at the tournament at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade.

4:05 - Young player of the week - German center Ariel Hukporti decided against entering his name into the 2022 NBA Draft and he will remain at Melbourne United in the Australian NBL for the 2022-23 season.

5:25 - Up-coming event we are watching - This Thursday and Friday (April 28 and 29) will see Ljubljana host the U19 ABA League Final Four. The matchups are Mega vs Igokea and Derby vs Cedevita Olimpija.

Before we get into the talk with Giacomo Rossi, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Montenegro guard Fedor Zugic of ratiopharm ulm - which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

6:35 - Sneak preview of interview

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Ermay Duran, Global Director of Basketball InStat - 11:55

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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

1:40 - Story we are watching - A number of players have already made news by declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft and you will be hearing plenty more names as Sunday is the deadline to put your name out there - with June 13 as the deadline to withdraw.

3:40 - Young player of the week - Matthew Strazel has declared for the 2022 NBA Draft and we just wanted to look and see what he has done. Despite not turning 20 until early August, Strazel already has played 66 games over three seasons in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

5:30 - Up-coming event we are watching - This week we have the start of the playoffs in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup.

Before we get into the talk with Giacomo Rossi, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Montenegro guard Fedor Zugic of ratiopharm ulm - which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

7:20 - Sneak preview of interview

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Giacomo Rossi, general manager Orange1 Bassano - 11:30

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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

1:45 - Story we are watching - What a night for the Basketball Champions League as all three games in the quarter-final playoffs were won in the waning seconds for three two-game series sweeps.

3:30 - Young player of the week - Aleksa Vucetic - 2004-born Serbian point guard with FC Bayern Munich had a heck of a week. First off he made his easyCredit BBL debut against EWE Baskets Oldenburg and then he collected 21 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in Bayern’s U19 NBBL quarter-final playoffs Game 1 win over kickz IBAM, a game which Bayern basically played with six players.

5:20 - Up-coming event we are watching - This one is easy - ANGT Ljubljana which runs from April 15-17 in the Slovenian capital.

Before we get into the talk with Travis Trice, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Mexican forward Gael Bonilla of FC Barcelona - which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

6:15 - Sneak preview of interview

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Travis Trice, point guard Slask Wroclaw - 13:35

Here is an article written about Travis playing together with his brother at Slask.

Are you looking for more Taking The Charge? Here are the first 300 episodes of Taking The Charge, just click here and head over to heinnews.com.

If you enjoyed this interview or any of the other content on the Taking The Charge substack, please, do yourself a favor and click on that “Subcribe now” button. That way you will not miss any posts when they are published. If you decide to be a paid subscriber, you will get access to the Taking The Charge Prospects podcast as well as the archived editions of the Talking Talent podcast.

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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

2:50 - Story we are watching - Nike Hoop Summit will take place on Friday, April 8 in Portland, Oregon at 7pm (0400 CET).

5:50 - Young player of the week - Victor Wembanyama had a great game against Le Portel with 25 points, 3 three-pointers, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks.

8:40 - Up-coming event we are watching - I will be actually heading to a game - this weekend will be checking out the IBAM kickz vs FC Bayern Munich NBBL quarter-finals playoffs Game 1.

Before we get into the talk with Alex Ferrer Kristjansson Ramirez , we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Greek guard Alexandros Nikolaidis of Lavrio on loan from Olympiacos Piraeus - which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

10:40 - Sneak preview of interview

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Alex Ferrer Kristjansson - Senior director, Marketing and Communications, Euroleague Basketball - 18:35

Are you looking for more Taking The Charge? Here are the first 300 episodes of Taking The Charge, just click here and head over to heinnews.com.

If you enjoyed this interview or any of the other content on the Taking The Charge substack, please, do yourself a favor and click on that “Subcribe now” button. That way you will not miss any posts when they are published. If you decide to be a paid subscriber, you will get access to the Taking The Charge Prospects podcast as well as the archived editions of the Talking Talent podcast.

