Exclusive Interview With Will Solomon
Toronto’s latest free agent addition, Will Solomon, talked with Ryan McNeill during the Toronto Raptors media day about his experiences playing overseas, what he did during 10 hour bus rides in Europe, what motivated him to return to the NBA, and he shared his expectations for the upcoming season.
Ryan McNeill: You’ve had the chance to play overseas the past couple of seasons. What are some of your favourite memories?
Will Solomon: I really appreciated the fans and the excitement of playing basketball over there. I just really enjoyed the past six years. That’s why I kept going back. There are a lot of fans that enjoy basketball and are die hard (fans) for the club that you’re playing for so that’s something I’ll miss. But here in Toronto, I hear they are die hard fans also. So, I’m looking forward to seeing that and experiencing something like there here in the NBA.
McNeill: Some of your new teammates have talked about going overseas and growing on and off the court. How did your time overseas help you mature as a player and a person?
Solomon: I think playing basketball overseas you’re there by yourself so you become a man faster. You’re not around your family, you’re just around your teammates and people from different cultures. It’s just basketball played at a high level every night. Jose (Calderon) played in the Euro League. (Louis) Scola. (Jorge) Garbajosa played here. And Anthony Parker is a former Maccabi Tel Aviv player like myself. So it’s really just playing against talented players and growing as a person.
McNeill: You were on a bus for 10 hours at a time with teammates. What do you do for 10 hours straight on a bus?
Solomon: Well… you sleep, listen to your iPod, talk, joke, stop for washroom breaks at gas stations, get back on the bus and eat. It’s really just a lot of growing as a team. Growing that tight bond and just being together. I think (road trips like that) are what builds a team. It builds a family. Something you need on a basketball team is being a family by learning what they like and don’t like.
McNeill: You had a lot of success and enjoyed your time in Europe. Why did you decide to come back to the NBA?
Solomon: I think with my age and playing there for quite some time, I think it was the time for me to come back and it was a great opportunity (to sign with Toronto). I don’t want to take this opportunity for granted. I just want to come in, work hard, take every step slowly and learn from the guys that have been here and hopefully we can be successful.
McNeill: What are some of the things you’re excited about for the upcoming season?
Solomon: I’m excited for this team! The sky’s the limit. We’ve got a bunch of young guys, a bunch of veteran guys and we’ve got some all-stars.
McNeill: What are some of your team or personal goals for the upcoming season?
Solomon: I think just taking some of my experiences and what I know and doing anything possible to help the team be successful.
McNeill: Thank you for your time and good luck this year.
Solomon: Thank you.
Click here to listen to the audio version of this interview.
Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media
This article was written by:
Ryan McNeill - who has written 207 posts on Hoops Addict.
Ryan McNeill is the editor for Hoops Addict and has appeared on NBA XL and WSRQ 1220. Ryan has covered the NBA with media credentials since the 2007 season.
Comments
By Chris on October 2nd, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Sweet
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