Sportando's interview with Kendrick Ray: 'Choosing Nymburk wasn't difficult"

In his first season in Europe, Kendrick Ray definitely didn't disappoint anyone. The former Kennesaw State alum quickly became a leader for CEZ Nymburk and proved himself also in his first European competition, the Basketball Champions League. Now he is already drawing attention from the NBA and this summer could be crucial for his future. We sat down with him and talked about this season and his goals for the future.

Sportando: About your experience at the college: your first two years were difficult, you played limited minutes and then you decided to transfer to Kennesaw State where your talent really shined. Was it difficult for you to take the transfer decision, knowing that you were going to sit out for an entire season?

Kendrick Ray: "That decision to transfer wasn’t hard for me to make because I knew that year sitting out I would get better. All I did was work on my game and I was definitely able to improve"

Sportando: How was your deciding process coming here in Europe? Did you receive many offers and why did you choose Nymburk in the end?

Kendrick Ray: "The process was not that difficult actually. There were other teams interested, but Nymburk was a high-level team willing to take a chance on me. I chose them because I believed this was a good place to start my professional career with them playing in Champions League and of course the history they have in the Czech league is second to none"

Sportando: Your brother Allan played for several years in Europe, and especially here in Italy, did you receive any advice from him about European basketball and how to adjust to it?

Kendrick Ray: "Yeah, my brother has given me plenty of advice about how to adjust to Europe. We talk all the time. He told me that there would be an adjustment period and that there would be ups and downs. He let me know that I have the talent to be successful and that if I keep working hard I will make a name for myself. "

Sportando: Usually many American players in their first experience in Europe struggle to find their rhythm immediately and we see a lot of them being cut also in the first weeks of the season, but for you it was different, you immediately had a great impact on your team, what was the difference for you in this process? How did you adapt so quickly to overseas basketball?

Kendrick Ray: "Actually in the very beginning it wasn’t completely easy for me and there were a lot of ups and downs, but my coaches and teammates kept telling me to play my game. They instilled that confidence in me. Because my coach fully believed in me I was probably able to make a faster adjustment to the European game than a lot of rookies, but it didn't happen overnight."

Sportando: Aside from Czech League, with Nymburk you also had the chance to play in a European competition like Basketball Champions League. The team had a pretty good run, being eliminated in the round of 16 by AEK. Were you satisfied with the season your team had in Europe?

Kendrick Ray: "It was a good run for us even though our season in Champions League ended earlier than we wanted. I felt that we competed well. Of course, you always want to win a Champions League title, but it wasn't meant to be this season. Hopefully, in the future, I'll have many more opportunities to win championships."

Sportando: Your numbers have been very good for all the season, you are averaging almost 14.5 points per game in Czech League with 4 rebounds and your numbers were even better in Champions League, where you averaged more than 15 points per game. You always had the feeling of being the main scoring option for the team?

Kendrick Ray: "It could’ve been anybody on the team this year we all were capable of scoring the ball. I just give a lot of credit to my teammates they got me the ball in spots where I was comfortable and I delivered. "

Sportando: In general, how would you describe your experience with Nymburk this season inside and outside of the court?

Kendrick Ray: "My experience with Nymburk this year was great on and off the court, they welcomed me with open arms and treated me like family from day one. "

Sportando: There are already several rumors about your future, with many NBA teams that are watching you closely, how does that make you feel?

Kendrick Ray: "I do have several NBA mini-camps lined up for the summer and I'm really looking forward to them. It’s very motivating for me because all my hard work is paying off. I’m blessed to even be considered to be a part of the NBA and I look forward to competing and doing my best this summer. "

Sportando: Speaking of your game, what do you think would make you a good fit for an NBA team?

Kendrick Ray: "I believe I’m a good fit for a team because I play both sides of the ball. I can be a spark for a team off the bench. I’m very comfortable with making decisions out of the pick and roll to create for my teammates or myself. I can shoot the 3 ball consistently as well as the dribble pull up. Also, I'm very explosive can finish over the length in different ways and play above the rim."