On Wednesday, Jan Vesely stops by to chat with his Czech fans.
http://basket.idnes.cz/basketbalista-jan-vesely-0xy-/odpovedi.asp?t=VESEL
Send your questions now and join Vesely Wed. at 3 p.m. CET.
http://basket.idnes.cz/basketbalista-jan-vesely-0xy-/odpovedi.asp?t=VESEL&akce=otazky
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Q&A: Vesely deals with wedding gift ideas, not Lockout
From this Saturday's denik.cz article:
http://www.denik.cz/ostatni_sport/vesely-resi-misto-vyluky-v-nba-svatebni-dar.html
"I'm not afraid about that, even if that can happen. Right now they are negotiating, so we'll see. Everything's being dealt with. We can only wait and believe that both sides find a solution."
What's your personal estimate? When the new season gets going?
"[The Lockout] Won't take too long. I think by the end of year [the regular season starts], at the latest."
Can the lockout process be the same as the one 13 years ago? They played only 50 games instead of 82...
"I think that they find an agreement sooner, everything will be okay and there will be no reduction of games. Even with less games, nothing terrible happens. I don't care how many games I play in my first season, I'm mainly looking forward to my premiere game."
Aren't you afraid that you will be deprived of the full experience? After all, you wouldn't take solace in a trimmed season...
http://www.denik.cz/ostatni_sport/vesely-resi-misto-vyluky-v-nba-svatebni-dar.html
It seems like you are not dismayed by the lockout happenings and a potential delayed start of a new NBA regular season. Aren't you surprised by lockout?
"We all reckoned with lockout, we knew that the lockout would begin the 1st of July. You got to find something good in there too. Summer League is cancelled, but actually it is a plus for me. At least I'll be resting. Otherwise I would have to be in Vegas now and practice and play. So I have all summer free and I can start preparing for the regular season."
That's nice, but there's a possibility the two sides fail to reach a deal and the start of the season begins to delay..."I'm not afraid about that, even if that can happen. Right now they are negotiating, so we'll see. Everything's being dealt with. We can only wait and believe that both sides find a solution."
What's your personal estimate? When the new season gets going?
"[The Lockout] Won't take too long. I think by the end of year [the regular season starts], at the latest."
Can the lockout process be the same as the one 13 years ago? They played only 50 games instead of 82...
"I think that they find an agreement sooner, everything will be okay and there will be no reduction of games. Even with less games, nothing terrible happens. I don't care how many games I play in my first season, I'm mainly looking forward to my premiere game."
"I don't take it like that. I don't have anything to worry about. For me the most important thing now is that I got drafted by an NBA team already and I belong to Washington. Moreover, I suppose I'll play in the NBA more than a year, so I don't think about it."
So what's in your head now?
"I'm going to Belgrade on Saturday. Petar Bozic, Partizan Belgrade's captain, where I played the last 3 seasons, invited me to his wedding. I'm trying to figure out what I'll bring him."
Didn't you buy the wedding gift yet?
"I still have a lot of time. I was not intrigued by anything in Washington, moreover I didn't think it was exactly the best idea to carry something across the ocean. I'll pick something here, in Czech Republic."
Have you at least an idea already?
"Perhaps Ostrava sausage. Just something traditional, something that has connection with Ostrava."
You already celebrated in Belgrade recently. Was your good-bye party at the end of season a blast?
"Yeah, my farewell lasted a long time. I invited all my friends together and we celebrated at full blast."
Were you able to overtake Boston hockey players, who after 39 years had a pricey celebration of the victory in the Stanley Cup?
Were you able to overtake Boston hockey players, who after 39 years had a pricey celebration of the victory in the Stanley Cup?
"I don't even know how much they spent. Four hours and three million Czech crowns in one of the bars where they celebrated? Our bill was probably slighty lower. Although who knows, it was without bill."
Someone who doesn't follow basketball much can't imagine everything what an NBA Draft involves. Describe your days in America..."I arrived last Friday, had a practice on Saturday, on Sunday a special workout for four teams that were interested in me. Then began the whole Draft carousel, you can even say chaos."
How many interviews you actually had to take?
"Just after the Draft, it was two hours long. You go to the backstage and you are constantly available to the media. Then yet another [obligation], official press conference, more talks over the phone. There is really a lot of obligations. The most demanding part was on Thursday evening after the Draft. But I think I managed it without problems."
On Wednesday you came back home to 'your' Ostrava, where went your first steps?
"I was at home at my mom's house in Pribor [a small Moravian town], on Friday at dad's house. I wanted to engage in more things, but I had little time. I also slept a lot, I'm still a little confused because of jet lag."
How will you fill your time after returning from Serbian capital?
"I'm going to be visiting my relatives, I would like to go to the sea, too. I can't say specifically where, I deal with everything at the last minute."
