The link between the NBA and Poland finals. From Indiana Pacers to Legia Warsaw

I think their path is a bigger surprise, although you could say that these are somewhat similar situations. We eliminated the best team in the regular round without a defeat. They defeated the number one Cleveland Cavaliers, defeated the tough New York Knicks. They also started with number 4. And the way they do it all... They hit winning shots at the end of every game, they make up for losses. They were able to get back into the game against the Knicks, despite losing by 20 points in the first two away games. It's amazing. They play hard, they don't give up, they are composed. All of this helps me personally and I try to pass on these values ​​to my team.

You played for the Pacers in the 2021-22 season, when the team's results were worse than they are now. That was the beginning of coach Rick Carlisle's relationship with their point guard Tyrese Haliburton. What was it like from the inside?

It was an incredible period. The first year with a coach who was a great professional, who will go to the Hall of Fame. He has been in the NBA since the 80s. He won a championship with the Boston Celtics. He is very intelligent, he was able to adapt to the new times, the new generation of basketball players. Not every coach can get out of his habits. He did. He created a team without big stars and with an overrated point guard (ironic reference to the vote among NBA players, in which Haliburton won in this category - editor's note). He had some solid players who were the core of the team, like Myles Turner. I learned a lot when I was there. They gave me a chance to play at the highest level, it was a situation that changed my life. And now I see that the same people are still working there. It's beautiful to see what they have built. And I feel like I was a part of it.

Do you still have many friends there?

Of course! Indiana is close to Chicago, my home, so I have a lot of fans there. They appreciated my journey. Like Pascal Siakam, I started from the lower levels, from the G-League, and I went through a difficult path to the NBA. Indiana is a basketball state, people there really respect work. One of my best buddies is Quenton Jackson, he's now on the Pacers team. We also played together on the Bulls, we keep in touch, we support each other. Jannero Pargo, who comes from Chicago, is also on the Pacers coaching staff. It's an amazing feeling that we're now in two finals. I hope that both of them will end with our victories and it will be a beautiful fairy tale in my first season back in Europe.

Speaking of Europe, outside the NBA you also had the opportunity to play in the Euroleague, for example under coach Ettore Messina in Milan. How do you compare him to Carlisle?

Both are great coaches. I met Messina when I was still at the beginning of my career with Spurs in the USA, and then I played for him in Milan. He is more aggressive (laughs). But I am tough enough to survive it, and working with him helped me. He taught me a lot about European basketball, about how to play the game properly as a point guard, how to use advantages on the court. He gave me a chance to play in the Euroleague and I will always be grateful to him for that. Carlisle, on the other hand, is calmer, brilliant in tactics. He teaches you how to play basketball naturally. He lets the players do it and trusts them. You can see that he does not take time-outs at key moments. He believes in the players. Both of the coaches mentioned are great and I also have a very good coach in Legia.

Heiko Rannula is much younger than Carlisle and Messina, by over 20 years. How is it working with such a less experienced coach?

Good. The coach maximizes our possibilities. He is also calm, he does not impose his will. He gives us freedom and allows the players to have an influence on the game, and for example, me to have an influence on what happens in the locker room. I try to bring to the team my experience, toughness, concentration, attitude and preparation, which is needed in matches at the highest level. The staff allows us to participate in dialogue, exchange comments, say what we see and what we think about the game. This helps us on this path.

You play in Legia with an unusual number, rarely used by players, 28. You even have a tattoo of this number. What is the secret behind it?

This is my life path number. I believe in numerology and the power of numbers. 28 is the wealth number. The life path number is calculated based on the date of birth, all the digits are added up. Numbers have meaning for me. For example, angel numbers are three of the same digits: 111, 222, 333. I believe in these things, it gives me positive energy and that's why I'm such a positive person. It helped me. Let's look at my career. I shouldn't even be playing professionally, and I have 10 years of professional basketball behind me. NBA, Euroleague, the opportunity to win a championship here. And all this with such a short height (180 cm - editor's note).

Does numerology influence your basketball habits, e.g. approach to training?

Yes. The seventh day is the day of completion, rest. If we have a training or a match that day, I try not to overdo it, because usually those are the days when I hurt myself. Most of the injuries in my career I suffered on such a day of rest. The seventh day means, for example, the seventh day of June, but also June 16 or June 25. Because 1 and 6 together make 7 and the same goes for 2 and 5. These are spiritual things that I believe in. On such days I try to rest more.

And which days are the opposite, i.e. the best?

Usually the ones with a one. So the 1st and 11th day of the month. Those days are the best for me. Also 28, because 2 and 8 are 10, and 1 and 0 are 1.

Was it difficult for a player with a past in such good teams to accept the role of a substitute in Legia?

No. Andrzej Pluta is a great Polish player, a national representative. I came during the season and had health problems. For me, this is the first year back in Europe. I try to have a positive impact on the game and be like an X-factor in the play-off phase. It was certainly difficult for me to find the right rhythm, and the injury had the biggest impact on that. Because of that, I could only play short fragments of about three minutes for a long time. I had a problem with my hamstring before I came here. The club was careful, they didn't want to take risks, they didn't want me to miss games. I didn't want to miss them either. I'm 31, not 41. I feel good. Now, in the play-off phase, the most important thing is to give it my all. Find the right rhythm, use the opportunities I have. But I'm a team-oriented player. If we win, that's all I care about.

In the last semi-final match against Anwil Włocławek you scored 23 points. This could have been a breakthrough performance and shots will now fall more often?

I hope so. Obviously, everything depends on the right rhythm. I could have played a bit longer and caught it. The most important thing for me is winning. I have been a winner all my life. I always play my best in the most important matches. I am sure that I will show my best form in the final. In the regular season, it is sometimes difficult to find motivation if you have injuries and are far from your family. People do not understand that. Now I feel that in the play-offs I had a good series against Górnik Wałbrzych. Then I did not play well away against Anwil, but I could play well in the last match. I am counting on good finals.