Tskitishvili: "Wherever they need me, I'm happy"

Nikoloz Tskitishvili was born on
14th April, 1983 in Tbilisi
(Georgia). He is 2.12 metres tall,
and he went to play basketball in
Italy when he was just 18 years
old. He played in the NBA for 4
years, and then he returned to
Europe to play in the ACB. Now
he plays for Ayuda en Acción
Fuenlabrada.
Question. When did you start
playing basketball and why?
Answer. I started playing basket-
ball when I was 13 years old
because I loved it. I was tall, I
had a talent.
Q. How did you feel when you
left Georgia at the age of 18 to go
to Italy?
A. Actually, I was really excited
because I wanted to start a new
career. In Georgia, basketball is
really dull. It is not as big as in
Italy or Spain. So I was excited
about that. I was sad because I
left my friends. I left my family for
a little bit. But I was excited
because I knew that it was going
to help my career.
Q. You went to the NBA when
you were 19 years, Do you think
you were ready to play in the
NBA?
A. To be honest, I thought I was
not ready yet because I was
really young and I didn’t have a
lot of experience in basketball yet.
But I was number 5 pick. I
couldn’t pass on. It was a good
opportunity for me to take it. If I
don’t take this and stay for
example in Europe, I play more
but if I get injured maybe my
career is not going to be good
any more. The opportunity may
not come again. So I had to take
and go to the NBA. But,
sometimes I thought that if I went
to the NBA I would become a
better basketball player.
"I was number 5 pick in
the NBA draft"
Q. You have played for many
teams in the NBA. How did you
feel there?
A. It was a very good feeling. I
loved living in the States, playing
in the NBA Everybody dreams to
be there. But sometimes I got
upset I didn’t play a lot of mi-
nutes and my career didn’t go the
way I wanted it. But, most of it, I
had a lot of fun.
Q. How was your return to
Europe?
A. Great, because I missed
Europe. When I was in the States,
sometimes I missed my family and
my home. But when I’m here, I’m
N. Tskitishvili answered our
more comfortable. It feels like questions patiently.
home, especially Spain. I love the
city, the country.
Q. You have changed team many For example, I have come to
times, how has this fact influen- Fuenlabrada and I have made a
ced on your career? lot of friends. Now, if I have to
A. I don’t know. Wherever they go from here to another team in
need me, I’m happy. It means a another city, I will make new
lot for me because if a lot of friends... You move on… It is
teams call you, that's good. It difficult because you lose a lot of
means that they want you. Once friends. But most of it is nice.
they stop calling you and asking You travel a lot... You meet new
about you, that is the bad side. people... It is a good experience.

Chris Thomas, an American in Fuenlabrada

Thomas is the brain of the team
Christopher Ryan Thomas is an
American basketball player. He
was born in 1982 in Indiana
(USA). He measures 1.86 m and
he plays in the guard position.
He began playing in the
Maroussi BC and in 2007 he
played for WTK Anwil (Poland).
Nowadays he plays for CB
Fuenlabrada but before he had
played for another Spanish team
the CB Murcia.
Question. What was your best
experience in a European team?
Answer. I think in Greece..., in
Marousia... I think my time in
Spain is the best. I like the
lifestyle. I like the basketball.
Q. I practice badminton for a club
and I play in a national league. I
find it motivating when I play
against good players. Is there
any ACB player that makes you
feel motivated to play against?
A. Every team has good
pointguard: Rubio, Navarro… I
enjoy playing against the best
players too.
Q. Could you tell us any
anecdote you had with a fan?
"I think my time in
Spain is the best"
A. I`'ve had good experiences.
There are many. This year we
went to a team dinner with a Peña
and we had a great time. One bad
anecdote: When I played in
Murcia the fans were bad.
Q. Do you miss your family and
friends?
A. Yes, a lot. My family came here
for two weeks and it was great. I
would live in Spain but I would
bring my family here.
Q. What are your objectives in
the league with Ayuda en Acción
Fuenlabrada?
A. To stay in the ACB and
winning as many games as po-
ssible.
"I like Salva Maldonado.
He is very calm"
Q. Which of your teams did you
enjoy most?
A. I think in Morousia we had a
good team. Here I’ve been for
only 7 months but I like it here,
the lifestyle, it’s very warm.
Q. What do you think about your
coach, Salva Maldonado?
A. I like him. He is very calm. We
play hard. He is a teacher. The
players are learning.
Thomas during the interview.
Q. When you were in Pike High
School, you won two cham-
pionships. How important were
they for your future?
A. Very important because in
Indiana, basketball is the most
important thing.
Q. Thank you and good luck!
A. Thank you.

The city that shines without sun

London, modern and old at the same time
London is not only fog and tea. It
is a city with a lot to discover and
thousand things to do. As it is a
big city you should get a day
travel card to move around the
city. It is cheap and handy.
If you want to visit the most
typical places in London you
must go to Piccadilly Circus,
with its big billboards and its
Cupid ready to throw his love
arrow, Trafalgar Square (one of
the most square for Londoners),
or Downing Street, where is the
Prime Minister lives. Of course,
do not forget to visit the Big Ben
(it would be as if you had not
been in London) and the
Westminster Abbey which,
despite the ticket price (12£), it is
worth visiting it.
You must also go to St. Paul
Cathedral, a wonderful temple
that has a bar in the basement!
Don't miss the London Eye, a big
wheel with marvellous views of
the city. You can take good
pictures of the Thames and the
Houses of Parliment.
It is very nice to walk in the parks
around Buckingham Palace,
whose traffic lights have an extra
light to give way to horseback,
and the famous changing of the
guard (everyday at 11:30 hours).
Although London is an expen-
sive city, the entrance to museum
is free. All of them are re-
commend visiting the National
Gallery, which has one of the
most valuable collections in the
world; the British Museum and
the Tate Modern, which house a
big contemporary art collection in
an old electric central.
After so much culture, nothing
better than a walk by Hyde Park
looking for Peter Pan or, if is
Sunday, you can go to Speaker’s
Corner where anyone can give a
speech about anything. Or if you
prefer going shopping you
should go to Oxford Street and
Regent Street or to Carnaby
Street that, although you can not
allow the clothe of those
boutiques is worth to see the
shop windows.
If your trip coincides in Sunday,
you should visit markets as
Camden Market, which sell from
spices to secondhand clothe, and
the Portobello Market, a lovely
market Even though the day has
been situated in Notting Hill that
offers antiques, fruit …
Even though the day has been
long and your feet ache you
should go to Soho, London
Chinatown. Between the bustles
of people you can have dinner in
a pub,but before 8 pm, or go to a
Chinese, Hindu or Japanese
restaurant. And this is something
typical of London: the mixture of
different peoples and cultures. If
you visit London, you will fall in The Big Ben from the London Eye./ Marta M.
love with the city. That's sure!