Former NBA player and EuroLeague champion with Real Madrid, Jeffery Taylor, spoke about Sweden returning to the EuroBasket after 12 years, him not participating in the European championship, and excitement over Swedish prospects in the NBA.
Former EuroLeague champion with Real Madrid and current Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius forward, Jeffery Taylor, spoke to the media after a narrow 99-100 loss to U-BT Cluj-Napoca in the EuroCup eightfinals.
Taylor, who represented the Swedish national team in the 2013 EuroBasket, expressed excitement about Sweden's return to the European Championship after a 12-year absence, saying he was proud of the players who made it happen.
"It makes me feel proud," Taylor said. "There are a lot of young guys, and they've been battling together for a couple of years now. I'm super happy for them — they deserve it."
"One of my best friends from my hometown, Mikko Riipinen, is the head coach of the team, so I'm incredibly proud of him and really happy about that," he added.
Taylor also confirmed he won't participate in EuroBasket, stating that it's the young players who earned the ticket to the competition and should have the opportunity to play.
"It's a young man's game," Taylor noted. "Those guys have been together for maybe five or six years now, and it's their moment. It's their time to go there and shine and represent the country."
When asked about the growth of Swedish basketball, Taylor expressed excitement about the progress, especially with young Swedish prospects making an impact in the NBA.
"It's huge. With Bobi Klintman and Pelle Larsson getting drafted into the NBA this summer, it's a big deal. I'm really happy to see Swedish basketball grow," Taylor said.
He praised Klintman and Larsson's potential, saying both have the tools to succeed at the highest level.
"I think Bobi has the perfect NBA body," the former NBA player said. "He can do a little bit of everything — he can dribble, he can shoot. I think he needs a couple of years, but he'll be a great NBA player."
"Pelle Larsson is getting minutes for Miami. I think he just had his career-high yesterday. He's playing great and will also be a great NBA player," Taylor praised Larsson.
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