Sunday, July 03, 2011
John Merry Mini-Bullets
From this Friday's iDNES.cz article:
http://basket.idnes.cz/basketbalista-vesely-poblaznil-ameriku-ted-pojede-na-svatbu-a-k-mori-1gm-/nba.aspx?c=A110701_180109_nba_bem
* Jan started playing basketball in the youth system of BK Snakes Ostrava, in Ostrava, Czech Rep.
* He came back home to Ostrava on Wednseday and slept a lot. He was confused because of jet lag.
* He met with Czech journalists in the famous 'Stodolní ulice'.
* What wedding gift to buy? "Has to be something traditional, local. Perhaps Ostrava sausages," he said, grinning.
* On NBA lockout: "I hope we start playing by the end of year. I will talk to my agent about all possible scenarios. Even playing in Europe if there is a long lockout."
* On Summer League being cancelled: "At least I'll be resting. Otherwise I would have to be in Vegas now and practice and play. So I have all summer free and I can start preparing for next regular season."
* He wants to visit relatives, friends in the summer and to go on vacation to sea. (Maybe with his girlfriend Eva, too.)
http://basket.idnes.cz/basketbalista-vesely-poblaznil-ameriku-ted-pojede-na-svatbu-a-k-mori-1gm-/nba.aspx?c=A110701_180109_nba_bem
* Jan started playing basketball in the youth system of BK Snakes Ostrava, in Ostrava, Czech Rep.
* He came back home to Ostrava on Wednseday and slept a lot. He was confused because of jet lag.
* He met with Czech journalists in the famous 'Stodolní ulice'.
* What wedding gift to buy? "Has to be something traditional, local. Perhaps Ostrava sausages," he said, grinning.
* On NBA lockout: "I hope we start playing by the end of year. I will talk to my agent about all possible scenarios. Even playing in Europe if there is a long lockout."
* On Summer League being cancelled: "At least I'll be resting. Otherwise I would have to be in Vegas now and practice and play. So I have all summer free and I can start preparing for next regular season."
* He wants to visit relatives, friends in the summer and to go on vacation to sea. (Maybe with his girlfriend Eva, too.)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
FiCS Retired; The 1st Day of Vesely Coverage
D.C. Sports Bog' Dan Steinberg:
. . . And with the Wizards now putting much stock in their newest first-round pick, Jan Vesely, someone’s gonna have to start monitoring the Czech media. The natural outlet would seem to be the FICS basketball blog, FICCS standing for “Foreigner in CzechoSlovakia,” whose author is “six-feet tall and able to dunk,” with a writing style that “ain’t serious but entertaining” and who’s searching for “a girlfriend that doesn’t kill him with a chair after three hours of watching hoops.”
Follow him on Twitter here. And in his first Vesely post of the year, we get translated answers from this Idnes.cz interview, headlined “Výluka v NBA je jistá už teď, dozvěděl se Veselý.” . . .
The FiCS is retired. Long live the Luke_mellow!Lockout in the NBA is already certain, learned Vesely
http://basket.idnes.cz/vyluka-v-nba-je-jista-uz-ted-dozvedel-se-vesely-fqz-/nba.aspx?c=A110627_211020_nba_jok
iDNES.cz / basketball -- 28th June 2011 4:59
He’s not played a regular NBA game yet, but Jan Vesely’s journey to the NBA already hit a snag. "On July 1st the lockout begins, it's for sure. Now I have to talk [to Wizards] on other matters, in the coming days and weeks we will see," said Vesely from USA.
Photo #1>
THE FIRST PHOTOSHOOT. The third Czech in the NBA, Jan Vesely already donned the jersey of his future team - the Washington Wizards. Whether it happens in the game, it’s not on him, but on the collective bargaining between players' union and employers. The competition is threatened by lockout. | Photo: Washington Wizards
Photo #2>
I'M SHY, BUT I'M GETTING USED TO IT. A girlfriend of Czech basketball player Jan Vesely, Eva Kodouskova, famous for a kiss in the draft, in an interview for American television ABC.
The most famous basketball competition in the world stops because of the dispute about the money between owners and players. Vesely has to wait, too, until the feud is resolved. However it does not diminish his experiences from the draft, in which on Thursday he became only the third Czech in the NBA history. "It's unbelievable. The whole thing. Just the fact that Washington drafted me," he said.
Next topics of discussion?
On the famous kiss in the draft. A video of the moment when Vesely gives a kiss to his girlfriend Eva Kodouskova, is an Internet hit. "To me that kiss was a normal thing, which wouldn’t be noticed by anybody in Europe. Just here there was kind of disarray because of that. But of course, I don't mind publicity. They will talk about it for a long time."
On being adored by fans. With a spontaneous kiss he won over audience and journalists. Washington newspapers emphasized that Vesely enjoyed the role of the fans‘ darling in Serbia, too. "I'm laid-back. I managed to be friends with fans and other people in Belgrade, I have no problem with anyone. Neither with Americans. Just sit down and have a talk."
