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Wickside: A weekly column by Ahrela Weisberg

Jan Wesley: "I hear people cursing me in Tel Aviv. I miss those energies"

"Oberdovich? Strange without him, but we had to change the atmosphere."

"The first thing I will do after the corona - I will drown and roar towards the bleachers."

"Nano Ginzburg scolded me and I thought: The guy is crazy, but understands what he's doing."

"I'm still afraid the pain will come back."

Fenerbahce star in an exclusive interview with Walla!

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• Jan Wesley

• Fenerbahce

• Euroleague

• Maccabi Tel Aviv in basketball

Ahrela Weisberg

Thursday, October 29, 2020, 12:30 p.m.

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"Unfortunately, the song against me caught on."

Jan Wesley in an interview with Ahrela Weisberg in Tel Aviv

Jan Wesley knows full well what a reception he was supposed to expect tonight (Thursday, 9:05 p.m.) at Yad Eliyahu.

Every time he is hosted by Fenerbahce at Maccabi Tel Aviv, the yellow crowd dedicates a song to him and curses him;

But this time, when the stands are left empty and orphaned, the silence will stand out.

And even though he is not a fan of the fans, even the singing against him will be lacking for him.

"It's still weird for me to play without an audience," Wesley admits in an exclusive interview with Walla!

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"Even when you play outside, and the fans cheer on the opposing team, it helps you. Now we have to find different ways to increase motivation. I'm not quite used to this situation yet."

"Obviously," laughs the Czech chin, "unfortunately, this song really caught on ... I object to this whole thing of cursing against actors, but it does not really bother me. I experienced it when I played Partizan Belgrade, and so it is with Fenerbahce "These are groups with a large crowd, and with strong rivalries, and they attract fire. I love those energies around, and I miss them."

"It's easy. I'll drown and roar at the fans."

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"I'm not quite used to the new situation yet."

Wesley in the position he misses the most (Photo: GettyImages)

Fenerbahce landed in Israel yesterday afternoon, and settled in the Herods Hotel on the beach of Tel Aviv.

The area looks pretty deserted.

Other hotels are closed, and the building itself shows - apart from the Turkish delegation - mainly foreign air crews who are in Israel.

Team members are not allowed to leave the hotel, except for travel for training and the game itself.

The atmosphere at the club is quite tense: although it opened the Euroleague with two victories (over Red Star Belgrade and Anadolu Efes), Fener arrives in Tel Aviv with three consecutive losses - at home to CSKA Moscow (after extra time) and Bayern Munich, and last week to Panathinaikos. Coach Igor Kokushkov. From the game in Athens after confronting one of the referees, which may indicate the mood of the team

at the moment.At least on a personal level, Wesley (30, 2.13) can be encouraged from the start of the season.After a full year playing and disabled intermittently, until the outbreak of the corona plague, he looks much better It's hard to make summaries after just one month, but the fact that the Czech is currently averaging his highest in the Euroleague career - 12.6 points and seven rebounds per game - is a positive sign.

" And I underwent rehabilitation, and when I returned to activity I discovered that I was still in pain.

I do not know if I came back too early, or if the diagnosis was inaccurate, but it was a difficult time.

I worked hard, I felt good, I started playing, and then the pain reappeared, and I was disabled again.

This has happened again and again.

It's not easy to go back and forth four times in one year. "

" No, "says Wesley, knocking twice on the table, against the evil eye." I never thought too much about injuries.

The painful thing was when I came back, and I realized I had not yet recovered one hundred percent.

This is already the fifth time I have resumed the activity, and in the meantime I feel good.

I hope it stays that way, but I still have the fear that the pain will return. "

"I learned not to look at the bench after a mistake."

Wesley with Oberdovich in Tel Aviv (Photo: Kobi Eliyahu)

- Could it be that the forced rest from the corona arranged for you the time needed for rest and rehabilitation?

