INTERVIEW: Alpha Kaba - "I enjoy playing on 'hot' away courts"

Rebounds, blocks, strong dunks... Those are all his signatures. And, he is just a the very beginning of his career. This is the story about Alpha Kaba, young center of Mega Leks, who is having a great first season in the ABA League.

Kaba missed the start of the season due to injury, so he had to wait on his debut until the 11th round of the ABA League. Since then, this talented French player has been an important part of the machinery called Mega Leks, which is just a step away from making a historic success of advancing to the Playoffs of the regional competition.

Mega Leks is making some excellent results in this season. Did you expect all of this before the start of the ABA League?

"Despite we are a very young squad, I immediately saw that we have extremely talented players and a very good team. We have been working very hard since the first training, while it was obvious from the start that we have a team chemistry that is necessary for success. Perhaps I did not really expect so good results, but I am not surprised by them at all."

Your head coach Dejan Milojević played as a power forward during his career. Does he have any special advices for you, considering that you are covering a similar position?

"The fact that Milojević played at a similar position as myself is a huge bonus on trainings. He has already given me so many useful advices. Every time I need something to change or upgrade in my game, he reacts. Dejan Milojević was a great player and he knows how to approach the players. Every his advice is very precious."

Mega Leks have a very young team. Do you guys hang out outside the gym and with whom do you spent the most free time?

"Of course we do. Whenever we have some free time, we like to go out for a drink or to go to cinema. I am spending the most time with Tim Luwawu and with Djordje Simeunović, but i need to emphasize that we are one very coherent group. We have a very good atmosphere inside the team and, most importantly, there is a healthy competition among the players, which helps every single one of us improve."

How do you rate the quality of ABA League?

"ABA League is indeed a very quality competition. It is a completely different game style in comparison to France. We have a nice support in Sremska Mitrovica, while I really enjoy playing on 'hot' away courts, because I think it helps us grow and gives us necessary experience."

What do you expect from the rest of the season?

"I expect that we keep winning. We always focus only to our next game, we go step by step and that way of thinking has brough us here. We miss only one single win to definitely secure a place in the Playoffs and it would be quite nice if we manage to do that in the clash against an Euroleague team such as Cedevita."

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Alfa Kaba: "Volim da igram na vrućim gostujućim terenima"

Skokovi, blokade, snažna zakucavanja... Sve su to njegovi potpisi. A tek je na početku svoje karijere. Ovo je priča o Alfa Kabi, mladom centru Mege Leks, koji sa velikim uspehom igra svoju debitantsku sezonu u ABA ligi.

Kaba je propustio početak sezone zbog povrede, tako da je prvu utakmice odigrao tek u 11. kolu. Od tada, on je veoma bitan šraf u ekipi Dejana Milojevića koja je na pragu istorijskog plasmana u plaj-of ABA lige.

Mega Leks beleži fenomenalne rezultate u ovoj sezoni. Da li ste očekivali pre početka ABA lige da će se stvari ovako odvijati?

"Iako smo vrlo mlada ekipa, odmah sam video da imamo veoma talentovane igrače i odličan tim. Od starta smo sjajno radili na treninzima i videlo se da posedujemo timsku hemiju koja je neophodna za uspehe. Možda nisam očekivao baš ovoliko dobre rezultate ali me svakako nisu u potpunosti iznenadili."

Vaš trener Dejan Milojević je nekada igrao na poziciji krilnog centra. Da li ima neke posebne savete za vas tokom i posle treninga, s obzirom da i vi igrate na sličnoj poziciji?

"To što je trener Dejan Milojević igrao na sličnoj poziciji tokom svoje igračke karijere je veliki plus na treninzima. Jako mnogo saveta mi je do sada dao koji su mi izuzetno koristili. Svaki put kad vidi da nešto treba da promenim ili unapredim u igri, on reaguje. Dejan Milojević je bio veliki igrač i zna kako treba da se postavi prema nama, a svaki njegov savet je dragocen."

Tim Mege Leks je veoma mlad. Da li se družite i van terena i sa kojim saigračem provodite najviše vremena?

"Svakako. Kad imamo slobodno vreme, volimo da izađemo na piće ili u bioskop. Najviše se družim sa Timom Luvavuom i Đoletom Simeunovićem. Međutim, moram da naglasim da smo vrlo skladna celina. U ekipi vlada odlična atmosfera, svi smo mladi i približnih godina, a ono što je najvažnije je da među nama vlada zdrava konkurencija koja nam omogućava da napredujemo."

Kako ocenjujete kvalitet ABA lige?

"ABA liga je jedno vrlo kvalitetno takmičenje. Igra se potpuno drugačije nego u Francuskoj. Imamo lepu podršku u Sremskoj Mitrovici, a volim i da igram na vrućim gostujućim terenima jer smatram da tako brže sazrevamo kao tim i stičemo potrebno iskustvo."

šta očekujete od nastavka sezone?

"Očekujem da nastavimo sa pobedama. Uvek se fokusiramo na sledeću utakmicu, korak po korak, i taj način razmišljanja nam je između ostalog, i doneo sadašnji rezultat. Nedostaje nam još jedna pobeda da i matematički obezbedimo plasman u plej-of ABA lige i bilo bi izuzetno lepo da to učinimo protiv dobre evroligaške ekipe kakva je Cedevita."