A bit of History

A Lifelong Love for Basketball

I fell for basketball with all my heart since I discovered it. The game's complexity contrasted with such a simple principle fascinates me.

I have been watching the NBA frequently since 2012. I've been among the biggest fans of NBA2Ks, especially the MYTEAM mode, where you can build a team and control each player and strategy.

Throughout my growth, I've learned about the roles and different ways to play basketball. I've also studied some players who inspire me, including LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Draymond Green, Kobe Bryant, Anthony Davis and Jimmy Butler.

Initial Challenges and Role Confinement

I started playing basketball in Liege in 2010, in my small neighborhood club. I played as a center since I was the tallest on my team.

I never liked this role but loved basketball, so I thrived to improve and became a crucial piece of my team every time.

I was also trying new things to get new skills progressively, but it was challenging since coaches wanted me to stick to my role and its traditional functions: get rebounds, play inside defense, set screens, and score from inside on occasion.

Newfound Versatility and Multidimensional Game

After seven years, I left my club and played with the University of Leuven in Brussels in 2017, and there, I realized my potential and how versatile I could be without too much effort.

Nobody tried to restrict me to a specific role, and people respected my game; I could finally play how it made sense for me to play, in a psychologically safe environment.

I played center at the beginning, then progressively became a forward and even a point guard towards the end of the year.

All of that while staying effective and winning games against competitive teams.

I was proud to tell my dad that good players and coaches called me Kevin Durant.

Struggles and Dropout

I decided to return to Liege in 2018 to pursue my studies, and I signed up at a small club close to home, thinking that I could move away from the center position this time.

Unfortunately, I met the same issue: people couldn't see past my height.

I was doing everything at the training to prove I could take on another role: shooting from far, attacking the rim with speed, showing a good court vision and understanding of the game, and making impressive plays from the outside.

Despite all of that, I would eventually never get the chance.

My self-esteem was affected; I started thinking that I was maybe not good enough, and it became a self-fulfilling vicious cycle.

My overall level decreased from the previous year, and it was a massive blow that made me move away from playing basketball in clubs.

I even forgot about the level I used to have, as if it was just a fantasy in my head.

I don’t blame any individuals implied in these events; this is how the system is built.

American Epiphany

Everything changed when I arrived in the US and started competing with every good player I could meet, from New York to Boston.

I couldn't help but see that despite my mediocre center formation in Belgium and being highly rusty, I could compete with and even outclass talented, skilled, and athletic American players.

I honestly couldn’t believe some of what I was doing effortlessly on the defensive and offensive end; that’s part of why I decided to film myself at some point.

To analyze and understand, but also to accept and never forget.

I felt like I was on my hill, alone most of the time. I realized that I had many different ways to win, many different ways to impact the game.

How? I’ll dive into it on next page.