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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

4:10 - Story we are watching - Unlike the seemingly prevailing thought out there … the Covid pandemic is not over and more evidence - besides the still record number of instances in Gemany - is two of the top young players in Germany having been hit hard by the virus despite being double-vaxxed and boostered. Be careful.

6:20 - Young player of the week - Alexandros Samountorov was clearly the player most people were anticipating going into the ANGT Patras and he didn’t disappoint.

7:40 - Up-coming event we are watching - That’s easy … ANGT Varese. Don’t need to say much.

Before we get into the talk with Jesus Ramirez , we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Turkish guard David Mutaf from Gran Canaria - which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

9:20 - Sneak preview of interview

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Rafael Barlowe - founder of NBA Draft Junkies and to-be author of NBA Big Board newsletter and podcast - 15:55

Here is a breakdown of the interview

17:35 - Thoughts about Alexandros Samontourov and Miro Little among other players at the ANGT Patras

23:15 - About his scouting process of looking at players

28:35 - How he got into the international game

34:30 - What European clubs do differently in player development and what impact less attention on social media such as in the United States has on that

40:30 - If he could market the game in Europe what he would do differently to increase the interest

44:10 - How he evaluates youngsters playing in a EuroCup or EuroLeague team

50:10 - Thoughts about Nikola Jovic and Ismael Kamagate and other Europeans who might be in the 2022 NBA Draft

59:45 - About most high schools in the United States not having a shot clock and college basketball having a 30-second shot clock and if players struggle initially with 24-second shot clock

1:05:15 - About taking over as the full-time author of the NBA Big Board newsletter and podcast from Chad Ford - and what he plans on doing. Breaking news: The Big Board Podcast will become five days a week

1:10:55 - If a growing family might be a problem with his career jump

1:12:55 - Which players may have helped or hurt their draft stock in the NCAA Tournament

1:16:45 - How he goes about building a mock draft

1:19:35 - Thoughts about the Australian NBL, Overtime Elite and GLeague Ignite as new avenues to the NBA

1:23:35 - What he would suggest to young scouts wanting to rise the ranks in the game

1:29:15 - What about the future of the NBA Draft Junkies website

Are you looking for more Taking The Charge? Here are the first 300 episodes of Taking The Charge, just click here and head over to heinnews.com.

If you enjoyed this interview or any of the other content on the Taking The Charge substack, please, do yourself a favor and click on that “Subcribe now” button. That way you will not miss any posts when they are published. If you decide to be a paid subscriber, you will get access to the Taking The Charge Prospects podcast as well as the archived editions of the Talking Talent podcast.

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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

4:00 - Story we are watching - Three more teams will book spots at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship 2022 as the FIBA U18 South American Championship 2022 is going on in Venezuela.

5:40 - Young player of the week - Fedor Zugic is really playing well for ratiopharm ulm, and the 2003-born Montenegrin was praised by Ulm head coach Jaka Lakovic after the team’s win in the 7DAYS EuroCup.

7:45 - Up-coming event we are watching - The second leg of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament tips off this Friday in Patras, Greece and there should be a lot of really interesting talent to watch there.

Before we get into the talk with Jesus Ramirez , we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Croatian forward Roko Prkacin from Cibona Zagreb - which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

9:30 - Sneak preview of interview

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Jesus Ramirez - head coach Basketball Löwen Braunschweig - 17:15

Here is a breakdown of the interview

18:15 - Update on injury to David Krämer … and how he deals with an injury to a major player as a coach

20:20 - About dealing with highs and lows with young players - and losing seven games after having double-digit leads

24:05 - how he sees the state of the team in the home stretch of the season

27:05 - about his beginnings in the game just outside of Barcelona

30:25 - who some of his role models in coaching were growing up

33:20 - how he made the move as a 32-year-old from Spain to Germany and ratiopharm ulm

38:00 - what some of his highlights were during his six seasons at Ulm

42:10 - what made him decide to leave Germany and return to Spain and become an assistant coach at Bilbao

44:55 - how he landed after that season in Hungary at Alba Fehervar

47:15 - Helped Fehervar reach the FIBA Europe Cup Quarter-Finals and had a crazy series with Hapoel Holon - losing by 33 points in the first leg and then finishing the second game regulation with the exact same score but lost in overtime

