The Rise and Fall of Andris Biedriņš: From Career Highs to Disappointments and Unfulfilled Dreams

Meanwhile, the 2010/2011 season became the beginning stage of career decline, during which the only operation had to be performed – Biedriņš had suffered a torn abdominal muscle. “Also at that time there were regular ankle injuries,” says Biedriņš. “I don’t even know what happened, why it happened. After all the injuries, my confidence in my abilities slowly disappeared. It is, after all, the strongest league in the world, no one feels sorry for you there, and people are waiting in line for your place outside the door. It is very difficult to maintain that. “

According to Biedriņš, what hurts him the most now is that people remember only the last years, which were the worst in his career. “I believe that I had a very good career, I achieved a lot, I was the first drafted,” says the former basketball player. “However, just remember that you can’t shoot penalties, the time when you didn’t play and sat on the bench. I have a grudge about that, but I don’t hold any grudges.”

As one of the things that didn’t work out the way I wanted during my career, is playing in the Latvian national team.

“I wanted to play more in the national team. I’m very sorry that in 2007 in Seville we didn’t go further – I remember very well how Croatia beat Spain with the last shot and eliminated us,” recalled Biedriņš, who with the national team in both 2007 and 2009 qualified for the European Championship ranked 13th in the championship.

Also, in the interview, Biedriņš praises Kristaps Porzingis, with whom he would have liked to play together in the national team. “It would be very impressive – two towers, one at the bottom, and one at the top,” Biedriņš wonders. “He is not only more talented than me, he is a world talent.”