Brandon Paul knows where he'd like to retire, wants to find a team like Ulm / News - Basketnews.com

Brandon Paul discusses with BasketNews Ulm's remarkable German title run and explores his future moves, including his next destination and retirement thoughts. He also breaks down his two separate stints at Joventut Badalona and explains how he became a Spurs fan.

Credit: IMAGO/Nordphoto Credit IMAGO/Nordphoto

If ratiopharm Ulm emerged as the ultimate Cinderella story in European basketball this summer, Brandon Paul can lay claim to having been part and parcel of a special group. It wasn't just that the German club won its first domestic championship title. That trophy was the first in Paul's career as well.

Brandon Paul

Position:SG, PGAge:32Height:193 cmWeight:91 kgBirth place:Illinois, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

"It feels amazing. To be there, to see the city on fire and how much the fans celebrated us," Paul, 32, recalled in a conversation with BasketNews.

"It was pretty crazy because we had everything against us. We were the only ones that believed in ourselves. It took a lot of guys to set their egos aside to have the same goal. Everyone gave something different and the personalities blended well together."

Paul, a veteran guard that has played professionally in four continents, including Asia and Australia, came to Ulm in early December 2022.

His arrival provided the team with some extra scoring and shooting punch, as he finished the season with an average of 10.7 points, whilst increasing his input in the BBL Finals to 15.8 points per contest against BCL champions Telekom Baskets Bonn. He amassed 38 points in crucial Games 3 and 4, which his side ended up winning.

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For a player who's had a career as extensive and varied as Paul has, winning the first championship after several years of trying was a payoff that made him look back on certain situations.

"I thought about how much basketball I've played, how many places and different countries I've been to, and how fortunate I was," Paul admitted. "That was my 10th professional season. So, to do it a decade in, you couldn't really ask for a better season or situation. It was very hard because not many people thought we could pull it off."

There is a long list of players who could have provided Paul with all the inside information he needed before moving to Germany, with Jaron Blossomgame, his former teammate at the Spurs and predecessor at Ulm, fitting the description perfectly. But Ulm as a club has a good overall reputation among US players, anyway.

Paul can't forget how Ulm beat his previous team, Joventut Badalona, in the 2021-22 EuroCup Round of 16.

"I remember that they didn't give up and punched us in the mouth. I usually do speak with former players, but not this time. I only spoke to coach Anton Gavel on the phone, while I was in New York and training there.

He called and told me, 'We got a young team and we have some injuries. We think your veteran presence and experience can help the cause.' He was very upfront with me and I appreciated that. I spoke to (sports director) Thorsten Leibenath too, who was pressing me to get over there," Paul revealed.

However, the American shooting guard has now re-entered free agency, since Ulm had a tough time keeping many of their core players. Having performed best when it mattered, the Illinois-born player couldn't hide his excitement for the season he just had.

"I think that's going to open up some opportunities for myself," he argued. "But I want to make sure I stay in shape. I will take some time off, get back in the gym, weigh my options, and speak with my agents. Every year is a different market for Europe and Asia. I want to keep my options open."

This summer has been somewhat special for the European market. The emergence of new players from a financial standpoint, like Panathinaikos and the two Serbian teams, is extremely palpable. It seems that more and more clubs are willing to spend a lot.

"The budgets are starting to get bigger since COVID hit," Paul concurred. "Now, guys are pulling out the big checks, and teams land big players. I'm keeping my eyes on this. There's definitely some money to be made."

Of all the summer market moves, he particularly liked Kevin Punter's extension with Partizan.

"That's the homie. I played with him at Olympiacos [editor's note: in 2019-20], where he didn't get an opportunity to be himself. Once he got it, he showed Europe who he was. We all thought he was going to go to Barcelona for a minute, but the next day Partizan re-signed him. I thought that was a pretty big signing," he said.

Paul thinks one of the reasons some players might look at Europe as a less desirable or attractive destination compared to other markets, like Japan or Australia, has to do with the financial part. But that's not the only downside.

"It's a long and grueling season in Europe. A lot of guys don't want to spend 10 months over the waters. You got to be mentally focused," Paul holds.

"But Europe is always going to find a way to be competitive. There are a lot of players that like to play basketball."

That said, Paul is certain about one thing: "I'll just say I'm never going back to Russia. I'm going to stay away from that." His rookie season as a professional in Nizhny Novgorod back in 2014-15 didn't pan out the way he would have liked.

"I think I ended up getting released after six months. It was a tough situation, not something I'd go back to anytime soon. But it definitely helped me mature and build some tough skin, be adaptable throughout my travels."

Apart from his two EuroLeague seasons with Anadolu Efes in 2016-17 and Olympiacos in 2019-20, Paul spent two separate terms with Joventut Badalona. However, only the first one (2015-16) was memorable.

"I wasn't making a lot of money, but I knew the league was great. I ended up leading the team in scoring, coming off the bench. That opened up Europe's eyes to who I was. Badalona is an amazing city and an amazing club. I loved everybody there and I was very excited to go back."

When he did go back, things were far from ideal. In 2021-22, he averaged only 7.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per ACB contest, while recording 8.5 points and 1.8 rebounds in 16 minutes of play in the EuroCup. Although he kept his efficiency high, certain things were missing.

