Rhine River Rhinos have recently announced that Gijs Even will be joining them for the upcoming season. The Dutch international player spoke with Rollt.’s English-speaking Content Producer, Dylan Cummings about his transfer to the Rhinos following his departure from the Köln 99ers after two seasons.
Why did you choose to move to Rhine River Rhinos?
“I chose to move to the Rhine River Rhinos because I like their style of play. In the past two years in RBBL 1, the games against them have always been a hard-fought battle. They are tough and everyone plays their role well.”
You played for Köln 99ers for two seasons under a great coach like Mat Foden, why did you choose to leave and why do you think Köln have been relegated to RBBL 2?
“I agree that Mat Foden is a great coach. He gave me the opportunity to develop my game. I chose to leave the Köln 99ers because in the RBBL 1 I have the opportunity to play against and with world class players every week. Unfortunately, that’s not the case in RBBL 2. Last year with Köln we had a really young team and as the season progressed, we started putting pieces together. Every other team in the league has been playing together for years, and that’s where we just didn’t have enough experience playing together as a team. I think if we had another year together, we would have been able to stay in RBBL 1.”
What new challenges do you think you will face as you continue to play in RBBL 1?
“A new challenge for me will be playing under a new head coach and learning the style of my new team. It’s a challenge I’m really excited for! In the last two seasons I have developed my game really well and I hope it’s going to grow even more.”
How do you think the styles of play will differ between the 99ers and the Rhinos?
“I don’t think the styles differ that much, it’s more the personnel and execution that’s different.”
A lot of Dutch players choose to play for clubs outside of the Netherlands to get better, why do you think this is and what must the Netherlands league do to improve the standard of competition?
“The Netherlands is such a small country surrounded by other countries with really good leagues. At this point we have players abroad in Germany, Spain and France, which are all pretty close to home. The strong leagues around us lure players out of our own country. If the Netherlands want to improve their own league, I think they have to start with developing young talents and try and keep them in our home league. This way the level of play will be increased from the ground up. Eventually the level with increase and the league will be stronger.”
What are your goals for next season?
“The goals with the Rhinos are to go for a playoff hunt and also make a EuroLeague final round.”
How have Team NL been preparing for the European Championships?
“The preparation for the European Championships has been really busy. We have played a lot of games in our preparation and have had a lot of hard practices. This all to make us as ready as possible for Euros and hit our peak when we need to.”
I personally like the way the Dutch team plays basketball, however, in my opinion they can be hot and cold sometimes, what do you think the team needs to do to be more consistent?
“This season we have lost one of our veteran players, Walter Groen, a 2.5. Not having him caused us to play different line-ups then we’re used to, and for us that takes time to find the right rhythms with each other. Once we figure out that rhythm, I think we’ll be more hot than cold.”
How do you think Dutch culture differs from German culture?
“Wheelchair basketball-wise I prefer German fan culture in comparison to the Dutch culture. In the Netherlands there are about 10-20 people who come to watch a regular game in the highest division. These are mostly parents, drivers, family or friends. In Germany, the people come to support their club and for the love of the game and that’s something I really like about the German culture.”
Talk us through your daily routine at Papendal…
“A normal day at Papendal looks something like this for me:
- 7:00: Wake up and have breakfast
- 8:30 – 10:30: Practice
- 11:00 – 14:30: Go to university to study for my bachelor’s degree
- 15:00 – 17:00: Practice or Weights sessions
- 17:15: Dinner
- In the evening: Either relax or do coursework
- 22:30: Bedtime.”
How would you describe your style of play?
“I’m an all-rounder. I can play both sides of a pick and roll, can score inside, outside and post-ups. I like to play hard defence and get under the skin of my opponents.”
Has anyone specifically influenced you to play the way you do?
“Ever since I started playing and got invited to train at Papendal five years ago, I was trained by Irene Sloof, she has influenced the way I play a lot over the last few years.”
What piece of advice has stuck with you throughout your career?
“That your value on the court isn’t defined by how many points you score, but how you make your team play better.”
When you travel to Canada to see your girlfriend, Arinn Young, do you ever get the chance to train together or train with the Canadian men’s team or do you try and spend time away from basketball?
“In the past when I’ve visited her, I had the chance to train with the women. I have to say that the first practice didn’t go that well because Arinn cleared me out on a wide-open layup. I guess that’s their way of saying ‘Welcome to the North’, haha. I’ve also had the chance to play against the senior men’s team with the Black Aces, a team of able-bodied wheelchair basketball players who gather every once in a while, to play. Apart from that I like to take it a little easier. I like to do some lifts and some shooting, but apart from that I like to spend the little free time I have just being with her.”
If Arinn was to play in the RBBL 1 after she graduates university who you rather play on the same team as her or play against her?
“I think we will be able to play on the same team. We both have very stubborn personalities, and we both have basketball knowledge and are willing to work hard on and off the court. Even though we will disagree sometimes, I think it will make us better players and strengthen our relationship.”
If you could do a training session with three other players from anywhere in the world male or female to improve your skills, which players would you choose and why?
“Patrick Anderson for his ability to read the court very well and motivate his teammates to get the best out of their abilities. Dirk Passiwan for a quick release shot and chair control. Özgür Gürbulak for his ability to play the pick and roll and land the perfect pass to the low pointers that roll to the rim.”
Thanks for your time, Gijs.
Gjis Even Profile
Date of Birth: 22/09/1994 (aged 24)
Hometown: Coevorden, Drenthe
Started playing: 2010
Netherlands senior debut: 2015 European Championships – Worcester, GB
Classification: 4.5
Disability: Perhes Disease
Future Club: Rhine River Rhinos, GER (Starting September 2019)
Former Clubs:
_Second Dribble Hardenberg, NED (2010-14)
_Arrows ’81, NED (2014-16)
_RSC Osnabrück, GER (2016-17)
_Köln 99ers, GER (2017-19)
Career Highlights:
_Finishing within the top four at the Europeans in 2015 and 2017
_Competing at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games
_Winning the 2018 Kitakyushu Cup with the Dutch squad and being top scorer
_Top scorer in the EuroLeague 1 Finals 2019 with Köln 99ers
Rollt. would like to thank Gijs Even for this interview.
Interview: Dylan Cummings | Photo: Steffie Wunderl