Basketball club "Prometey" continues the series of pre-season interviews with players. This time, we spoke with “Prometey” newcomer, Nigerian-Canadian guard Caleb Agada.

- Caleb, we are happy to welcome you in our team. The first question is quite obvious: why did you decide to choose "Prometey" as your next place in your professional career?

- I spoke with the coach. He has a connection with the coach I worked for Israel. They preach the same playing style and when I played in Israel it was the best year of my career. I think that was the main reason. Then I began to research the situation more deeply, to find out what "Prometey" club is, what kind of organization it is. I asked people who played for “Prometey” before, and they all had only great things to say. After having all the information, it was a pretty easy choice for me.

- Weren’t you afraid of signing exactly with the Ukrainian team? Ukraine has a tough situation as a country, so it may seem that signing with a Ukrainian team is a kind of risky proposition.

- Of course, it can be very very  risky. But I got assurances from the club and the coaches. They said that we will play in Riga, that there will be something new. I decided to take a chance, and to be honest, I am pretty happy so far.

- You have already joined the team in Riga. What's more, you're the first player I am talking to during the preparational season. What are your first impressions at the start of preparational camp?

- I am very impressed and I am very happy with the situation so far. The coaching staff is amazing. I am one of those players who like to spend a lot of time in the gym, but the coaches are with me all the time. Really always. They help with additional throwing exercises, give advice on how to improve my game. Mantas, Serhii, our physiotherapists - in general, all staff of organisation are very professional. They really help me to feel comfortable in the team. I am very grateful for what they do for me so far.

- What is the main things the team is working on at this stage of preparation?

- First of all, we are trying to return to form and assemble the team. We have many players in the National team, and there is no head coach either. We are waiting for some legionnaires. We are trying to build a foundation with the players that are currently in the team - in defene, in attack. It's not that hard because the team chemistry is already there. We really enjoy working together. In general, we are working on many things.

- What do you see yourself in "Prometey", what role do you expect to have? Or maybe coach said it to you.

- To be honest, the role is simple - to be one of the legionnaires here, to be kind of importance for the team. Contribute on both ends of the court and be the best version of myself. The team wants to be aggressive in transition - that's a very big part of my game as well. The team wants to defend aggressively - I can offer that too. If I'm the best version of myself on both ends of the court, the role won't matter as much - I'll look good.

- Next season, “Prometey” will play in two new tournaments - the Latvian-Estonian League and the EuroCup. What do you know about the tournaments and do you have any expectations from playing in these tournaments?

- To be honest, I don't know much about both tournaments. Of course, I know what the Eurocap is. The league of Latvia and Estonia is something very new, so I will get to know it in the process. I know that both tournaments are very strong in terms of composition. But we have only one objective - to win. Therefore, we must be better versions of ourselves. We will get to know the level of the leagues during the games.

- Let's introduce you to our fans a bit more. Tell us about your basketball way. Yes, we know you are from Nigeria. But we don't know when and how you started playing, as well as why you chose this particular sport.

- I started playing at a very early age. Probably 7-8 years old. It was in Canada. Yes, I was born in Nigeria, but when I was 6 years old, my sister and my mother immigrated to Canada. Mom enrolled me in certain basketball sections so that nothing bad would happen to me after school. That's how I got to know the game, but I played more for fun. About 6-7 years later, at the age of 12-14, I started playing so-called "organized basketball". Began to develop and improve playing style. Then I entered the University of Ottawa where I played for 5 years. Then the professional career began. I played in the second division for 2.5 years, went to Israel, where I met the beginning of COVID. I returned to Israel again, the next season I was in Australia, now I'm in “Prometey”. This is a crazy story, a crazy journey. I am so grateful for every moment along the way. And I am very glad for every moment. I work hard every day - it will be the same this season.

I also played for the Nigerian National team. After the first season in Europe, they saw me and asked me to play for the National team. They saw my way and improvement in the game. So, after that I played in the qualifying windows and actually in the Olympics in Tokyo last year. This is the way.
 

- What kind of basketball player are you? What can you bring to the table?

