Tavares shares nostalgic moment with Campazzo, evaluates the next superstar after Doncic / News - Basketnews.com

Evaluating the other 7-foot-3 star Victor Wembanyama, Real Madrid center Edy Tavares admires his fearless game the most.

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Since Los Brates came to Madrid, there's no silence anymore in Real's camp.

Walter Tavares

MIN:26.46PTS:11.5 (69.66%)REB:7.14As:1.5ST:0.79BL:2.64TO:2.29GM:14ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

Mario Hezonja and Dzanan Musa joined Walter Tavares before his interview on BasketNews Talks.

"Donatas, what are the questions?" Hezonja asked playfully. Both got comfortable on the sofa behind the cameras.

When Hezonja heard Campazzo's name, he made jokes about how hard I should push this topic just to get Madrid's press officer Julio crazy.

A couple of minutes ago, they passed by the Croatian hockey youth team in the Radisson Kaunas Hotel. Kids were surprised by the Balkan basketball stars' presence and exchanged in their native language.

Before, Musa exchanged hugs with Real's personnel members on his way to a dining room. The corridor was full of Los Brates on every corner.

"I think this camera... To the left, a little," Hezonja wanted to fix the camera that was focused on Tavares.

"Can you kick them out?" Tavares burst out laughing, a little bit distracted by his younger hyperactive teammates.

Madrid got some fresh blood this summer to fuel the team for another championship run since the 2018 EuroLeague title.

In recent weeks, Real was a centerpiece of speculation if Facundo Campazzo would return to Madrid.

But Real reportedly failed to match Crvena Zvezda's offer for Facundo Campazzo, and he is close to landing in Belgrade. However, his future is still up in the air.

What if Tavares was the last friend Campazzo had on a phone call before making his final decision on his future? What would be his main pitch to convince Facundo to change his mind?

The BasketNews question made Tavares smile.

Victor Wembanyama

Position:CAge:18Height:223 cmWeight:95 kgBirth place:FranceProfileNewsStatistics

"I don't know, he knows everything already," Tavares smiled. "It's always a pleasure to play with him. If he comes, it will be good for us to help win games. He's a great guy. He knows how it is here pretty well, so I wouldn't have anything to tell him."

Any nostalgic memories that could soften Campazzo's heart then?

"The whole time with him was fun. He likes to play with happiness. He likes to run. Play super active. He's a great defender. I always wanted to play with guys who wanted to play defense. For me, it's always nice to play with him, and all memories are great," Tavares recalled.

"But I will always remember when he tried to cut the net, stayed on the rim, and called me to help him to get off the rim," Tavares laughed.

The other trending basketball topic on Twitter is Victor Wembanyama.

The projected No. 1 pick of the 2023 NBA draft was tested by Tavares last season.

Tavares dunked on him in the first Real possession and led Madrid to a win 70-58. Wembanyama went for 1 of 9 that night, but he played mainly as a four-man and didn't match up with Tavares a lot.

"When I played against him, he was new on the team. He looked a bit lost because it was his first year in the EuroLeague. There everything goes fast. Especially for big guys like us, it's always hard to catch up with guys," Tavares recalled his encounter with Wembanyama.

"But you could see the difference when he played against guys of his age. I have known Luka [Doncic] since he was 15. Now he is a superstar. I think Wembanyama is going to be the next. I think the sky is the limit for him," Tavares believed in the French prospect.

As a 7-foot-3 center, Tavares knows very well what makes Wembanyama special.

And something that Tavares likes the most about Wembanyama should remind him of Luka Doncic.

"I love how he can put the ball on the floor and come with the ball full court. He can dribble the ball, he can shoot," Tavares said. "But what I like the most is he's not scared to play or try anything. At 7-3, he can do whatever he wants. It looks like every time he wants to show up can be the best. He's going to be the star. You can see when somebody plays without fear of making a mistake."

Credit ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix

Tavares also played in the NBA. He appeared in 13 games for the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He didn't get many opportunities in Atlanta because the Hawks were the winning team. In Cleveland, his solid debut (6 PTS, 10 REB) was overshadowed by a hand fracture that jeopardized his situation with the Cavs.

"It was hard, but without that experience, I would never be the player I am today. Because that made me more hungry to work and progress," Tavares recalled.

Although in today's NBA, he sees at least one comparison that fits his playing style.

"I think it's Rudy Gobert. I consider him similar to me in blocking shots, defense, and helping teammates. I think in the NBA, a lot depends on luck. Rudy Gobert went to Utah, and they gave him all the trust. They waited for him to get ready for the NBA. So he had luck and great guys who trusted him. I think that's why he is so successful now," Tavares said.

But Tavares, 30, feels comfortable in the team he calls the closest to the NBA. He focuses on the second EuroLeague title hunt.

"Real Madrid will win the EuroLeague if..." BasketNews asked Tavares to finish the sentence.

"If we play defense together and share the ball," he smiled.

Hezonja and Musa had already left a few minutes into the interview and weren't around.

From Supercopa to a losing stretch and then a six-game winning streak, it will take time for this reshaped Real Madrid team to figure out the championship formula.

Watch the entire conversation with Edy Tavares:

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