The Spain international sat down with Euroleague.net's Javier Gancedo ahead of his team's Round 4 clash against Umana Reyer Venice
Jaime Pradilla: 'La Fonteta will always be very special for Valencia'
Interviews
10 Mins read
Valencia Basket is widely seen as one of the top candidates to win the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup title this season, and one player making a telling contribution for Las Taronjas is big man Jaime Pradilla, who is now in his fifth campaign with the team.
The 23-year-old has averaged 8.0 points through Valencia’s first three EuroCup games, but he has also contributed in a number of different ways, tying for fifth place overall in rebounds (9.0 rpg.) and averaging 2.7 assists and 3.0 fouls drawn for a team-high PIR of 17.3.
During an exclusive interview with Euroleague.net’s Javier Gancedo, Pradilla reflects on Valencia’s unbeaten start to the campaign, the team’s red-hot offense – it has scored 105 points in each of its last two games – and how he is finding life under head coach Pedro Martinez.
Hello, Jaime. First of all, congratulations on last week’s win, rallying from a 17-point deficit against a very good team like U-BT Cluj-Napoca. What allowed you guys to bounce back and win the game?
"Thank you. As you said, Cluj is a team that is doing things right on and off the court. The atmosphere in Cluj surprised me – their fans gave them great support. We were soft at the beginning of the game, a little bit out of focus. We got back into the game with more energy in the second half, trying to grab the victory. Slowly but steadily, we got back into the game and in the end, we ended up getting the win."
Valencia scored 20 three-pointers, tying an all-time EuroCup record. In which moment did you think something like that could happen?
"Well, I saw that both teams were hitting a lot of shots without missing much. I had a bigger feeling in the first half because by the start of the fourth quarter, I was fully focused on winning the game, so I didn't have that feeling. In the end, getting a record is very positive, very cool. I am happy that we broke a club record, too."
"It is the kind of court where you always want to play."
Had anyone told you about the basketball atmosphere in Cluj? Is it also a wake-up call, knowing that on paper, Valencia will be the better team in most games all season long?
"Yes, we were told that it is very hard to beat Cluj on the road, that the team was doing things really well, but I was surprised with their fan base. They cheered for the team until the very end and it was great to play in an atmosphere like that, it was pretty cool. It is the kind of court where you always want to play. It is great to play in front of atmospheres like this."
You have had a great start to the season. Is it a logical evolution of your game, with more experience, or did you change anything in preseason?
"Well, I came back from a summer playing for the national team [at the 2024 Olympic Games and the pre-Olympic tournament in Valencia], so I returned to the team with good rhythm and that allowed me to get into the team's dynamics a bit easier. At the end of the day, it is good to change your daily mentality, try to give your best and even when you always try to do it, be steady and keep working, because good things will happen in the end."
Pedro Martinez is your head coach now. He did a great job with many big men in the past, helping them develop. Do you see this as an opportunity?
"Yes, definitely. I believe he can help me a lot in my career and am learning a lot from him. He is someone who can help me take a step forward as a player, and I learn a little bit more from him every day. He is a very demanding coach but this is what we are here for, and this is what helps you get better, too."
"It comes down to being the best team at the right time."
This is your second EuroCup season. You also have three EuroLeague seasons under your belt. What do you like most about the EuroCup?
"I think it is a competition in which if you do things right, you are rewarded with playing the EuroLeague. In the end, by playing the EuroCup, you get to know a lot of cities. It is a very nice competition, too, with two very difficult groups in which you have to fight to be first, and then be ready to be in your best shape during the knockout rounds. In the end, it comes down to being the best team at the right time and being the best team at home."
Valencia is a four-time EuroCup champion. It is usually the favorite every time it plays in the competition. Is that an extra responsibility, being the main candidate to win it?
"Well, I don't think we have to put a stamp on that. We have to keep working every day and keep improving. We also play in a really strong domestic league, really tough, so we have to go little by little and grow as a team. We are a young team. We are also a new team working together, so we have to work on our on-court chemistry and keep growing together, as well as doing so as individual players. Winning the EuroCup could be an option at the end of the season but right now, instead of thinking if we would win it or not, we have to think about the next game and see what the competition dictates."
Speaking of pressure, how do you manage the pressure and stress of being a professional player? Is mental health something that should be more serious in professional sports?
"I think it is something that is very important. It sounds like a cliché, but above all we are people first and then players. We have our lives outside the arena, outside basketball courts, and we also have personal problems or family issues. Just as you can have a bad day, we can have it, too, and people should understand that. At the end of the day, being able to manage your euphoria, being up or being down, is difficult. It is something to work on every year, just as you work on your physical skills in the gym, on your shot or your individual skills on the court. You have to work on it – it is very important."
Are you following the EuroCup? Has anybody surprised you so far?
"Well, I have been watching games from our group and then those with Spanish teams, especially Gran Canaria, since my friend Carlos Alocen plays there. So I have to name a player, that will be Carlos Alocen. I am very happy that he is playing there and doing so well."
The last question has to do with La Fonteta, your home court, which is in its last year hosting Valencia games. It is also the most historical building in EuroCup history. How great would it be to say goodbye with a title?
"It would be great, but I have to say that even if we go to a new arena, a new challenge, La Fonteta will always be very special for us, for everyone at the club. Like you said, we played a lot of big games there, won titles and it is always going to be part of our club's history. It is a place that all Valencia fans will always hold close to their hearts. I live close to what will be Roig Arena and see it every day – it will be impressive. We haven't been able to be inside the arena so far this season, but I am sure we will go there soon. It is moving forward very quickly!"