Issuf Sanon, a new player of "Prometey" and the National team of Ukraine, became a guest of a live broadcast of basketball Instagram Tribuna.com, which was hosted by Andriy Bilyk and Maksym Gayovy.

 

 

He told a lot of interesting things about the matches of the Ukrainian national team in the selection for the 2023 World Cup, in which he participated, spoke about the transfer to Prometey and shared his experience of performances in the NBA Summer League.

 

About the conflict at the end of the match against Georgia

 

 

"A strong team loses to a weaker, as they thought, team - it's clear that they're a bit on the "tilt" and this "F### you", "F### your family" starts, especially since they're Georgians, they're all hot guys.

 

 

They start telling us something, we start getting excited, but every point is important to us. After the match, I tried to explain something to them, but they didn't listen to anything at all.

 

 

I didn't see it myself, but they say that the coach of Georgia showed fuck or just turned around and left. I'm sure our coach would never do that. He would shake hands and that was it.

 

 

I started arguing a bit with them, but the more experienced guys from the National team calmed me down. I remember how Sid (Illia Sydorov - note) calmed me down, slapped me lightly, like: "Calm down, come here."

 

About the match against Spain

 

 

"Spain, comparing to other national teams, is a very good team. We lost to them by one point, and I think it's silly to say it's an unfortunate loss. We were unlucky.

 

 

The shots that I usually hit, that Sviat Mykhailiuk hits, we just missed. And we weren’t focused enough in the end, we were leading, I was a bit careless, everyone was a bit inattentive in small things. And we were not lucky enough.

 

 

If I had made a three-pointer, Sviat made three-pointer, and that's all, it would have been a "candy", 3-3, and everyone is well done. But it was just unlucky"

 

About the experience of performances in the NBA Summer League

 

 

“I was drafted by “Washington” and went to the Summer League twice to play for “Washington”. And I showed myself there not as Issuf Sanon, but as a little boy who came to America and is afraid of everything.

 

 

Last year I went again. Both mentally and physically I was completely different. It was just a coincidence. I had the coronavirus, and I didn't play in the Summer League, although I was in a very good shape, I trained a lot.

 

 

Now I had the same situation. I had an offer, but it did not suit me. When you go to the Summer League, you know in advance whether you will play, how much time you will get. I didn't want to go, sit for five minutes, without knowing if I'm playing or not.

 

 

Considering the situation in Ukraine, it was very important for me to play for Ukraine, for the National team. I had a choice - to sit and be "some dude", not to understand whether they will give me a chance or not, or to play for the National team of Ukraine, where I know that I will be part of the team, its important part.

 

 

I chose, of course, to be an important part of the Ukrainian National team. I want to come there (to the NBA Summer League - note) having a different status. I don't want to be the twelfth or eleventh. I want the team to call me as one of the main ones, as Europeans are called, but for that I have to show myself. Everything depends only on me"

 

About how Dnipro reacted to the transfer to Prometey

 

 

In "Dnipro", all people are adequate. I have always had normal relations with Valery Kondratiev (president of BC "Dnipro" - note). When I called and explained that it was a Eurocup team, what they were offering me from a financial point of view, playing time, that the coach wanted to see me there, he said he wanted the best for me and that everything was fine.

 

 

It's one thing if there was "Dnipro", it would be a completely different story. Because "Prometey" is a direct competitor of "Dnipro", it is like moving from "Partizan" to "Crvena Zvezda" or from "Real" to "Barsa". But as soon as the war started, and it became clear that Prometey is one of the few Ukrainian clubs that can continue to exist at such a high level, they told me: "Go, we understand everything and wish you only luck."

 

About which player he associates himself with

 

 

"I want to be like Russell Westbrook. I associate my game with him. I think we are similar in style. I can give a pass, I'm just as explosive, not as much, of course, as him, but there is a tendency for it. And I'm a fast player too.

 

 

And also, I really like Jamal Crawford. But I can't say that one day I will be like him, because we have completely different playing styles.

 

 

Maybe I should be a bit like Morent, but I don't have the 'skill' like him yet"

 

About the best player in NBA history and the best Ukrainian basketball player

 

 

“The greatest NBA player of all time? Michael Jordan. This is the person who first started doing everything. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't know much. He's the first one to start doing it, all the moves, everything.

 

 

How do people know basketball? From Michael Jordan. How is it possible to compare anyone with him? He discovered everything, crossovers, dunks, all these tricks, all these came from him.

 

 

The best Ukrainian basketball player is Slava Medvedenko. I'll explain why - two NBA rings. That’s it. No matter what anyone says, I don't even want to listen to it. Anyone else have a championship ring though? What could be higher than the NBA? Nothing. He has two rings, any questions?

 

About where he sees himself in five years

 

 

"I see myself in the NBA. Although would play for "Washington". This is the first team that saw me and believed in me."