The new episode of The Players Podcast features former EuroLeague Rising Star, ACB champion and former NBA player Alex Abrines.
With the host Kyle Hines, Abrines spoke about the upcoming Final Four and what it means for his club FC Barcelona to reach the final stage of EuroLeague again for the first time since 2014. He also explains the impact of Pau Gasol, who joined the team shortly after the mid-season.
The conversation also touched on Abrines’s basketball journey, which had a quick upside. Already at a very young age he got his opportunity to represent his country at the 2016 Olympics, after he was named the EuroLeague Rising star. That summer was particularly crazy for him personally, since he got drafted to the NBA right before heading to the Olympic Games with the Spanish National Team.
Speaking about the NBA, Alex described how he adjusted to his life in Oklahoma City. He acknowledged that he enjoyed sharing locker room with some other international players and pointed out NBA superstar Russell Westbrook as one of the players that was contributing in his adjustment to the NBA.
Alex and Kyle also took some time to address a very sensitive but important topic: mental health. Former OKC Thunder player explained how it helped him to speak up about his mental health issues which led to him stepping away from his NBA team and eventually returning to Europe.
May is Mental Health Month. The Euroleague Players’ Association remains committed to raising mental health awareness and assist EuroLeague players through the ELPA Well-being Program.
THE PLAYERS’ PODCAST #08
Alex Abrines
VIDEO – ELPA TV Youtube Channel
AUDIO – Acast or other major podcast platforms.