“We wanted it, we fought, and we got it.”
Zach LeDay was speaking to reporters in the hallway of Belgrade Arena after Hapoel Tel Aviv’s 81-80 win over Crvena Zvezda.
It almost sounded like a description of LeDay’s own approach to basketball.
What preceded was a veteran performance from LeDay.
When there was a mismatch to exploit, he found it. When there was a defensive rotation to make, he made it.
And he made shots.
LeDay finished with 12 points and four rebounds in 22 minutes.
“We got some decisive stops. We controlled their transition,” LeDay told a group of Serbian journalists. “They live off missed shots and running, so we controlled that, and we played good half-court defense in the end.
“At the end of the day, we just fought. We wanted it, we fought, and we got it.”
„I feel like I’m the most over-prepared player in Europe“
Vasilije Micić had said both before and after the game that the most important thing for Hapoel is for everyone to put their egos aside and accept their roles, allowing all that talent to come through.
That kind of chemistry takes time.
“For sure, a lot of gelling to do. It’s good when you have some of the best players in Europe on the same team. We take it day by day. As my dad would always say, you can’t eat an elephant in one bite. Go one bite at a time.”
After the game, LeDay and Micić were the last two Hapoel players still on the court, replaying one particular situation from the game – demonstrating, explaining, going back and forth over what had happened.
So we asked LeDay how comfortable he feels in his own role.
“I think we just continue to gel. Like I always say, I feel like I’m the most over-prepared player in Europe, with all the notes, the routines and stuff like that. So really, it’s just about playing.
“Just go out there, trust each other, build a brotherhood with my teammates and take it day by day. In the end, we’ll be where we want to be.”
Scribble-Scrabble and Chemistry Problems
LeDay’s notes are well known by now.
So, naturally, we wanted a few clues about what is actually in that notebook.
“Clues? Man, if you saw my notebook, you would literally think it’s scribble-scrabble, like Chinese or something like that. Like I’m putting chemistry problems or something.
“But I just try to be prepared so I can be the best version of myself to help the team.”
This is LeDay’s first season working with Dimitris Itoudis, but he already knows plenty about the philosophy behind his basketball.
How?
Simple.
“I’m blessed that, at this point in my career, I have a great foundation from working with coaches from the same kind of tree – Obradović, Saras, and him now.
“So I feel like a lot of his language is similar, but his coaching style is different in that way. But it’s all coming from the same direction. I take it day by day, and I go and learn and grow from it because I want to be the best.”