Rodrigue Beaubois on playing with Dirk Nowitzki: 'I've rarely seen a leader being so open' / News - Basketnews.com

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Some players spend their whole careers in the NBA and yet leave the big stage without even a chance to compete for the championship. For Rodrigue Beaubois, it took two years.

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After being drafted with the No. 25 pick by Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2009 NBA Draft, at that time 21-year-old Frenchman was instantly traded to the contenders Dallas Mavericks, led by one of the greatest Europeans of all time, Dirk Nowitzki.

Despite playing only in 28 games in the 2010-11 season, and missing the entire playoffs due to an injury, Beaubois was an effective role player in a championship team. He averaged 8.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.

Although he was sidelined, Beaubois witnessed a historical Mavericks run, which was flourished by a win over Miami Heat’s super team, featuring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

"It's an amazing feeling, sensation, and blessing," Beaubois recalled the feeling of becoming an NBA champion. "To be in a team loaded with such amazing players. It was the first (and only) title for the Mavericks. Dirk, J-Kidd, and all the other guys. It was special."

"Miami were favorites because they had an amazing team. But somehow, we won, it was an amazing feeling to be a part of it. To see all the hard work guys had to do. You could see every day that they were on a mission to win the championship, and it was amazing to see them winning it," he added.

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Probably there's no person who could say a bad thing about Nowitzki. And Beaubois is no exception. The French guard was fascinated by Nowitzki's leadership and easy-going personality.

"Dirk is an amazing guy. I've been around many players in my career, but I've rarely seen a leader being so open and trying to make sure that everybody is involved in the team. He made sure that he had some kind of connection with every single player.

Free throws this season

83%13,4Points made:13,4Accuracy:82,7%Place in standings:5Record max:28Record min:3Most made FTs:Vasilije MicicTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

He was always open to any kind of discussion or joke. It was amazing to see that kind of caliber player, Hall of Fame caliber player to be so open and so easy to talk to," Beaubois shared fond memories.

Unfortunately for Beaubois, injuries were a big part of his NBA career. In August 2010, Beaubois broke his foot, which sidelined him up until February 2011.

In his return, the French guard scored 13 points against the Sacramento Kings and eventually earned his place in the starting five. However, just before the beginning of the playoffs, Beaubois sprained his left foot and had to watch the Mavericks championship run from the sidelines.

The upcoming seasons were no better. In June 2011, Beaubois had another foot surgery, and at the end of the 2012-13 season, he underwent a left hand surgery.

Over four seasons in the NBA, Beaubois played 182 games, averaging 7.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists.

"It wasn't easy for sure," Beaubois said on the injuries he suffered. "As a player, you want to play, be on the court and compete. Those injuries stopped me for a long time, but it's part of the game. It was very hard, but I had to find a way back and keep playing the sport that I love."

Looking at today's NBA, shooters are a vital part of every team. Asked whether he thinks about "what if" scenarios if he would have stayed healthy, Beaubois reassures that he's saving those for retirement.

"I'm trying not to go back like that. Maybe when I'll retire, I will have time to look back and maybe think about what-ifs. Right now, I'm trying to move forward, keep getting better and keep helping the team that I'm playing for," Beaubois told.

And Beaubois has a strong case of what if. In his rookie season in 2009-10, he wasn't just a 21-year-old guy at the back of the bench.

He played in 56 games, starting 16 of them. Moreover, on March 27th, 2010, he scored 40 points, making 9 3-pointers out of his 11 attempts. And he did against no other but current Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.

To this day, 9 made 3-pointers by a rookie is an NBA record. Only Yogi Ferrell managed to match such a result in 2017.

Speaking of the shooters and the NBA, back in October, Anadolu Efes Istanbul shared the video of Beaubois making 117 3-pointers in a row.

Could Beaubois challenge Stephen Curry in the 3-point shooting duel?

"We are talking about the best shooter of all time," Beaubois answered with a smile. "Yes, I had a good day then; it's amazing that there was a camera to capture it because I don't think people would have believed me."

"But yeah, we are talking about the best shooter of all time, so I'm sure it would be a tough competition. Obviously, I'd do my best, but he's amazing. He's done it so many times; he's an amazing shooter," Beaubois added.

Fast-forwarding ten years or so, Beaubois is now a reigning EuroLeague champion with Anadolu Efes. However, the Turkish powerhouse cannot boast of having a strong and consistent campaign.

The exclusion of Russian teams and the results being canceled against them allowed Anadolu Efes to rise to 6th place in the EuroLeague standings.

"It's hard to say," Beaubois said about the inconsistency of the results. "I'm trying not to think about it right now. I'm trying to focus on what we did last game, what we can do better in the next game, which is Zalgiris."

"In the last game (loss against Monaco 82-100), I felt that our energy was very low. Monaco clearly dominated us physically, in hustle plays, rebounding, and in everywhere else, they were better. It's something we want to do better in the next game, for sure.

Then, me and my teammates want to take one game at a time because we are not in the position to think about too much. We need to focus and win as many games as possible," added the Frenchman.

Last season, Anadolu Efes were in a similar slump. However, Efes made an incredible charge in the second half of the season, losing only three regular season games from January 2021.

As we all know, it ended with a long-awaited championship. So far, Efes are nowhere near such dominant form. The roster is aging, and the main core has been playing together for a while now.

Is it possible that Efes players lost their desire and hunger?

"We will be able to compare when the season is over. I'm just going to say that every season is different," Beaubois explained. "It's the first time for us being defending champions, so it's a totally different mindset. We are learning."

"In every game, we feel like the teams want to give their best against us. It's completely different seasons, completely different stories, and we need to learn from it. But as I said, it's not over yet, and we'll do everything we can to go as far as possible," he added.

Credit Reuters – Scanpix

Since Beaubois' first professional season in 2006, France men's national basketball team won one silver medal in the Olympics (2020), two bronze medals in FIBA World Cup (2014, 2019), and one gold medal (2013), one silver (2011), and one bronze medal (2015) in EuroBasket.

However, 34-year-old Beaubois was not part of any of those France teams. In fact, he did not participate in any single major international tournament with his country.

In 2010, he was the closest to making his debut on an international stage, but during the preparation for the upcoming FIBA World Cup, Beaubois suffered an injury and had to withdraw from the team.

Knowing what kind of caliber player Beaubois is, it's pretty wild. So, what prevented him from putting Les Bleus jerseys?

"There are many reasons," Beaubois revealed. "Injuries, personal reasons. Sometimes, it was simply a coaching decision, which resulted in me not being included. There were many things that did not allow me to play for the national team. It is what it is."

Asked whether he still expects to make his debut for France, Beaubois did not say it openly but gave an impression that this ship might have sailed.

"I think it's going to be complicated, but who knows. I'm 34 years old now. We have so many good players in France, and so far, there have been a lot of good results. The coach will need to make a decision, and we'll see in the future"," Beaubois concluded.

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