On Washington. Wizards team, the new employer of Vesely, seems a good choice. "I'm very happy. We knew in advance about the interest, but even then there was a lot of nerves. It is a beautiful city and a young, fast team. We will put on a show, the team will be growing in the coming years. Moreover the advantage is that Washington is on the east coast of America, thus closer to Europe. "
On his NBA jersey number. In Europe he was accustomed to dunk wearing '24' on the back, a familiar number to his fans. "I don’t have a new jersey yet, but they say it's not a problem. At least that's what they said to me. So I hope the number 24 will remain mine."
On the competition. Despite a promising start, Vesely will hardly succeed just byt "showing up", the fight for spots in the rotation will be tough. However the Czech supertalent maintains the nature of phlegmatic. "I've not particularly tried to found out yet who on the Wizards team plays on my position(s). Competition is a big everywhere."
On hockey in Washington. His fellow countryman Michal Neuvirth is the Capitals‘ goalie. And Vesely certainly plans to go see him play. "I know that he‘s a goalkeeper, I like hockey. I follow more our national team than team leagues. Now I guess I'll start with NHL. When I will have time, I will gladly go watch hockey."
On shopping in USA. With his 211 centimeters, the big man enjoyed America in another aspect: in stores. "I bought some clothes. Often I can't find anything for me, but here there is an incredible supply for tall people."
On looking forward to vacation. Vesely’s career in the NBA can be an impulse for Czech basketball, Vesely himself talks that he would gladly help raising the prestige of his sport. Now he flies home – end of stress and infinite interviews? "I’m looking forward to just laying, relaxing. The question is, if I will have a tranquility in the Czech Republic. I'm sure we're going on vacation, we will see where and for how long."
iDNES.cz / basketball -- 28th June 2011 4:59
He’s not played a regular NBA game yet, but Jan Vesely’s journey to the NBA already hit a snag. "On July 1st the lockout begins, it's for sure. Now I have to talk [to Wizards] on other matters, in the coming days and weeks we will see," said Vesely from USA.
Photo #1>
THE FIRST PHOTOSHOOT. The third Czech in the NBA, Jan Vesely already donned the jersey of his future team - the Washington Wizards. Whether it happens in the game, it’s not on him, but on the collective bargaining between players' union and employers. The competition is threatened by lockout. | Photo: Washington Wizards
Photo #2>
I'M SHY, BUT I'M GETTING USED TO IT. A girlfriend of Czech basketball player Jan Vesely, Eva Kodouskova, famous for a kiss in the draft, in an interview for American television ABC.
The most famous basketball competition in the world stops because of the dispute about the money between owners and players. Vesely has to wait, too, until the feud is resolved. However it does not diminish his experiences from the draft, in which on Thursday he became only the third Czech in the NBA history. "It's unbelievable. The whole thing. Just the fact that Washington drafted me," he said.
Next topics of discussion?
On the famous kiss in the draft. A video of the moment when Vesely gives a kiss to his girlfriend Eva Kodouskova, is an Internet hit. "To me that kiss was a normal thing, which wouldn’t be noticed by anybody in Europe. Just here there was kind of disarray because of that. But of course, I don't mind publicity. They will talk about it for a long time."
On being adored by fans. With a spontaneous kiss he won over audience and journalists. Washington newspapers emphasized that Vesely enjoyed the role of the fans‘ darling in Serbia, too. "I'm laid-back. I managed to be friends with fans and other people in Belgrade, I have no problem with anyone. Neither with Americans. Just sit down and have a talk."
On Washington. Wizards team, the new employer of Vesely, seems a good choice. "I'm very happy. We knew in advance about the interest, but even then there was a lot of nerves. It is a beautiful city and a young, fast team. We will put on a show, the team will be growing in the coming years. Moreover the advantage is that Washington is on the east coast of America, thus closer to Europe. "
On his NBA jersey number. In Europe he was accustomed to dunk wearing '24' on the back, a familiar number to his fans. "I don’t have a new jersey yet, but they say it's not a problem. At least that's what they said to me. So I hope the number 24 will remain mine."
On the competition. Despite a promising start, Vesely will hardly succeed just byt "showing up", the fight for spots in the rotation will be tough. However the Czech supertalent maintains the nature of phlegmatic. "I've not particularly tried to found out yet who on the Wizards team plays on my position(s). Competition is a big everywhere."
On hockey in Washington. His fellow countryman Michal Neuvirth is the Capitals‘ goalie. And Vesely certainly plans to go see him play. "I know that he‘s a goalkeeper, I like hockey. I follow more our national team than team leagues. Now I guess I'll start with NHL. When I will have time, I will gladly go watch hockey."
On shopping in USA. With his 211 centimeters, the big man enjoyed America in another aspect: in stores. "I bought some clothes. Often I can't find anything for me, but here there is an incredible supply for tall people."
On looking forward to vacation. Vesely’s career in the NBA can be an impulse for Czech basketball, Vesely himself talks that he would gladly help raising the prestige of his sport. Now he flies home – end of stress and infinite interviews? "I’m looking forward to just laying, relaxing. The question is, if I will have a tranquility in the Czech Republic. I'm sure we're going on vacation, we will see where and for how long."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)