Basketball superstar Patrick Anderson is moving to Turkish club Galatasaray for the upcoming 2021 season to play in the Tekerlekli Sandalye Basketbol Süper Ligi. We talked to him about his restart in Turkey, his expectations and the preparation for Tokyo 2021. There will be a big Pat Anderson feature in the upcoming Rollt. which will be published at the end of April.
What made you decide to play for Galatasaray and how will that help you preparing for Tokyo?
„In basketball terms, it was a decision between training alone in NYC or practicing and playing games in Turkey. After a year of training mostly alone, I decided to go for it. The experience will let me gauge how my body is doing. Also my 5 on 5 brain has been hibernating since the NWBA finals a year ago. Time to wake up.“
What are you looking forward to most in the Turkish league?
„I love the experience of getting to know new teammates and competitors, both as players and people.”
„The season is planned in three phases plus playoffs. What does that mean for you in the upcoming weeks?“ (Are you going back and forth? Life in a bubble?)
„I’ll be here for the first round of games, then back to NY. The timing of my return depends on family matters. But I’ll definitely be back for the playoffs, assuming we qualify, if not sooner.“
Interview & Photo: Steffie Wunderl