News
Interviews
Jaron Blossomgame, Monaco: 'You've got to be locked in every night'

Jaron Blossomgame, Monaco: 'You've got to be locked in every night'

Interviews

21 April 20236 Mins read

Igor Petrinovic

Jaron Blossomgame, Monaco: 'You've got to be locked in every night'

When Jaron Blossomgame joined AS Monaco last summer, it was not just a story of one high-level basketball player reaching one of the goals he set for himself just couple of years earlier. It was also an opportunity for a big fan of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague to compete for glory in Europe's premier club basketball competition.

The 29-year-old, now coming towards the end of his debut season in the EuroLeague, was contacted by Monaco last summer after enjoying a breakout season at 7DAYS EuroCup side ratiopharm Ulm, where he was named to the All-EuroCup First Team in his first year playing in the competition. At Ulm, he averaged 16.2 points and 7.6 rebounds.

"I came [to Europe] with the goal of getting to the EuroLeague," Blossomgame said in an interview. "And it's been a heck of a journey for me."

His basketball journey, as for the great majority of American players, started in college; in Blossomgame's case, at Clemson University. His first three years as a pro saw Blossomgame spend time largely in the NBA G League, but also appearing in 27 NBA games with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Blossomgame started his European journey in Israel with Ironi Nahariya in 2020. The team won just three games all season, but he played great individually. Last season, he took the next step up, joining German club Ulm.

"I just continued to build and add to my game and mature as a player. Fortunately, that [led to] the EuroLeague opportunity with Monaco," Blossomgame explains.

"Every game literally matters, and you can sense that when you're watching the game."

Even though he did not know much about European basketball when he first arrived on the continent, he had a chance to start following Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv during his time in Israel, and noticed the step up in quality when he came up against them.

"You quickly understand that EuroLeague teams are a lot different, and they look a lot different, and run and operate a lot different than the other teams in the league," he notes.

When he moved to Ulm, he came up against two more EuroLeague teams: ALBA Berlin and FC Bayern Munich. Not only did more exposure to EuroLeague opponents strengthen his appreciation for their quality level, but he took such interest that he purchased a EuroLeague TV subscription.

"I actually subscribed and started watching a bunch of games last year," he says. "I kept up with Bayern, ALBA and Maccabi, and other big teams like Real Madrid or FC Barcelona. Obviously, I've also got a lot of friends playing in the EuroLeague, so I had communication with those guys, too."

Having had his an eye on joining the EuroLeague, when he arrived, Blossomgame already knew almost everything about the competition – both as a fan and as a competitor.

"It's a very competitive league," Blossomgame starts. "When you watch a game, it kind of jumps out off the screen at you [just] how high-level some of these guys are and how intense these games are, and how serious the fans take it."

"It's a highly competitive basketball; a lot of great players play in this league on numerous teams. And the other thing that jumps out immediately is that every game literally matters, and you can sense that when you're watching the game. It's also interesting that the teams maybe have a bad record, but they still have really high-level players, so in the EuroLeague you've got to be locked in every night."

Playing time has varied for Blossomgame in his rookie EuroLeague season. He has been on court for more than 20 minutes in 14 of his 32 appearances, and fewer than 10 minutes in three games. He went scoreless five different times during the campaign, but was among the main protagonists in a thrilling win over ALBA Berlin and a playoff-clinching victory over Valencia Basket.

A prolific scorer during his entire career, Blossomgame has brought another mindset to the principality.

"The most important thing for myself, and a lot of players, is being self-aware," Blossomgame remarks.

"Knowing who you are as a player, knowing what you have to get better at, knowing what you do very, very well. And you've got to be a specialist in those areas."

"This is the EuroLeague – there are great players everywhere!"

In his first season on this side of the pond, playing in Israel, Blossomgame states that he was "asked to do so much every night". It was not that much different than in any other previous stop in his career.

Ever since his junior year in college, the 2015-16 season, Blossomgame averaged at least 15.4 points and at least 5.4 rebounds on any team he played for, which includes NCAA, the G League and the Israeli League, as well as the German League and the EuroCup last season. But Blossomgame joined Monaco knowing that his role would be very different.

"Whether it's defense, rebounding, three-point shooting or just being an all-around type of guy, you've got to be a valuable piece to add to these teams. You just hone in on one or two areas," Blossomgame says about his approach. "That's what the most important thing was: just me understanding who I am and how I'm going to be successful at this level, and continue to build on those areas".

That mindset, coupled with his self-awareness, makes Blossomgame an even more valuable piece. His opponents know that he has the possibility to go for 20-plus points, but first and foremost he is one of those team-first players whom every coach hopes to have on a team.

"I'm not going to be asked to go out there and score 20 points a night here," he says. "You've got to understand that, and you can't come in here and take that the wrong way. Because this is the EuroLeague – there are great players everywhere! So, you've got to learn to sacrifice and be ready when your name is called at all times."