Nigel Hayes-Davis declares his love for road games, shares Itoudis' words to him / News - Basketnews.com

Nigel Hayes-Davis talked about his season with Fenerbahce, named the languages he's learning, and how Dimitris Itoudis wants to use him on the court.

Credit: Panagiotis Moschandreou/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Panagiotis Moschandreou/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Nigel Hayes-Davis, who left half of his first season behind with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul jersey, spoke to TrendBasket before the game vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, where the Turkish squad suffered their 9th EuroLeague defeat of the season.

2-pointers this season

58%21,5Points made:21,5Accuracy:57,7%Place in standings:3Record max:33Record min:11Most made 2FGs:Johnathan MotleyTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

The 28-year-old player, who played for Zalgiris Kaunas before joining FC Barcelona last year, managed to become one of the favorite players of coach Dimitris Itoudis and the Fenerbahce fans, surpassing all expectations.

The Ohio-born forward is averaging 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 11.9 in PIR, in what is regarded as his best season in the top continental competition.

In an interview he gave before the season, the 28-year-old forward said that he can understand Turkish and still have difficulty speaking, but he took lessons to improve his language skills. According to the latest update, the process is going well.

"I am currently in the phase of developing my vocabulary. I just need to learn more words. I mostly understand what is being said, I am also good at making sentences and reading. Sometimes I can't make sense of the sentence because I don't know the meanings of the words," he explained.

However, Turkish isn't the only language Hayes-Davis is keen on learning.

"I am also currently learning Greek. Why is that? Because there are five Greeks in the club. I'm not counting Nick [Calathes], it'd be six if I counted him," he revealed.

"I try to learn their language to communicate fluently with everyone on the team. For the same reason, I also learned Croatian and Serbian. This way I can communicate with Marko [Guduric] and Rado [Radovan Trifunovic]. Turkish with local players, Greek with Greek staff. I just want to make sure I can communicate with everyone."

Dimitris Itoudis played a big role in his transfer to Fenerbahce. His meeting with him was influential in his decision. After the first six months of collaboration, the American player says thehoneymoon is over.

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul / Schedule

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul91-77 Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul Olympiacos PiraeusTue17:45 Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ALBA BerlinFri17:45

"I appreciate him as a man, coach, and teacher. He's doing very well, not just with me, but with the whole team," he argued.

"I can't say anything but positive words about Itoudis. We've been good so far, but nobody cares how the season started. What matters is how it ends. We're just trying to keep doing what we're doing well in the second half of the season."

Counting only one win in eight games isn't what Fenerbahce fans would expect. However, Hayes-Davis thinks it's not the players' responsibility that people think they should do better.

"We complement each other, have fun and play hard. We all have good things to be praised for. We had injuries, it's that simple. This is not something you can control. That changed the dynamics of the team. And when the injured came back, they needed time to get back to where they were before."

After 21 EuroLeague games, it's clear that away fixtures bring out Hayes-Davis' best version. He scored over 20 points vs. Monaco, Panathinaikos and Olimpia Milano.

"I love away games. I always say this: road games are the best. You go to a different arena with only a team of 12-13 people and a technical staff. Fenerbahce fans are usually there, but you are still alone against home fans and the opposing team," he explained.

There's also another interesting stat regarding Nigel Hayes-Davis: he has scored 16 double-digits in 16 games this season, and Fenerbahce have won 15 of those games.

"It looks like I need to get the ball more near the basket. I'm a team player, and I think everyone would approve of that. The team comes before the individual. But the numbers don't lie either.

Itoudis also told me that he didn't bring me here just to play defense. The numbers support it, the coach is behind me. Why shouldn't I shoot the ball?" he wondered.

Hayes-Davis had a great time playing for Zalgiris Kaunas between 2019 and 2021, but the fact that the Final Four will be played in Kaunas doesn't create an extra motivation for him.

"The goal is obviously to go to the Final Four. It doesn't matter what city you're in," he pointed out.

"I spent two good years there and I can only say good things about the city. They also have one of the best fans not only in Europe, but in the world. I know I will be welcomed by the city of Kaunas, but we need to be able to get there first."

The American forward is an athlete and leader who is very outspoken about issues like racial inequality and the salaries of NCAA athletes. While it's still the way to go, there have been some changes lately for the better for student-athletes.

"All I can say is I wish it was like this when I was in college. Colleges are also doing better now than when I was there. Athletes can play basketball and earn money at the same time. Not only basketball, of course; they can also play any sports they want."

Reflecting on the issue, Hayes-Davis remarked:

"What a crazy idea! The whole world thought that athletes could not both study and play sports. Who could have guessed that? Such a crazy idea!"

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