Unfazed. Passionate. In bold. Jeremy Sochan looks ready for the NBA.
The UK’s newest player trying to make waves on the American hardwood instead of just a drop in the ocean has spoken, but can he walk the walk?
Ryan Richards was the last England player to be drafted when he was selected 49th pick by the San Antonio Spurs in 2010. Unfortunately, the Kent-born attacker did not sign with the club until 2016 and was waived. shortly after.
Sochan was picked ninth overall by Spurs in the June draft and there is optimism that this six-foot-tall, 19-year-old attacker could succeed where Richards failed.
‘I’m very excited. I think I will bring a lot of versatility to the team, energy and struggle and passion. I’m really excited,” he said at his unveiling.
“I just want to tell you that I’m going to bring energy every day. I’m going to really compete and bring a lot to the table. I can not wait. We’re going to have fun.
San Antonio Spurs NBA draft pick Jeremy Sochan looks set to make his mark in the new season
The 6ft 9in power forward represents Poland and impressed as a Baylor freshman
“I think I’m going to fit in really well. It’s a very young team. We have a lot of energy. I feel like they were one of the best teams in assists. I really feel like I really belong there. I have a feeling it’s going to be okay.’
Sochan emphasizes his adaptability and he showed both his offensive and defensive qualities as a freshman Baylor.
During his time at Waco, the teen averaged 9.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists. Such returns earned him the sixth man of the year award and a place on the Big 12 All-Freshman team.
Born in Oklahoma City, Sochan’s love for the sport stems from his mother Aneta – who moved to the United States for education, but also played professional basketball herself.
Sochan at the Barclays Center on tour night with mother Aneta and stepfather Wiktor Lipiecki
“I always remember following my mother, just out on the field. You know, just play, try to shoot, try to score a basket,” he said BBC Sports.
Sochan’s mother met his father Ryan – also a basketball player – in America and the family moved to the UK when Sochan was two.
He grew up with Aneta and stepfather Wiktor Lipiecki in Milton Keynes, a town 80 miles northwest of London, until the age of 15. He later played amateur ball for the country’s MK Trojans, as well as Solent Kestrels and Itchen College on the south coast of the United Kingdom. .
Sochan followed in his mother’s footsteps by playing basketball in the US, enrolling in a high school in Indiana and again by representing her home country of Poland at the FIBA Under-16 European Championships.
Before impressing at Baylor, he also played at a German academy.
Sochan took that in stride and seems undaunted by the Spurs challenge.
Sochan poses next to France and Paris Saint-German football star Kylian Mbappé
“I feel like they need someone my size, with my versatility. I feel like I can learn a lot from them just become a sponge and work really hard with the team and I know they are very competitive and they want to get better every day so I feel like I’m doing really well will fit. ‘ he said.
Five-time NBA champion Spurs has more or less disappeared from the spotlight since Tim Duncan’s retirement in 2016 and hasn’t won a league title since 2014. Coach Gregg Popovich’s team hasn’t even qualified for the playoffs since 2020 and were knocked out by the New Orleans Pelicans last season.
At age 73, Popovich is embarking on a rebuild with fellow 19-year-olds Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley who join Sochan as draft picks to revamp his roster.
On what he thinks he can bring, Sochan added: “I think my defense, I feel like I can bring it any day. Switching on the ball, out of the day. I feel like I’m a good communicator too, so I feel like I can do that every day.
“I feel like they play as a team, they’re one of the best in assists, they pass the ball, they move the ball. I feel like that’s what I’m really good at, fitting into a role and being part of a team. You can’t win without a team.’
Sochan seems unfazed by the Spurs challenge and eager to get started in his rookie year
Sochan didn’t mince his words when he was in the spotlight. Dressed in a vibrant lavender suit, he was also a must-have for the main event at the Barclays Center.
‘I chose it. I like it, it’s one of my favorite colors, so it’s pretty fresh,” he said of the standout outfit.
Sochan has attracted a lot of attention for his ever-changing hairstyle as he tore it up on the college scene.
He had hoped to make a similar statement by performing for Spurs in the Summer League, but COVID-19 ultimately prevented that. Sochan tested positive before his new teammates flew to Las Vegas, but again he seemed undaunted.
“It was a bummer,” he told the San Antonio Express News. ‘It was a shame. But it is what it is. I can’t control it. For me it was positive that we see it as a marathon and not as a sprint.
Sochan was banned from NBA Summer League due to COVID-19, but was there
“So even if it would be great to play in the Summer League, I’m still here, supporting my teammates and still gaining experience. It is what it ultimately is.’
Sochan was indeed seen last week cheering on his new colleagues against the Grizzlies, but he also managed to get into the public eye.
New teammates Sochan and Branham took part in a jovial game in front of the camera where they had to guess what was written on a piece of paper.
Hints could be given and for the answer ‘triple double’ Branham gave the clue ‘Russell Westbrook get them a lot.’
Sochan replied, “Bricks.”
The Spurs rookie took to Twitter to clarify his comments, writing: ‘It’s jest, I didn’t mean to be disrespectful [laughing emoji] heat of the moment, I was playing a game baby.
‘I’ve been an idol ever since I started watching the NBA and my dog’s name is Russell [laughing emoji].’
As if not all eyes were on him enough. He may need his defensive game to be on point when Westbrook’s Lakers head to the AT&T Center.
Nevertheless, Sochan means business.