NBA Swiss Keshawn George challenged and praised by Stephen Curry

In the beginning, Swiss basketball player Kyshawn George missed almost every shot he took in the NBA, but now he's finding a way to get better and better. In addition to his trainer, superstars like Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have taken notice.

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“The shooter will shoot.”

NBA legends like Kobe Bryant and Klay Thompson live by this German motto: “Shooters shoot.” The latter just joined Dallas this season, and he once said during his time with the Golden State Warriors: “I don't care if I miss 100 shots in a row, I will never stop shooting.” To be precise: “Shooters will shoot.”

Keshawn George has internalized this, too. The Swiss rookie, selected 24th overall in the draft by Washington, got off to a terrible start in the best basketball league in the world despite ample preparation. Coming out of college, he was an elite long-range shooter who missed his first ten three-pointers in a Wizards uniform. In the end, only the eleventh one went in. The 20-year-old from Valais even completed the shot from one meter behind the three-point line without the ball touching the rim. Whoosh!

But the spell has not been broken yet. After five games, George made 2 of 22 three-pointers, only a quarter of his field goal percentage, and averaged 5.2 points per game. He also missed seven shots to start Game 6, but still believed in his ability and kept going. It paid off.

In a meaningless first half, he ended up scoring 20 points, becoming the first rookie to score 20 points this season. George couldn't prevent the team from losing 112:125 to the Golden State Warriors, but he was sure that the opponent would respect these big stars. Stephen Curry, the best shooter in history, was enthusiastic: “He started off weak but kept shooting. You can't learn that mentality.”

The young Swiss has also impressed fellow four-time NBA champion Draymond Green. George irritated the four-time All-Star with trash talk during the game and told him, “You can't throw the ball.” Green, who has been called a bully for some unsportsmanlike behavior and punching a former teammate in the face, A legendary trash talker himself, he was impressed by George's attitude. «I’m a big fan of Keshawn and Barb Carrington (another Wizards rookie). “You deserve my respect,” the Warriors star said.

George didn't let himself be intimidated by a false start, not only because of his mentality (“shooters have to shoot”) but also because of his teammates and coaches. “We told him to keep shooting,” head coach Brian Keefe said after the game against the Golden State Warriors. “He's a great shooter. We didn't want him to quit with six 3-point attempts and zero shooting.” game.” So they said to George, “Let him fly if you want.” And he did. The 2.03-meter shooting guard, who is expected to continue growing, reported: “They trust me and my pitching. I pitched today and it felt great. Finally!”

For George, a strong second half performance against the Warriors was just the beginning of a good performance. In the past four games, he is averaging 15 points per game and shooting above the magical 40% mark from three-point range. He also showed off his potential on defense. In the eyes of coach Keefe, his disciple’s advantage mainly lies in his basketball IQ: “He has shown this game awareness from the beginning. Now his rhythm is very good and his shooting is accurate, but the most important thing is his Game intelligence helps the team.”

Keshawn George's mentality has even impressed stars like Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Image: fxp-fr-sda-rtp

However, the Wizards have yet to convert that into success. They've won just two of their first nine games — but that's not a problem in Washington right now. This team is still very young and needs to be built for the future. In addition to the 20-year-old player from Valais (whose Canadian father Deon played professional basketball in Switzerland and France), the other two rookies, the second overall pick in this year's draft Alex Sarr (Alex Sarr) and Bu Bub Carrington (14th overall) also plays an important role. . The 20-year-old player with the most playing time so far, Bilal Koulibaly, only came to the NBA last year.

That's why George said recently: “Of course it's not good to lose. But you have to look at the big picture.” The Wizards are on the right track also because they have proven that they will not give up even when trailing significantly. Keyshawn George played a big role in that. Because: “A shooter can shoot.”