"Now I have the wrong period of my career when I have to choose money"

Vsevolod Ishchenko, who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks as the 56th pick of the draft this summer, has performed well in the NBA Summer League. He played in five matches and spent an average of more than 27 minutes on the floor, which is the best result in the team. His highlights were included in the main NBA account, and Mavericks coach Joe Boylan separately noted the performance of a graduate of the Lokomotiv Kuban Academy in Las Vegas. Apparently, Ishchenko convinced the Dallas management of the right choice in the draft. In an interview with Izvestia, Vsevolod spoke about his impressions of the Summer League, the difference between American basketball and European basketball, and his willingness to sacrifice his salary at first for the opportunity to get a chance in the NBA.

"Demin seems to be made for the NBA"

— How would you rate your performance in the NBA Summer League?

— On a five-point scale, I do not know, on a three, probably. It's a little different from what I expected from myself, even at this stage. It's clear that you just need to get used to this game, to this life, to the new rules of basketball. Naturally, I needed to get involved a little bit, and I tried to do it as quickly as possible.

I probably looked more or less confident in the last two games, but I'm not happy either. It's like I haven't even shown everything I could at the moment, even considering the minor injury I suffered during the Zenit series. As if he could have done more. But he still performed well.

— Do you think you are worthy of a contract with Dallas?

"That's not for me to decide. I see comments on the Internet where someone says they are worthy, some say they are not worthy. There are as many opinions as there are people, but decisions will be made by people from the Dallas management. What kind of plan, what options they will offer, it will be possible to build on them.

Totally summer: how Russians spend the NBA preseason

Demin has become one of Brooklyn's leaders, Goldin and Lakhin are fighting for contracts, and Ishchenko is preparing for his debut.

— Which player did you like the most in the Summer League?

— Brayden Burris from Milwaukee, who was selected with the 10th number of the draft. Of course, I knew what he was capable of there, but he just looked very good both defensively and offensively, and felt very comfortable. Also Caleb Wilson from Chicago.

There's also Egor Demin, but he's been playing in the Summer League for the second year. I was at one game live, watching them play against Sacramento. He was sitting next to the judge's table. It is clear that Egor is as used to NBA basketball as possible, that is, he does not think about anything there for a second. We gave him a little space to throw, and he throws. A little bit somewhere he sees that it is possible to crush the defender, he goes, presses where it is necessary — he tries to play on his partners.

It's like he was made for the NBA. I've seen people criticize Egor for not going under the ring. In the game that I watched, he beat me, went into the paint, threw it off, pulled it on himself. If no one pulled together, he completed it himself. So he doesn't have any problems with that.

I also liked Cameron Boozer from Memphis. He turned 19 during the Summer League, but he looks five years older than me, and he's already an athlete in body, too. Yes, maybe he's not the fastest runner, not the highest jumper, but he looks like Nikola Jokic is at a minimum. He doesn't play at the expense of athleticism, but at the expense of his head. It's interesting to watch him.

— Did you communicate with Demin during your tour?

— I didn't know him before that, and even now I haven't met him as such. When he was in his last season in Russia, we played against each other once in the final of the Russian championship. This is probably the 2020/21 season. And now in Las Vegas, we were waiting for our game with the Lakers, we were standing in the tunnel, and they were finishing their game. He was given this meeting to rest, and we just met in the tunnel. They left, and we came in, just greeted each other and that was it.

— Did you talk to Vlad Goldin or Viktor Lakhin?

— I've never seen Vlad at all during the Summer League, but I've seen Vitya Lakhin. We were on the same bus with them, I just said hello near the place where the luggage is picked up. He wished me luck.

"Basketball in the USA and Europe is like two completely different games"

— How do you like the style of the Dallas game?

— The coaches initially said that defense and aggression were important so that it would not be easy for the opponent. They also focused on us sharing the ball in attack and moving it more. I think we got better and better at it with every game.

Understanding the pattern of the game, the movement of the ball, and the interaction naturally comes with time. But during the Summer League, there's not much time to get used to each other. Nevertheless, after the first two unpleasant defeats, we finished the Summer League with three wins in a row. Therefore, everything is fine.

— Which of the team's players did you manage to make friends with or chat with?

— We talked to everyone a little bit. Initially, when I arrived, the first person I met was [Spanish defender Sergio] De Larrea. We exchanged a few words, then we talked in the locker room too. They talked about how life in the USA is very different from Spain and Russia.

