“We often had dinner with John Stockton and, of course, talked about basketball.” Interview with Vince Hunter

First-time American attacker Vince Hunter appeared in Russia in the 2016/17 season in Saratov, where he played for Avtodor for a year.

He returns five years later. But how! Together with UNICS, we immediately became winners of the VTB United League!

All the more unexpected was his move to Zenit, who finished fourth at the end of last season. At the same time, Hunter got used to the new team quite quickly and is now one of its main leaders, and St. Petersburg reminds him of his hometown in Michigan. Naturally, in the conversation with it wasn’t just about that. From the interview you will learn:

“AT THE START OF THE SEASON WE CANNOT IMAGINE THAT WE WILL WIN THE TITLE WITH UNICS

— Last season you won the VTB United League as part of UNICS. What memories do you have?

— Winning the VTB United League is a great feeling in itself. And in principle, the season in Kazan turned out to be very interesting, albeit difficult. At the start of the season we couldn’t even imagine how it would end and that we could win the title.

— How did you party, remember?

— The president of the club was very happy, so we celebrated for a long time (smiles). Three or four restaurants, and in each we drank champagne. And we just enjoyed the moment.

—And the championship dances?

“I didn’t dance too much, but we had fun.”

— Do you not like dancing or are you really tired at that time?

— It’s not that I consider myself a good dancer (laughs). There is certainly no talent in this sense. Maybe I’m a little shy in this regard, I didn’t even dance as a child. Sometimes, sure, I can, but it’s definitely not one of my favorite hobbies.

— During the semi-final series with Zenit, the media talked about your difficult relationship with UNICS head coach Velimir Perasovich. What really happened?

“We all knew from the start of the season that our head coach had a difficult character. Sometimes he would tell us something, but the most important thing is that we all wanted to win. Every once in a while they might argue about something like that, but again, all the guys understood why they were here. At the same time, there was definitely nothing supernatural.

“I hope to get to know the Zenit players more closely”

— At one point you became Italian champion and won the Greek Cup. Where are the craziest basketball fans?

– According to those I saw – in the Greek Panathinaikos. They are the craziest in the good sense of the word. This was especially felt when we met Olympiacos in the playoffs. It was something! I had never experienced anything like this before. Even if you play off-site, thanks to them, it’s still like being at home.

On the other hand, Greek fans shout very loudly, throw themselves at everyone and are not always sober. In Italy, especially in Bologna, the fans are also crazy, one could even say hooligans – again in a positive sense. They are among the best in the country, even in all of Europe.

In Russia there are great fans, but they cheer a little differently. And besides, I like it better. They support their own anyway. They come to see good basketball and love it. They treat the opposing team’s players with respect, unlike the Greek fans. Kazan has a large fan community. Just like the Zenith. The guys always support their own.

— Zenit football players or coaches attend almost all Zenit basketball matches. Would you like to come back and visit the Gazprom Arena?

— I really like the fact that the guys from the “Zenith” football team come to support us. Their support is immediately felt. When I played in Greece, I went to watch football matches, especially our Pao matches in the league and the Champions League. I like this.

So I would love to go see a football match here too. And I’m already trying to find out as much as possible about the guys from the “Zenith” football team who come to our matches. I hope to get to know them better as time goes on.

“BEING JOHN STOCKTON’S SON IS NOT EASY”

— How do you evaluate the first part of Zenit’s season, when the team alternated victories and defeats?

— We didn’t start the season in the best way. But we learned from our mistakes and stuck together. In addition, there were a lot of injuries and we had to play for ourselves and for others. But I thought when the guys came back everything would be fine. In principle, this is what happened.

— Do you consider yourself more of a center or a power forward?

— In general, I generally consider myself an attacker. But overall I’m versatile and can play in different positions. And I like it. In any case, first of all I want to play, to be on the field, and what position is a second matter. We each have our role and I know what to do in a given situation. The main thing is to benefit the team.

— During the period when there were a lot of injuries, was it necessary to be more of a generalist?

— It’s not that my role has changed much. The head coach likes me to play in the center because I can filter, interact well with defenders and defend against the “light” players of the opposing team.

— Based on your position as a power forward, where the legendary Karl Malone once played, who would you call your John Stockton? Who is the player who, even with his eyes closed, will give you an assist?

“It’s funny you asked that question because I played with John Stockton’s son David for a year.” And at one point with his brother Mike. And of course, I talked a lot with him. We often had dinner and lunch and talked about basketball. I’m a big fan of John Stockton.

As for me, during my career, I have played with many great leaders and it is very difficult to name just one! They may not have been at the same level as John, but they taught me a lot about basketball.

— Do you think it’s difficult being John Stockton’s son?

– Certainly! First of all, it’s not easy to be yourself in this situation. It’s about increased attention and pressure. But it’s all covered by the fact that the guys really love basketball and are trying their best. I think they had a good career.

“I UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE THINK I’M A LITTLE UNPLEASANT IN LIFE”

— Is it necessary to defend your partner on the field, even if he threatens to commit an unsportsmanlike foul?

– Without a doubt ! On set, we are like one family. Those who are with me on the ground are my brothers. And I’m used to protecting my family, I was raised like that, it’s a very important point. But you always have to think before doing something. I try not to forget that.

– Do you remember a time when you couldn’t do otherwise?

— When I played at school, I fought a lot. But when my professional career began, I learned a lesson: you always have to use your head. Otherwise, such moments can cost you both your career and the money you earn. It is necessary to assess the situation and the risks associated with it. However, I will always support my own people.

If an incident happens on the pitch, it will be worse for the guys without me than with me (smiles).

– Everyone sees what you look like on the field. How are you in everyday life?

– It seems to me that I am in the game and out of it – these are two different people. I am convinced of this every time I watch videos or photos of matches. There, my gaze is so focused! So I understand why people think that in real life I’m just as harsh, aggressive and maybe even a little obnoxious (laughs). But actually, outside of basketball, I smile a lot, I joke, I talk to people a lot, sometimes very loudly. And even if I want to stop smiling, I don’t always succeed.

— What are the best vacations for you?

— I like to watch a good movie, series or TV show, and also have a delicious dinner. It’s basically my perfect day.

— You once said: One of the reasons I fell in love with St. Petersburg is that here you can look at the water, and you really like that. Does this date from childhood?

– Yes, because I grew up where there was a lot of water: on the Great Lakes. I even had a pond with fish and frogs near my house. Saint Petersburg therefore takes me back to my childhood. I really like living here. And when I look at the water, it allows me to breathe deeper and relax. Besides, my house here is on the embankment, and the windows overlook the river. I appreciate.

— How did you celebrate the New Year?

— I didn’t notice much. I just watched movies with my family, we cooked something, but we didn’t even go out much. In general, I like the New Year’s mood, I like to decorate the house. But I’ve said before how much I love watching movies, including Christmas ones.

— How do you evaluate the second period of the championship, when Zenit started to win?

“We have our pros and cons, but… We just have to keep moving forward, learning and trying to improve our game. Overall, we’re taking it step by step.

— Is everything going according to plan and will Zenit add more to the playoffs?

— It never happens that everything goes as planned. You can plan something and prepare for a long time, but it will never turn out exactly as you planned or imagined. So we have to, like I said, continue to improve, try to improve and believe in ourselves to be ready for the playoffs.

Watch live broadcasts of VTB United League matches on the Match! holding channels, matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru websites.