INTERVIEW: Octavius Ellis - If I had played like this in my last college season...

Wednesday, 30. November 2016 at 13:38

Octavius Ellis is the player with the highest average index rating in November! Mornar Bar center was brilliant in the last 4 rounds of ABA League in which he averaged 26 index points per match. 

Octavius Ellis (Photo: Mornar/MEDIA Pro)

Octavius Ellis is the player with the highest average index rating in November! Mornar Bar center was brilliant in the last 4 rounds of ABA League in which he averaged 26 index points per match.

And, as he said it himself, this might be the best time in his basketball career.

Read the full interview that Octaius Ellis gave for the official website of ABA League.

How do you like ABA League so far? What are you impressions about the competition?

"Before I arrived in Bar, my manager told me that ABA League is one of the strongest basketball leagues in Europe. And now I see that he was right. I really like this, I must say, tough competition. You need to be focused for the whole time and play with full intensity in each game. It is especially difficult for me as this is my rookie season and I am playing against much older and more experienced players."

How would you compare ABA League with the NCAA, where you had played before coming to Mornar?

"ABA league is much different than the NCAA, simply because this is a professional league. I played a college league before, where I faced younger and inexperienced players."

There are five American players in the 2016/17 roster of Mornar. Do you hang out outside the court as well and what are your favorite activities in your free time?

"I usually spend my free time with my fellow Americans, but I also hang out with the rest of the crew, especially with team captain Marko Mijović and with Nemanja Krstić. Just recently, five of us Americans have celebrated Thanksgiving Day by having a lunch altogether in Tay Waller's apartment. As far as my favorite free time activity is concerned - It's rest, rest and just rest."

ABA League fans have already started recognizing you by your impressive dunks. Is there some dunk from your career that have a special place in your memory?

"I can say that my favorite dunk was my first dunk which I made in high school when I was 12 years old and 188 cm tall. I enjoy in every dunk, because it ignites the crowd and boosts the morale of the team."

Do your family and friends follow your games in ABA League?

"I always send my family a link, so they can watch the games of Mornar. Back at home I have my father, two sisters and three brothers, while my mother has passed away. They say I am good, but they are not surprised with the way I am introducing myself to the basketball crowd in Europe. If I had played my last college season like I am playing now in ABA League, I would have probably ended up in the NBA."

Have you been in contact lately with your cousin Monta Ellis who is playing in NBA?

"No, I haven't talked to my close cousin Monta Ellis recently, as we have been both very busy."

What are your impressions about the town of Bar and about basketball club Mornar?

"This is definitely a valuable experience for me. I like Bar and the local people. I am glad that people like me here, that really feels good and gives me motivation to be even better. I also like very much the way our head coach Djordjije Pavićević is working with the team, especially because he lets me enjoy in my game. Although, I am aware that sometimes I might exaggerate in my celebrations. I am convinced that Mornar will remain in ABA League. The other teams will suffer some unexpected defeats while we will be better and better each day."

For the end, tell us something about your future plans?

"I will continue playing the best basketball I can here in Mornar and hopefully I will stay healthy. I might stay here for couple of more seasons, while in future I might even play in Euroleague or in NBA, who knows..."

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INTERVJU: Oktavijus Elis - "Da sam ovako igrao na koledžu, možda bih sada bio u NBA ligi"

Oktavijus Elis je igrač sa najvećim prosečnim indeksom uspešnosti u Novembru. Centar Mornara je briljirao na prethodne četiri utakmice u ABA ligi gde je prosečno beležio 26 indeksnih poena po meču.

A kako is sam priznaje, ovo je verovatno najbolji period u njegovoj košarkaškoj karijeri.

Pročitajte ceo intervju koji je Oktavijus Elis dao za zvaničan sajt ABA lige.

Kako vam se dopada ABA liga za sada? Kakvi su vaši utisci o takmičenju?

"Prije nego sam došao u Bar moj menadžer mi je rekao da je ABA liga jedna od najjačih u Evropi. U to sam se i uvjerio. Jako mi dopada ovo, istina, naporno takmičenje. Morate da budete fokusirani sve vrijeme i da igrate punim inzenzitetom na svakoj utakmici. Naročito je za mene teško jer je ovo moja ruki sezona i igram protiv mnogo starijih i iskusnijih igrača."

Kako biste uporedili košarku u ABA ligi sa onom, kakvu ste osjetili u ligi NCAA, gdje ste igrali prije dolaska na Jadran.

"Mnogo je drugačija ova liga jer je takmičenje na profesionalnom nivou. Prethodno sam igao u koledž ligi, sa, kao što sam i ja, mladim i neiskusnim rivalima."

U sastavu Mornara ove sezone ima čak 5 Amerikanaca. Da li se družite uglavnom sa njima i van parketa? Koje su vam omiljene zanimacije u slobodno vrijeme?

"Slobodno vrijeme uglavnom provodim sa svojim zemljacima, ali se družim i sa ostalim igračima Mornara, posebno sa kapitenom Markom Mijovićem i Nemanjom Krstićem. Nedavno smo nas petorica Amerikanaca proslavili Dan zahvalnosti organizujući zajednički ručak u stanu Teja Volera. Što se tiče omiljene zanimacije u slobodno vrijeme to je odmor, odmor i samo odmor."

Ljubitelji ABA lige su vas već prepoznali kao igrača sa sjajnim zakucavanjima. Da li postoji neko zakucavanje, koje vam je omiljeno u vašoj karijeri?

"Može se reći da mi je omiljeno prvo zakucavanje, u srednjoj školi, kad sam imao 12 godina i 188 centimetara. Uživam u svakom svom zakucavanju, jer podiže publiku i moral ekipe."

Da li vaša porodica i prijatelji prate vaše utakmice ovdje i kakve komentare primate od njih vezano za vaše igre, Mornar i ABA ligu?

"Redovno šaljem svoj porodici link kako bi mogli da gledaju uživo utakmice Mornara. Kod kuće imam oca, dvije sestre i tri brata, a majka mi je umrla. Kažu da sam dobar, ali nisu iznenađeni kako se predstavljam publici u ovom regionu i Evropi. Da sam na koledžu, u poslednjoj godini, igrao ovako kao u ABA ligi, vjerovatno bih završio u NBA ligi."

Da li ste u poslednje vrijeme bili u kontaktu sa vašim rođakom Monta Ellisom?

"Nisam razgovarao sa mojim bliskim rođakom Monta Elisom, zbog obaveza nismo imali priliku."

Kakve su vaše impresije o Baru i Mornaru?

"Ovo je, u svakom smislu, veliko iskustvo za mene. Volim Bar i Barane. Drago mi je što sam pobrao simpatije barske publike, to mi prija i motiviše da budem još bolji. Veoma mi se sviđa način na koji trener Đorđije Pavićević vodi utakmice, naročito što dopušta da uživam u sopstvenoj igri, iako sam svjestan da, ponekad, i pretjeram. Uvjeren sam da će Mornar ostati u ABA ligi. I ostale ekipe će da kiksaju, a mi ćemo biti sve bolji."

Recite nam, za kraj, nešto o svojim planovima?

"Nastaviću da igram najbolju košarku koju znam u Mornaru i budem zdrav. Možda ovdje ostanem još neku sezonu, a u skorijoj budućnosti možda zaigram u Evroligi ili NBA, zašto da ne?"

 

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