53:25 - About coaching Spanish playing legend Carlos Cabezas in Hungary

55:45 - Landing at Polish side King Szczecin in December 2020

58:00 - About returning to Germany to take over as head coach at Braunschweig

1:00:25 - About how Germany is seen and recognized outside the country within Europe

1:02:25 - What makes Spanish coaches in Germany have the resilience and willingness to play young German players

1:05:35 - About bringing in Fabien Tellez for the U19 and Regionalliga teams from FC Barcelona’s youth team

1:07:20 - How he learned to tell the difference between identical twins Brandon and Nicholas Tischler and if they ever tried to trick him

1:09:10 - About the Tischler brothers’ development this season

1:10:45 - How the development of Luc van Slooten has been going

1:14:55 - About the development of 2003-born big man Sananda Fru

1:18:00 - How it is working with Dennis Schröder as the team owner and his commitment for the club

Are you looking for more Taking The Charge? Here are the first 300 episodes of Taking The Charge, just click here and head over to heinnews.com.

If you enjoyed this interview or any of the other content on the Taking The Charge substack, please, do yourself a favor and click on that “Subcribe now” button. That way you will not miss any posts when they are published. If you decide to be a paid subscriber, you will get access to the Taking The Charge Prospects podcast as well as the archived editions of the Talking Talent podcast.

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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

2:00 Story we are watching - Johnathon Givony has released the names he believes will be playing for the World Select Team at the 2022 Nike Hoop Summit. We look forward to USA Basketball and Nike making an official announcement.

4:05 - Young player of the week - Roko Prkacin, 2002-born forward, has returned to action for Cibona after missing more than three months with ankle surgery - he has the pink shoes in the highlights.

5:25 - Up-coming event we are watching - The draw for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022 will be taking place on Thursday, March 17, 2022.

Before we get into the talk with London Johnson, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Swedish guard Melwin Pantzar from Real Valladolid - which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

7:55 - Sneak preview of interview

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London Johnson, Norcross/Jamaica (12:30)

Here is a rundown of the interview - HERE is the link to the article written from this interview

12:55 - Favorite memories of 2021

13:45 - How he started in the game

14:55 - About his moving around growing up

17:00 - When sports began playing more of a role

19:10 - Challenges of meeting new people growing up

20:35 - When he thought he was pretty good at the game

21:20 - Who some of his basketball role models were growing up

22:20 - What it’s like to be recruited by all these schools

23:50 - What are some reasons why he will pick the college he does choose in the end

25:00 - What’s been the most fun part of the selection process and the worst part of the attention

26:10 - His thoughts about not playing with a shot clock

28:50 - How he adapted to a 24-second shot clock for the first time at the FIBA U17 Centrobasket Championship 2021

29:50 - His connection to Jamaica and how he got the passport

31:05 - How much the Jamaican culture was part of his upbringing

32:00 - How he got his first name

32:35 - How he ended up playing with the Jamaican national team

33:15 - What it was like for him to be in his family’s homeland

34:35 - Where he says he’s from/calls home

35:15 - What the FIBA U17 Centrobasket Championship 2021 was like for him

36:20 - How challenging the competition was for him - being so much better than the rest of his teammates

37:50 - How he describes his excellent shooting numbers despite all the attention from the opposing defense

39:00 - How tiring the tournament was for him

40:20 - What are some of the biggest things he learned from the tournament

40:55 - A scouting report on 2007-born Marcus McDonald

41:45 - His thoughts about 2008-born Tristan McDonald

42:50 - If he’s had communication with other players with Jamaican connections

44:25 - Rapid fire questions

46:55 - Where he sees his game and what he is working on to improve

47:45 - About playing the saxophone

48:35 - How playing the saxophone helps him on the court

50:35 - How good of a saxophonist does he think he is

51:25 - About wanting to study pre-med in college

52:25 - His thoughts on the pandemic

53:25 - How much he looks forward to the end of the pandemic - and feeding off the crowd energy

54:05 - His thoughts about the differing ways to get to the NBA - G-League, Overtime, Australia

55:25 - His thoughts about NIL (name image and likeness)

56:15 - How relieved he will be when his decision is made public

Are you looking for more Taking The Charge? Here are the first 300 episodes of Taking The Charge, just click here and head over to heinnews.com.

