If he hadn’t become a basketball player, he’d be playing football today. So it is in Deishuan Booker’s profile on the homepage of the Bundesliga basketball team BG Göttingen, who will meet Alba Berlin in the semi-finals of the BBL Cup in Munich on Saturday at 7.30 p.m. “My first love in sport was football. I played football for eight or nine years, ”explains the 24-year-old. “I was very good, played all over the field.”
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In the end, as you know, he decided to play basketball: “As I got older, I grew more and more into basketball. I spent a lot of time with my aunts and uncles, watching my older cousins play. The older I got, the more my heart went to basketball, ”says Booker. But his football experience still helps him today: “Having played football helps me to be agile in basketball and to slip through the opposing defense. I am also able to deal with contact. “
Pictures from the game of BG Göttingen at EWE Baskets Oldenburg:
EWE Baskets Oldenburg – BG Göttingen, BBL 2020/21
EWE Baskets Oldenburg – BG Göttingen, BBL 2020/21
© imago-images
It is difficult to imagine the wiry, 1.91 meter tall and 77 kilogram light point guard in a football outfit today. But somehow it suits Booker, who always seems to be good for a surprise, for the unexpected. Since the American joined the Göttingen BG in December, you never really know what to expect from him.
BBL best performance with 23 points in Vechta
In March he achieved his BBL best performance with 23 points in the away win against Vechta. He converted three four-point games in one half, i.e. four threes, plus foul, plus converted bonus free throw – spectacular. Less than two weeks later, in the home bankruptcy against Gießen, he still got nine points. But after the final siren there was a lecture from head coach Roel Moors, who was not at all satisfied with his body language and defensive performance and expressed clear criticism.
Booker says with a little distance: “Not only me, but also the coach has high expectations of me. He sees me in the hall every day, sees me playing at my highest level. If I don’t call that, he’ll hold me responsible. I take that as a motivation to be better in the next game. ”The 24-year-old knows where his deficits lie:“ I can always improve defensively. And also in game management: knowing when to slow down or when to go fast, ”he says. “I’m always very hard on myself and I think I could play better. You could say I’m a perfectionist. “
Lots of new things after switching to violets
After moving from Poland to the BBL, he had to get used to “a new system, new teammates and a new coach”, mind you, during the pandemic. And after the departure of Jorge Gutiérrez, he suddenly had more responsibility, although he had actually been brought to the guard position as a relief for Gutiérrez and an additional option. So the circumstances weren’t exactly easy for Booker. “In the summer I did my best to be prepared for every situation,” he says.
MagentaSport-Highlights: EWE Baskets Oldenburg – BG Göttingen
In day-to-day life in the league, however, he often moves between genius and madness, and his achievements fluctuate considerably. This is the kind of unexpectedness that should sometimes cause headaches for those in charge at BG. But on the other hand, the uncertainty, in a positive sense, is characteristic of his game. “The way I play,” says Booker himself, “is very unpredictable. My eyes don’t tell the opponent what decision I’m going to make. I may look very relaxed, but I am preparing for the throw. It’s a bit like Houdini: he’s a great artist, you don’t know what to expect from him. ”A nice comparison: Booker, the magician.
“I would like to play in front of the fans”
What will come after the end of the season is meanwhile uncertain: “I haven’t spoken to anyone about my future. I’m trying to concentrate on the end of this season as best I can now. That’s why I’m here. Then we’ll deal with this, “explains Booker, but reveals at the same time:” I love Göttingen and would like to play in front of the fans. The BBL is one of the best leagues I’ve played in so far. So hopefully there will be a couple of invitations to stay in the league. I am happy where I am right now. “
Perhaps the violet fans will already be able to enjoy a performance of Göttingen’s basketball Houdini against Berlin. On a good day, Deishuan Booker can be trusted a lot.