"Unfortunately, for whatever reason, I just didn't have the trust from my coach [Carles Duran]," he reflects.

"I wanted to come in and play my game, but I wasn't able to do that. I just tried my best to be professional. There were times when I could have played better, but I felt like my talent was held back. Sometimes, the coach won't be your advocate, but I don't hold any grudges. It's a learning process and you keep moving."

Paul went to China three times and had a good time during his first visit. He described it as "a great experience," adding that his teams took care of him.

"The money was great and on time; I and Marcus Denmon would frequent five different restaurants to get some comfortable food. We won the first playoff game in club history. The next two times were more difficult when you throw COVID in the process. It was just chaos and you had to be mentally strong to be able to stay in that situation."

In February 2021, Paul signed with the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League. "It was a league fun to play in, it was competitive and it's growing every year. Australia was also beautiful and I enjoyed myself.I would definitely consider going back. If everything makes sense, with the right situation and the right club," he reflected.

If someone asked him about the place he'd like to end his career, one of Paul's choices is less obvious.

"I want to spend some time in the BAL League in Africa. I've seen some highlights, but I don't think I'll become a coach. I have a skill set as far as front office management, scouting, player personnel, and training. I know how to put guys through skill workouts. I'm not sure if that's what I want to do, but I want to have that opportunity."

Nevertheless, even though he has no set destinations, right now he'd be inclined to play on a team that's going to allow him as freedom on the court as Ulm did.

"I've played in so many different leagues and last season, I had probably the most freedom that I've had in my entire career," he pondered. "They let me do my thing. My teammates did a good job of finding me and I was treated as a veteran. That gave me a lot of confidence. I played my best basketball down the stretch."

If winning is an addiction, Paul is happy to have been on the winning end last season. Now, his priority is togo somewhere where he'll have the chance to win, not just grow.

"I felt like I've had my best season. I only missed one practice last year. I want to be healthy and shoot the ball better than last season," he pondered.

Wherever the place might be, Paul's mother Lynda has said it must fulfill three conditions: a winning culture, absence of political risk, and a good paycheck. Looking back, Paul said he'spicked some good spots.

"You have Olympiacos and Efes, who are two of the winningest teams in their respective countries and leagues. Then, you have San Antonio, the winningest team in NBA history with arguably the greatest coach across all sports," he stressed referring to Gregg Popovich, one the latest inductees in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

"He has an incredible perspective. He studies humans, knows people and how to press the right buttons," Paul described.

"He also knows it's just a game and that everyone has lives outside of the game. He looks at us more than players or numbers. He wants us to mature and grow up. To this day, if I shoot him a message, he's going to get back to me. It's truly humbling."

Since Paul hails from Gurnee, a village town in Illinois, one would expect him to become a Chicago Bulls fan. In fact, his first mentor was no other than Dickey Simpkins, who won three consecutive NBA titles alongside Michael Jordan from 1996 through 1998. Paul was 14 at the time, while Simpkins was making a living overseas, with Germany being among his layovers.

"He started coaching me and he would put me through more NBA-tailored workouts. He'd tell me, 'This is what you got to be ready for college or the NBA.' Once I saw how hard it was, that made me want to get in the gym. I just took that with me. I understood that there's always going to be someone better than me, but I can't allow someone to work harder than me," Paul remembered.

"My dad would take us to the Bulls games and we'd dye our hair. I grew up watching Michael Jordan. I played with his sons in high school and college," he added.

However, his ties with the Spurs date back to his early childhood. Paul used to watch basketball with his mother, even though he couldn't exactly grasp what it was that caught his attention. However, he was still able to enjoy the ball movement and the fast pace.

"I asked my mom, 'How do they move the ball so fast?' And she told me, 'You want to practice more instead of playing video games with your brother all day? Maybe you'll play like them one day.' I loved watching Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Danny Green, when he was setting 3-point records in the playoffs. I've always been a Spurs fan."

Everyone knows the Spurs for Popovich and winning basketball. Paul was well aware of that as well. After finishing his college career at Illinois as the eighth-leading scorer in school history with 1.654 points, hehad workouts with 17 different teams before the 2013 NBA Draft. The Spurs were just one of them.

"I was all over the place," he recalled. "I was trying to make my rounds and go everywhere. It was difficult. I was tired because I had just finished my college courses. Once the season finished, I was doing an internship at a hotel.

Then, I went to Florida to do pre-draft work and started traveling around. I understood why you have to treat your body like a temple. If I wasn't in the shape I was in, I would have broken down."

The work didn't pay off immediately, as Paul went undrafted that summer. However, he got to play 65 games with the Spurs in 2017-18. As chance would have it, that was Manu Ginobili's last season.

Five years ago, Paul said he was going to play until he was older than Ginobili, who retired at the tender age of 41. This means he's slated to play for at least one more decade. In 2023, that statement sounds a little bit too audacious for Paul's liking, especially given the wear and tear of his globetrotting ventures.

"I don't know. As I'm getting older, embracing my life and traveling, I'm not sure if I'll have the same type of energy as he did. He was a freak of nature at 40+, playing in the NBA," he said of the Argentinian legend.

"Right now, I'm just taking it year by year and day by day. I could have six-seven years or three-four years left. Tomorrow, I might say 'That's it.' But my tomorrow might be in four years from now."

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