If you enjoyed this interview or any of the other content on the Taking The Charge substack, please, do yourself a favor and click on that “Subcribe now” button. That way you will not miss any posts when they are published. If you decide to be a paid subscriber, you will get access to the Taking The Charge Prospects podcast as well as the archived editions of the Talking Talent podcast.

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Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

3:55 Story we are watching - The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague decided to void all games played against the three Russian teams - not just future games.

6:40 - Young player of the week - Jaime Pradilla, 2001-born center Valencia Basket. Don’t look now but he has scored in double figures in his last four games with Valencia - two each in the EuroCup and ACB. He is averaging 13.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.5 steals in those games. Pradilla also picked up 8 points and 3 rebounds for the Spanish national team against Ukraine.

8:20 - Up-coming event we are watching - Real Madrid will be hosting AX Armani Exchange Milan on Friday March 11 in the EuroLeague. Real have lost four straight games as well as eight of the last 13 games.

Before we get into the talk with Deniz Aksoy, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with German forward Luc van Slooten from Basketball Löwen Braunschweig - which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

10:45 - Sneak preview of interview

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Deniz Aksoy, Turkish basketball commentator (17:25)

Here is a rundown of the interview

18:15 - If she ever gets confused knowing which show she is actually doing

20:20 - Her insight into the status of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

25:30 - How she thinks Anadolu Efes Istanbul are holding up as reigning EuroLeague champs

30:05 - The start of her journey in the basketball world - and early memories of Efes

33:00 - About going to Italian high school in Istanbul

36:00 - Why she studied in Milan

37:05 - As someone who really shows her fashion, what was it like being in Milan

39:10 - Why Salma Hayek, Nadine Labaki, Monica Bellucci and Penelope Cruz are her role models

41:20 - Which one movie from that quartet she would watch as a final movie

42:55 - What she learned from traveling in Peru about 10 years ago

45:10 - How she started getting in the media world

47:25 - What she did at FIBA EuroBasket 2017 in Istanbul - working for YouFirst

49:40 - How she remembers her experience working in China at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019

52:55 - About moving from Milan back to Istanbul to work for S Sport

54:50 - What other job she would do if she had had a chance

55:25 - What her favorite interview was

58:50 - Any role models/mentors among media people

1:00:05 - About her role as a role model as a female in the basketball world

1:03:25 - What she has learned from Murat Murathanoglu

1:06:20 - What was the experience like being at the NBA Draft with Alperen Sengun

1:10:35 - About watching Anadolu Efes Istanbul winning the EuroLeague title - but watching it from home.

1:13:50 - Future goals/aspirations

Are you looking for more Taking The Charge? Here are the first 300 episodes of Taking The Charge, just click here and head over to heinnews.com.

If you enjoyed this interview or any of the other content on the Taking The Charge substack, please, do yourself a favor and click on that “Subcribe now” button. That way you will not miss any posts when they are published. If you decide to be a paid subscriber, you will get access to the Taking The Charge Prospects podcast as well as the archived editions of the Talking Talent podcast.

Subscribe now

Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

2:15 - Story we are watching - The war in Ukraine and what ramifications it is having for Russian clubs in basketball.

4:35 - Young player of the week - Killian Malwaya - guard with ASVEL Villeurbanne who helped the French club win the Adidas Next Generation Tournament Belgrade and was MVP.

6:55 - Up-coming event we are watching - The Play for Passion tournament in Bassano, Italy, hosted by Orange1 Basket Bassano. The U16 event running from Thursday to Sunday has the Bassano team as well as Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Olimpia Milan, Promitheas Patras, Ratgeber Academy and Real Madrid.