"I can not say I took the time to work on my game. We were shut down for three months, and all I did was run on the treadmill and lift weights. I tried to stay fit, so I would not get injured if they resumed the games. I only returned to the hall at the end of June, a month and a half "Before we started preparing for the season. After so much time off the pitch, it's a bit difficult to get into the rhythm, especially with all the changes the team has gone through, but in the meantime I can not complain. I hope it will only get better."

"It's weird that Jeliko is not with us, but I'm practicing slowly. We've been together for three months with the new coach and the new players. The communication between us is good, and we try to learn the method and adapt. It's different, and I think the change is for the better. We need new energy. "

"After six years with Zeljko, I just learned not to look at the bench after I'm wrong," laughs Wesley.

"I learned from him that I just need to correct the mistake and make up for it with defense or offense."

"I don't usually watch basketball, but at the World Cup I didn't miss a game."

Nano Ginzburg (Photo: AP)

When he burst into consciousness in a Belgrade partisan uniform, Wesley played in both forward positions, and even threw close to two threes in the game and hit close to 40 percent;

He was later converted to the chin, and became one of the best domestic players in Europe.

He completely gave up the shot from outside, and in 174 appearances with Fenerbahce in the Euroleague he stands at 3 of 16 for three.

"I do not know ... I already feel comfortable as a chin, and I can also play as a power forward. If the coach asks me to play as number 3, I will do it, but not sure how much it will work. It is not ideal for me. Even as a four, I am not exactly Stretch Four, but another inside player who is trying to find my spice close to the basket and in the area of ​​the penalty line. "

Until the injuries that slowed him down, Wesley also underwent a radical change when it comes to free throws.

After a 50 percent career career off the line (including a 1-of-14 fall display in the Final Four in 2016), he improved his accuracy and reached 74 percent in the next two years.

"I did not change the technique too much," explains the Fenerbahce star.

"It's a matter of training and practicing, and especially knowing how to focus and work on the mental side. In my opinion, free throws depend first and foremost on the head. I see players who throw in a really weird way, and manage to score, because they believe in it and practice."

"I did not change my shot technique."

Wesley on the penalty line (Photo: GettyImages)

With all due respect to the frequent meetings with Maccabi Tel Aviv, Wesley's Israeli connection stems first and foremost from his cooperation in the Czech national team with coach Nano Ginzberg.

In 2015 they came together to achieve the country’s record since seceding from Slovakia, finishing seventh in the European Championships, with Wesley ranked third in the King of Baskets table (19.3 points, behind Pau Gasol and Dennis Schroeder) and second among rebounders (9.1).

But the road there was not smooth, as he attests.

"When I got to the prep period, after the long season at Fenner, it was not easy for me to give 100 percent right away. I slowly groped, I searched for myself. In one of the prep games we won by 20 points and scored something like 20 points, but after dinner Nano called me and showed I have videos with mistakes I made in the game.

"I was surprised by that.

Like, we're just preparing, what are you talking about.

I said to him: 'Listen, Nano, I understand what you mean, and it's not that I do not care, but these games are less important to me.

When the championship comes, I'll be the best I can be.

From that moment on, a respectful relationship developed between us, and we succeeded together.

I said to myself 'okay, maybe this guy is a little crazy, but he knows what he's doing.

After the tournament we sat down for a beer and I reminded him of this conversation. "

Wesley smiles." I must disagree.

They captured insane momentum, played great team basketball, and surprised rival after rival.

I wish I could be there, and I think I would fit in, but I'm happy with their success.

I can tell you that I do not usually watch basketball, but when the team appeared in Mondobasket, I did not miss a game. "

Before we part, I ask Wesley to explain his relationship with Jana Vesla, one of the legendary basketball players in the Czech Republic, who won two WNBA championships. Euroleague and Eurobasket. "We are always asked about it, but we are not brothers!", He clarifies. "Wesley Vesla are very common names with us, and I have met her at all kinds of Czech basketball ceremonies and events.

She is already flowing with these questions and saying 'yes, I'm better than my brother' ... the truth is that we have no family connection ".

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