- Main thing I can bring to the table is my hunger to win. I want to win in any way possible: scoring, assisting, defending. I can do everything where I can stand out in, I can contribute to the team's victory in a direct way, but I have had seasons where I was recognized as the best player of the defensive plan. It happened that I led the league in points and steals. The further I developed in my career, the more I understood that it is necessary to combine all these things, but at the same time integrate into team play, create comfortable conditions for partners on the court - this is the only way I can squeeze the maximum out of my basketball potential and be excel in my role.

- You recently became the champion of Canada. We know Canadian basketball players, we know the Canadian National team, but we have a rather vague idea of the Canadian national championship. Can you tell us a little more about this competition?

- This league is called CEBL - Canadian Elite Basketball League - and it is already 4 years old. You see how fast basketball is growing all over the world, that’s why Canada decided to have its own league during the summer. Which is convenient for guys like me who play in other leagues during the season and can go home in the offseason and play in front of our family and friends. The league is growing every year, the level of play is growing, the level of respect for the tournament is growing. This summer I played a full season for the first time and was lucky enough to win a championship. Good experience. The level of the league is high, more and more people are paying attention to the league. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this and I think I will be a part of it in the future.
 

- Another interesting league where you have already played – the Australian league. We know enough about basketball in Australia, but do you think Australian basketball is much different to what we see in Europe?

- Yes, it is very different. To be honest, I'm still trying to understand certain points. It was a normal season for me, not the best, but on certain level. I had to get used to many new things. This is a different basketball. People in Australia are very friendly, the club I played for is a very professional organization. I enjoyed the experience, but basketball is really very different from European basketball. More physical struggle, a different approach to the game in general.

- You already mentioned last year and your performances at the Olympics in Tokyo. There, Nigeria played against the USA basketball team, against other great teams. Looking back, what is your brightest memory from that time?

- Apparently, the brightest thing was the game against the USA last summer, but a friendly game. For the first time in the history of the Nigerian national team, we beat America in basketball, and the memories of that match are some of the best in my entire basketball career. With this victory, we inspired many people. I will also remember the year in Israel and performances under the leadership of Rami Madar - he is one of my favorite coaches. I learned a lot from him, it helped me to make a certain leap in my career, to become even better as a player. Perhaps, these two memories are the most vivid.

- We talked about you as a basketball player. But how could you describe yourself as person? What are you like?

- To describe me as a person, I am just calm calm, easygoing person. I like to relax sometimes, I like to read, enjoy peace. But I also like to spend time with friends and teammates. However, mostly, I can say that I am a calm, pleasant person. I always try to keep a smile on my face and make others smile.

- That's cool. Do you have any definite goals for the next season? Both personal and team.

- Obviously, our team goal is to win. I understand the situation, where the team was last year before the season just shut down due to the war. I want to match that level and maintain it this year. We need to fulfill the tasks that we set ourselves. Yes, last year there was the Champions League - now the tournament is different, but the goals are the same – to win. Our task is to win every match. It's about the team.

Regarding personal goals: continue to develop. Ukrainian, even Eastern European basketball is something new for me. There is much to learn here. Therefore, I will try to be like a sponge that suck up any useful information and helps to develop as a player. Whether it will be the EuroCup, whether it will be the Euroleague or some other tournament - I want to grow as a player and continue to climb this mountain.

- And to finish with, a few words to the “Prometey” fans who are very happy to see you in our team and who are looking forward to the new season to see you on the court.

- “Prometey” fans! It's been a crazy few months. We understand the situation, it's crazy. Even from a basketball point of view. I want to be in touch with you, to understand that everything is fine with you, that you, your families and friends are safe. We should be together. The whole world can see what's going on, so we will cheer you obyou - just like you, “Prometey” fans, cheer on us.

In terms of basketball, we will do everything to give you a little joy and satisfaction, a little reason to celebrate, so that you have the energy to stay strong in this situation. Be sure: we will do our job on the court. Thank you again for your support. I hope you like my game. I will do everything to make the games bright. Thank you. I am sure you will like it.

- These are very good words. Thank you Caleb, thank you for your time and we hope you will have a great season - both personally and with the team.