Canaan sends message to Barcelona fans & names the most hostile EuroLeague crowds / News - Basketnews.com

With six minutes to play in Barcelona, he did something that later became iconic. UNICS Kazan guard Isaiah Canaan didn't receive so much hate in many years like that night at Palau Blaugrana. But that won't stop him from being who he is.

Isaiah Canaan

MIN:24.81PTS:12.86 (49.81%)REB:1.86As:1.36ST:0.59BL:0.18TO:1.64GM:22ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

Canaan recalled that historical game in Barcelona on BasketNews Talks and sent the message to one of the most hostile crowds he faced in his short European career so far.

A 30-year-old guard from Biloxi, Mississippi, hit a 3-pointer that increased UNICS lead in Barcelona 84-69.

FC Barcelona tried to storm UNICS for one last time, but Canaan's shot silenced everybody for a second.

Canaan put his finger close to his lips and shushed the home fans who were inspired by their team's recent effort. Palau Blaugrana just went crazy.

Suddenly, Barcelona stole one ball after another and booed Canaan every time he touched the ball. Barca made a few tough shots and went on a run that sent the game to overtime. Canaan missed two crucial free throws during that stretch, and UNICS let the victory away 109-111.

Barcelona players impersonated Canaan after the final whistle, shushing each other in the huddle.

Palau Blaugrana was in a state of euphoria, as EuroLeague TV cameras had Canaan in the spotlight.

"I bet he will never shush a crowd again in his life!" EuroLeague TV commentator said at the end of the broadcast.

Canaan chuckles about that night to this day.

"Barcelona fans, give them credit. They were on me. They were on me for a move that I made," Canaan said on BasketNews Talks.

"But things like that come from my NBA culture. Those type of things just gets the player going. The crowd was getting into the game. They were trying to get their team back. We were playing well. But it was just something to keep me going, to keep me fueled up going into the game," Canaan explained.

Isaiah Canaan

Team:UNIKS KazanPosition:PGAge:30Height:183 cmWeight:85 kgBirth place:United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

"It was nothing personal. I felt like many people or fans might have taken it personally. But it was just something a part of the game. At least for me, it was just some part of the game, nothing personal," he assured.

"But it has nothing that I was going be worried about. Or anything that was going to stop me from being the player that I am," he added.

"I may do that again in another game, depending on how the game goes. It's something you do just to keep going, fuel you, and keep the crowd involved.

"It's just more so entertainment more so than personally. But give Barcelona credit. They fed behind the crowd that was so angry with me."

Canaan came to play overseas in 2020, so he's still new to European crowds.

"After that happened, I looked around the arena, and it felt like literally, everybody was looking at you. Everybody was looking at you, pointing at you, giving you the finger. That was something new to me," Canaan added.

"I'm just like wow like literally everybody is at me over something that was so small to me," he was surprised. "But it's part of the game. They, crowd, they did that whey have to do."

The noise about the shush shifted from Palau Blaugrana to social media.

Some fans complained Canaan was provoking Barcelona players and the crowd with his celebrations the entire game.

"Not at all. Not at all," he assured. "Those things, it's just like Steph Curry hits a three, and he does his routine every time. I hit a three, and I do my thing. It's nothing to try to attack this person or crowd. It's just something to keep you going in the game."

"Obviously, over here, certain fans or certain crowds don't like it. They take it personally. But I'm just playing the game, doing whatever I can to help my team win. I'm not thinking about how I'm offending the crowd or how I'm offending anybody for something that motivates me. It's not about the crowd. It's about me and what I can bring to my team."

The next day after the game, Canaan tweeted that he would not back down from anything.

He accepted the challenge and got revenge a few weeks later, bouncing back with UNICS victory over Barcelona 70-64.

But that was definitely one of the most hostile crowds Canaan played in his rookie EuroLeague season.

He also added that he was impressed with Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade fans. Every new arena was unique to him.

"Europe has a lot of passionate fans. Every game is new to me. I'm playing in different arenas I'd never play, so I'm experiencing many new things and new cultures. I see how fans are involved in the team. How much they really care. They come to the games, and they're die-hard fans for their team, for their country. It's a fun atmosphere to play in," Canaan said.

"As a player that has a lot of competitiveness, that's something you want to be a part of. You want to play in those types of environments. It's been fun. Every arena has been fun. It's something new that motivates me to play."

Whether it's an emotional game in front of the hostile crowd, whether it's an awful or hot shooting night, Isaiah has an essential rule in his daily routine.

"I have the 12 o'clock rule," Canaan explains. "At 12 o'clock, the night of that game, it's a new day. So whatever happened before midnight, I can't change. I can only be better the next day.

"I let it go. I say I got to say before 12. Feel how I got to feel before 12. Beat myself up. Say I was terrible tonight. And as soon as 12 o'clock happened, I tried to let it go. Go to sleep, wake up, new day, 0-0. I haven't taken a shot today. I just move on," Canaan explained.

"I got to move on. I got a game, another game in two days or tomorrow. So you just got to move on."

Kazan was arguably the best EuroLeague team at one point of the season.

After the New Year, UNICS beat both EuroLeague finalists, FC Barcelona and Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

As the team's third-best scorer, Canaan sparked that stretch, bringing 12.9 points on 41.6% 3-point shooting off the bench. He's second in 3-pointers made this season (57), only two threes behind the current EuroLeague leader Scottie Wilbekin.

Covid took UNICS out of the rhythm, and the Russian team dropped to 7th seed in the playoff race. But step by step, they're getting back.

From what we saw against the best teams this season, UNICS will be a hard team to beat for any EuroLeague powerhouse.

So do we see Isaiah Canaan UNICS and shushing the whole Europe on May 29, the day of the EuroLeague final?

"I'm big on those type thing. I always said it, even now, when we have rough times. If we do the things we got to do, if we continue to stay together, manage to stay healthy all the way until that time, I like our chances," Canaan believes. "I like our guys. I like the coaches. We're really building something."

"A lot of people are against us. A lot of people don't want to see us there. We have to use that as fire. On top of that, everybody knows us now. We got to know we're not hunting anymore. People are coming for us. They know how we're coming, so they're preparing to be ready for us."

"We just got to do better. Be better in practice, pay more attention to details. Get closer together. As I said, stay even keel. If we stay even keel, we stay healthy, I like our chances."

It's exciting to hear Isaiah Canaan talking about big games and big goals in the EuroLeague and knowing what he went through in his life.

BasketNews invites you to watch the entire conversation with the UNICS guard to hear his unique story.

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