Delaney confirms his decision regarding Europe and reveals toughest opponents / News - Basketnews.com

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Malcolm Delaney summed up his long tenure in Europe with Christos Tsaltas of SDNA.gr.

Malcolm Delaney

Team:AX Armani Exchange MilanPosition:PG, SGAge:33Height:191 cmWeight:86 kgBirth place:Baltimore, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

The 33-year-old star guard spent nine years playing in Old Continent. He started his overseas career with Elan Chalon in 2011 and finished it in Milan. Budivelnyk, Bayern Munich, Lokomotiv Kuban, and Barcelona were other European stops.

"For me, it [playing in Europe] was an effort to get back to the NBA. I wanted to be one of the best guards in Europe and this helped me find myself and my true level. The European experience helped me a lot as a player and as a person," Delaney told SDNA.gr.

In March, Delaney admitted to BasketNews that the 2021-22 season would be his last full season in Europe. As stated by the player, nothing has changed since then.

"I haven't signed anywhere in Europe, so for me, the time is up here. It's not 100% guaranteed but I can't play 10 more seasons. The seasons in Europe are very long. However, the statement I had made was not so much about basketball as about my mental health," Delaney stressed.

The American athlete then went on and singled out the best season of his career.

At 27, Delaney starred in one of EuroLeague's biggest upsets, when he led Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar to their first-ever Final Four in 2016, at the expense of his future club, FC Barcelona. At that time, Delaney made the All-EuroLeague First Team.

"The second season at Lokomotiv Kuban [is my best season]. One of my favorite moments was the game against Panathinaikos at OAKA, when I scored 20 points in the second half.

I had a minor injury and I wasn't feeling well, but in the second half, I came onto the court and scored 20 points. After the game, the coach looked at me, shook my hand, and said with a smile on his face, 'Do you know what you did?' I only had 1 point in the first half and 20 in the second, crazy," Delaney recalled.

The player also picked out five people, who helped him the most during his time in Europe.

"Georgios Bartzokas is my favorite coach. Then I'd add Cory Higgins, Kyle Hines, and two more former teammates, Dontaye Draper and Kevin Punter."

Finally, who were Malcolm Delaney's five toughest opponents?

"Tyrese Rice, Keith Langford, Mike James, Nando De Colo, and Vassilis Spanoulis," he responded.

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