Tyrone Lewis (180-PG-87, college: Niagara) is a 24 year old 180cm point guard from Levittown, Pennslyvania that recently announced his retirement. He played at Niagra (NCAA) from 2006-2010 playing a total of 120 NCAA games. In his senior year, he played 27 games: 17.1ppg, 4.7rpg, 1.7apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 38.6%, 3PT: 36.7%, FT: 75.4%. In 2010-2011, he was a rookie with Maccabi Be'er Ya'akov (Israel-National League): got injured just after arrival and missed the season. Last season, he came to Germany and played for SC Itzehoe Eagles (Germany-Regionalliga, starting five): 22 games: 26.0ppg, 4.6rpg, 3.3apg, 3.0spg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 59.3%, 3Pts: 29.4%, FT: 74.6%. This season, he was going to play in the German PRO A for the Finke Baskets Paderborn, but decided to retire. He spoke with eurobasket about basketball.
You recently signed a contract with the Finke Baskets, but instead of being at practice today, you walked your niece to the bus stop. Is this the perfect example of how life can take unexpected turns? Yea I guess you can say that but that's life. Getting hit with unexpected turns I'm no stranger to but it's how we over come those things is what matters. I had to make a decision I thought was best for me and my family. I was just doing my uncle duties lol
You are a 24 year old 180 cm guard in tip top condition, but recently announced your retirement from professional basketball after only your second professional season. How diffiuclt was it to make this decision? It was very hard basketball was my life and my way of living. I will always love the game and miss it. Basketball was good to me and it open up a lot of doors in my life.
For so many young players it is a huge challenge to come overseas as well an adventure. Did you just miss the States too much or what were the main reasons for hanging up your sneakers so early in your career?
Lol no I wasn't home sick I'm used to being away from my family of course I miss them but they know and I know it's part of the business. My choice for leaving the game early is a personal choice. It is a challenge to come play overseas because it's not like playing for your high school team or college because this is a business the americans come over there and y'all expect us to be the best players on the floor every night and we have no room for error one bad game or injury could be the end of our career there is no loyalty it's hard to play looking over your shoulder every night.
The Finke Baskets Paderborn where you were headed to had had some turbulence this past summer. Money problems, a new owner and name came. Where you possibly a bit unclear how your future could be in Paderborn with all the problems the club had had in the past?
I knew nothing about their past history which is crazy I didn't know any of that. I like I said it was a personal reason why I left
You had a stellar NCAA career at Niagra where you were a MAAC tournament winner and MVP as a freshman in 2007. Coming in as a freshman were you a bit surprised at the end of your freshman year how much individual success you had considering that team had very talented guys with Clif Brown, Charron Fischer and Benson Egemonye?
I was a little surprised because as a freshmen you want come in your first year and do well kind of set the tone for your career. It didn't hurt having great teammates around me to take all the attention off of me.
How much fun was dishing the ball to a Clif Brown that season? What was your sweetest memory with him on and off the court?
It was a lot of fun playing with Cliff. He was a machine on the court worked hard every day. Best moment on the court with him watching kill it in the play in game he had 33 that night. Off the court its to many. Cliff is a different man of the court lol
You had Joe Mihalich as head coach all four years. How did he make you better as a player and person on and off the court? It was a blessing to play for him. He gives u this confidence where you believe you can do anything on the court. He brings the best out of you. Off the court just watching him live his life the right way he was a true leader and father figure to me and he always talked about playing and living your life one way and he didn't just preach it he lived it
You played in the NCAA and NIT tournaments. When you look back on your NCAA career, which was the biggest challenge you had against a player that might be in the NBA or in Europe now?
Playing against that great Kansas team as whole. I believe that starting 5 all got drafted
How would you like people to remember the basketball player Tyrone Lewis most? I want people to remember that I played the game the right way and for the right reasons and I always played for the name on the front not the back and that I was a class act
What is next for Tyrone Lewis? What kind of new career are you striving for as a retired professional basketball player?
My second love and that's helping young people giving back because you owe it to them.
