By Sammy Nanneh
Following outcries from both the people and coaches Chris Finch and Nick Nurse that the Great British basketball team needed another settled high profile star, there was no doubt widespread relief at the news of Pops Mensah Bonsu’s move to European giants CSKA Moscow after being released by the NBA’s Toronto Raptors.
It is no news to anyones ears of Luol Deng’s determination to lift GB to greater heights, having already helped push them to a promising Eurobasket where an unimaginable upset of the Spanish giants was actually, at one point, on the cards.
With other young talent such as Kieran Achara keen to help carry the GB cause at the 2012 games, things are most definately looking promising for British basketball. However, with the exception of Luol Deng, Pops has the most recent NBA experience. This helps highlight how important it is that Pops finds not only some consistent form, but some consistent minutes in the run up to Eurobasket qualifying this summer and even more importantly, London 2012.
Having struggled to get minutes on court in the NBA during spells with Houston and Toronto this season, Pops spoke to the BBC about his move:
“This is a great team,” he said. “One of the better teams in the EuroLeague.”
“I was tired not having the opportunity to play,” he added. “I wanted to come to Europe to improve as a player.”
Of course this is exactly what the rest of British basketball fans want as well.
“With my presence in the team I feel like I can help them reach the last four if not further,”
And sure thing, CSKA have been pegged as one of the favourites for this year’s Euroleague title.
CSKA began the second stage of their Euroleague campaign with an 86-78 win over Malaga, interestingly Mensah-Bonsu found himself up against GB team-mates Robert Archibald and Joel Freeland.
I don’t know that I’ve done anything yet to be popular in Moscow. Hopefully in a couple of weeks’ time everyone will see exactly why I’m here.”
“I’ve come from situations in Houston and Toronto where I didn’t play too much so I’m a little slow as far as the system and playing in that type of game,” he said.
“It’s going to come, though. I’m a professional and I know how to adjust to these sort of things.
What he is referring to here is undoubtedly his stats, averaging 2.5 points and as many rebounds in 9 minutes in the VTB league, only 2 points in 6 minutes in the Euroleague, 9 points and 3 rebounds in 10 minutes in Superleague A. However, it is duly noted that these stats reflect only a handful of games, and it is inevitable he will get up to pace, having already nailed a 27 point game under his name.
“I’m not really consumed by the NBA. I’m here till the end of the season and we’ll see how it goes. If I have a chance to come back that would be great.”
“A couple of other teams were interested as well as Moscow but if I was coming to Europe I felt this would be the first team I would come to.
“It’s one of the great teams and I would become part of history.”