— What tasks were set for you personally?

— They didn't set any special tasks for me personally, they just told me to maintain aggression, both offensively and defensively, and to always be included in the episode. During the matches, we focused on picking up the ball more in defense, starting the attack faster, and trying to take over the game more often. It was a little unusual for me to watch people throw a three-pointer in the fourth or fifth second of the attack and we were already running back. But that's how they play here. And in the Summer League, you are judged by the correctness of your decisions, by the way you assess the situation. And whether you scored or not is secondary, it will all come with time.

— Compare the NBA Summer League and the VTB United League in terms of speed, defense, intensity, toughness, and decision time.

— I don't know how to compare it. It's like two completely different games. In the Summer League, you play one-on-one most of the time. Well, maybe a few pick-n-rolls (a combination played by two people. — Ed.). In the United League, as elsewhere in Europe, there is a greater emphasis on team interactions. Naturally, you can play one-on-one, but more of an organizational game. In the United League, you just have more experienced players. There are probably higher players here and a little faster.

— What did you personally miss as a basketball player in the Summer League? What should we work on?

— We need to work on everything. But I think I've done pretty well in defense. The coach told me that, too, noting that he would like to see fewer losses and for me to score more from under the ring. Therefore, I would put more emphasis on realizing my points, on reducing the number of losses, and just on a variety of attacks.

— What else did you remember about the Summer League?

After the game with Memphis, all the newcomers were gathered together and they said, "Come on, you will be scanned for the NBA 2K computer game." We went into a separate room and had a scan. This is an unusual and shocking event, because it was the first time I participated in it. And in general, the opportunities here that are related to basketball are simply amazing. After the procedures, they were presented with a PlayStation of the fifth series and immediately an NBA 2K26 game.

The Nets have a silver lining: how Egor Demin spent his first season in the NBA

The 20-year-old Russian has broken several league records for rookies, but will not finish the regular season due to injury.

"Thank you Kirilenko for appreciating my game"

— Were there many journalists at the matches?

— Very much. Both in training and after training. Most of the attention was paid to the highest pick in the draft, Morez Johnson, and our new head coach. But even after training, they usually asked me something.

— How many people are on the coaching staff? Describe their functionality?

— Very much. I can't even tell you the exact number, because they are constantly engaged with someone. It's unusual to see so many people at training and just at headquarters.

— How do you like the city of Dallas?

— I definitely like Dallas more than Las Vegas, because it's calm and green. It's hot, too hot, but it's not the first time. There are many beautiful and peaceful places. I would not compare them with Russian cities at all, because they are built here according to different rules and schemes.

— What do you miss most about the States?

— It's hard to say. I just missed my parents, all my relatives and friends.

— Last week, Andrei Kirilenko said that you fully deserve an NBA contract. Is it nice that there is support from Russia?

— It's nice that people talk about me like that. Thanks to the President of the Russian Football Federation for appreciating my game.

"Everything is still under discussion with Dallas."

— A two-way contract after taxes, especially in Dallas, is a very small amount of money. Are you ready to sacrifice your salary now to stay in the NBA?

— Of course, I'm ready. From the beginning, since childhood, I had a goal — to play in the NBA. That's probably why it's not the time of your career when you have to choose money over opportunity. I think the question of money comes up later, when you become more mature. Now you need to work and act where it's best for you.

— You warmly recalled your childhood tournaments, including successful performances at the Mini-Busket festivals, which is organized by the Russian Federation. Now, from the height of your career, what advice would you give to the little boys and girls who will come to the Mini-Busket for the first time in August?

— The most banal thing, but also the most important thing, is just to believe that everything is possible. Don't listen to people who say that you can't do something, that you're worse than someone else because you're from Rostov or from another city. No matter what, we must continue to believe. If a person has some kind of thought in his head, sits for a long time and still does not come out, then it is possible to implement it. Even if it seems crazy, it can easily become a reality in a couple of years.

The Russian Football Federation and the Russian Sports Foundation create excellent conditions for the start of a basketball career, and then everything depends on each child.

— When will your future in the NBA be decided?

— I honestly don't know. Now I'm just training according to an individual program. Everything is still under discussion with Dallas. In fact, I've just come to the Summer League to play. And we'll see what happens next.