How has basketball in general shaped you to being the man you are today? Basketball did it. In a lot of ways like being responsible learning how to handle your success and failures
Your uncle John Lewis was a corner back for the Buffalo Bills in 1987. What is your favorite story that he told you that has always stuck with you? The one thing my uncle told me that will always stick to me is he told me to never take a day off because its someone out there in the world working harder
You come from Pennsylvania. What are the chances that either the Eagles or Steelers will bring home a Superbowl championship in 2013? Hope neither one of them win I'm a cowboys fan but they are both really good teams and their chances are pretty good
What was the last DVD movie that you saw? Think like a man. A very funny movie.
Player of the Year: John Bryant (208-C-87, college: Santa Clara)
Guard of the Year: Davin White (186-G-81, college: CS Northridge)
Forward of the Year: Deon Thompson (203-F-88, college: N.Carolina)
Center of the Year: John Bryant
Newcomer of the Year: Kyle Weems (198-F-89, college: Missouri St [read more]
Regionaliga team Take Off Wurzburg and farm team off the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg have recieved much experience by bringing in Christoph Henneberger (188-G-84) Lars Buss and Felix Hoffmann. All three players have played combined 10 seasons in Wurzburg. Henneberger is a 29 year old 188cm guard that last season played for the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg playing six Eurocup games averaging 2,2ppg. In his two seasons with the s.Oliver baskets Wurzburg he played 26 Beko BBL games [read more]
Regionaliga team Take Off Wurzburg and farm team off the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg have recieved much experience by bringing in Christoph Henneberger (188-G-84) Lars Buss and Felix Hoffmann. All three players have played combined 10 seasons in Wurzburg. Henneberger is a 29 year old 188cm guard that last season played for the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg playing six Eurocup games averaging 2,2ppg. In his two seasons with the s.Oliver baskets Wurzburg he played 26 Beko BBL games. Buss is a 34 year old 202cm forward that has much experience in Germany in the second BUndesliga having played for teams like Hannover, Bayreuth, Chemnitz and Wurzburg. He even had Beko BBL experiecne in 2007-2008 playing for Bjoern Harmsen playing 14 games: 4.1ppg, 3.1rpg. The German played for SC Heuchelhof Wuerzburg (2.Regionalliga) the last two years. In 2010-2011, he helped the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg move up to the Beko BBL playing 12 games. SCH Wuerzburg Baskets (Regionalliga) in 2007. He then played three seasons with TSV Troester Breitenguessbach (ProB).
A.J. Rudowitz (198-F-88, college: Stonehill) has committed his future to BBL newcomer SC Rasta Vechta by signing a contract extension. Rasta also unveiled the signing of Urule Igbavboa (203-C-87, college: Valparaiso).Rudowitz will enter his third season with Rasta. He scored 11.3 points a contest for the team last season, while pulling down 5.8 boards a contest, which made him the second leading rebounder on the team [read more]
A.J. Rudowitz (198-F-88, college: Stonehill) has committed his future to BBL newcomer SC Rasta Vechta by signing a contract extension. Rasta also unveiled the signing of Urule Igbavboa (203-C-87, college: Valparaiso). Rudowitz will enter his third season with Rasta. He scored 11.3 points a contest for the team last season, while pulling down 5.8 boards a contest, which made him the second leading rebounder on the team. He started his pro career with Regionalliga team ASC Theresianum Mainz in 2010 and moved to Vechta following his rookie season. Igbavboa averaged 14.3 points and 7.1 rebounds a game for LF Basket of Sweden last season. The 26-year-old post player hails from Oakdale, Minnesota and holds a German passport thanks to his mother, a native of Muenster, Germany.
Art.Dragons: took 4th (last) place (1-5) in Group C of the Regular Season
Ratiopharm: took 2nd place (3-3) in Group G of the Regular Season, took 2nd
place (3-3) in Group L of the Top16, lost to Gescrap BB in the Quarterfinals 1-1
(-19) !!!
s.Oliver Baskets: took 3rd place (3-3) in Group D of the Regular Season
EWE Baskets: took 1st place (6-0) in Group F of the Regular Season, took 1st
place (5-1) in Group E of the Top16, lost to Karsiyaka (TUR) 62-66 in the
Semifinals, beat Gravelines (FRA) 84-76 in the 3rd place game !!!
Telekom Baskets: took 1st place (4-2) in Group H of the Regular Season, took
2nd place (4-2) in Group L of the Top16, lost to Krasnye Krylia (RUS) 0-2 in the
Quarterfinals !!!
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