The serious injury ("I locked myself in the bathroom, I did not want to believe") • The season under David Blatt ("He made me shine") • And the desire to end my career in Moscow ("I finished with the NBA dream, CSKA entered my heart ") • Just before Maccabi Tel Aviv, Will Claiborne speaks
Will Claiborne.
"CSKA entered my heart"
Photography:
CSKA Moscow, official website
In recent years Will Claiborne is one of the best players in Europe.
In 2018/19 chosen top five players of the Euroleague this season and the outstanding player in the Final Four and was a key factor in winning the CSKA Moscow factory. Everything is interrupted in October 2019, when during play against Alba Berlin forward tore the ligament and finished the season.
Just recently returned Claiborne parquet after ten Months, and tonight against Maccabi Tel Aviv he will try to cover up for the absence of his sick friends in Corona.
"I feel good," he says in a special interview with "Israel Today," and in the first months since the injury I have not trained much to strengthen and fully recover.
In the last few months, I have returned to training and I feel ready for the season. "
How did you feel when you realized that you had torn the cruciate ligament?
"A lot of things went through my mind. When I got the MRI results and was told I had torn the cruciate ligament, I went and locked myself in the bathroom. I did not want to believe that was the case and spent everything in my private space. I did not want to be near other people in those moments. I understood that this was an opportunity for me to face a difficult challenge. "
How hard was it to sit outside and watch the friends compete on the field?
"It was really hard to watch my friends from the sidelines without being able to help. It was a bad year in general, all over the world. There were crazy things in it, and I hope we go for better times."
I'm sure it's not easy to get back on the field after such a serious injury, maybe there are concerns.
"You're right. The biggest challenge is mental, and I've been working on it lately. I'm really been waiting to get back on the pitch and now I just hope to stay healthy. I want to get back to being the player I was before the injury and maybe even better."
"Hapoel Holon is a special place"
In recent years there have been rumors of a possible transfer of Claiborne to the NBA, but it did not materialize.
After the injury, his chances of reaching the best league in the world may have diminished, but if you ask him, he even wants to stay at CSKA until the end of his career. "The NBA is a trick, it's all a matter of timing," he explains, "like any young player leaving College I wanted to play there and it failed me.
"When I was in Drushpaka I told myself I was done with this dream and I wanted to stay in Europe, and then I came to CSKA. After we won the Euroleague I had a chance to go, but I could not leave. CSKA entered my heart and if it works out, I would love to stay here until the end of my career."
Over the years, you and many other good players moved to Hapoel Holon and later came to big clubs in Europe. How do you explain that?
"Holon is a special place.
They got a name for a place with a lot of guys who work hard and are successful in Europe.
I do not know exactly how to explain it, but the city, the fans, the organization - everything is great there.
"Anyone who comes to Holon finds himself in a good situation to show his talent, it pays to play there."
secretly.
"He will always be by your side" // Photo: Getty Images
After the season in Holon, you moved to play for David Blatt in Drushpaka. What do you remember from the time with him?
"He's a great person, a great philosopher and always teaches and explains. As a player you feel he's always going to be with you and by your side. As a coach he's one of the best I've seen, but he's even a better person than coach, which is a compliment. He gave me my first chance in the Euroleague "He made me shine, I progressed thanks to him and I appreciate him for that and wish him much good in life."
The interview with Claiborne took place before it was revealed that some of his teammates were infected with Corona, but even then the player commented on the situation and that the teams could come to games with missing staff: "There is a difficult situation that caused trouble for many people. We will have to make adjustments and I hope to concentrate As a series. "
Can the signings of Turnika Shangalya and Nikola Milutinov help you this season in the battle to win the Euroleague?
"These two guys will surely help the team. I like our chances of winning the Euroleague."
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