Before we get into the talk with Xavier van Lierop, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Australian wing Luke Travers from Perth Wildcats - which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

8:30 - Sneak preview of interview

Xavier Van Lierop, trainer with All Day Athletes in Amsterdam, Netherlands (13:30)

Here is a rundown of the interview

13:55 - Some background about All Day Athletes

17:00 - What basketball was like in Amsterdam when the organization was started

18:50 - How they were trained to become trainers

21:50 - What kind of connection ADA has with the Netherlands basketball federation

22:50 - Who some of the players are who came through the organization

24:45 - Structure of ADA - not a club

27:05 - Reaction from Netherlands clubs to their work

28:05 - What work is done with veteran Netherlands players

29:45 - How ADA gets their players tryouts with teams - such as Barcelona and Joventut

31:35 - How a tryout with Barcelona or Joventut can help a youngster in their development

33:40 - How ADA advises where players should go for their next step

36:10 - What ADA does better than other organizations

36:55 - If Amsterdam could be considered an emerging hotbed in basketball

41:10 - The importance of Netherlands being in Division A at FIBA U16 European Championship

43:50 - If Netherlands is becoming a place where young players can stay and play in the local league

46:05 - Goals for the future

Are you looking for more Taking The Charge? Here are the first 300 episodes of Taking The Charge, just click here and head over to heinnews.com.

If you enjoyed this interview or any of the other content on the Taking The Charge substack, please, do yourself a favor and click on that “Subcribe now” button. That way you will not miss any posts when they are published. If you decide to be a paid subscriber, you will get access to the Taking The Charge Prospects podcast as well as the archived editions of the Talking Talent podcast.

Subscribe now

Before that … let’s take a quick look around the world of basketball with the Big Three

3:40 - Story we are watching - The globe is in national team basketball fever as the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers run this weekend from Thursday to Monday.

4:55 - Young player of the week - This week there are 12 Young Player of the Week honorees and they are the players selected for the Next Generation Team Belgrade for the Adidas Next Generation Tournament Belgrade. That dozen of lucky players not only get to play in one of the best youth club competitions in the world but they get to be coached by the legendary Vassilis Spanoulis.

6:45 - Up-coming event we are watching - The Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Belgrade starts on Friday in the Serbian capital and it’s like Christmas for youth hoops fans. Nuf said.

Before we get into the talk with Michele O’Keefe, we would like to give you a sneak peak of the Taking The Charge Prospects Podcast interview with Polish center Aleksander Balcerowski from Mega Belgrade in Serbia - on loan from Spanish side Gran Canaria - which is part of the paid subscription section of the TTC substack.

10:35 - Sneak preview of interview

Michele Okeefe - Athletic Director at Niagara College, member of the FIBA Central Board and also a member of the FIBA commission Women in Basketball (15:10)

Here is a breakdown of the interview

15:30 - Thoughts about the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 Qualifiers

17:35 - How she dealt with watching FWBWCQ or Winter Olympics

18:40 - Feeling in Canada after the country lost in the quarter-finals of men’s ice hockey

21:50 - Chances of Canada at FWBWC 2022 in Australia

25:20 - Who some of her role models or mentors were over the course of her rise in Basketball Canada

32:00 - Goals for Basketball Canada when she took over as president and CEO

34:25 - How the country learned from losing to United States in the final of the FIBA U16 Americas in 2015

38:25 - How magical the title was at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017

45:20 - How did Basketball Canada deal with players who decided against playing for the national team - youth and senior national teams

50:40 - How good Canada can be when all of the provinces start producing more and more players

55:15 - How she sees her legacy at Basketball Canada

56:35 - What some of the goals/objectives are for the FIBA commission Women in Basketball

1:04:40 - More details about the Adelante program

1:08:30 - Some issues that the FIBA Central Board is looking at

1:10:20 - How can people support the push for women's basketball

1:12:15 - What are some of the things she is doing at Niagara College

Are you looking for more Taking The Charge? Here are the first 300 episodes of Taking The Charge, just click here and head over to heinnews.com.

If you enjoyed this interview or any of the other content on the Taking The Charge substack, please, do yourself a favor and click on that “Subcribe now” button. That way you will not miss any posts when they are published. If you decide to be a paid subscriber, you will get access to the Taking The Charge Prospects podcast as well as the archived editions of the Talking Talent podcast.

Subscribe now