Tomas Satoransky comes from a family of athletes who excel in a traditionally indoor sport, but their venue of choice was a volleyball court, not a basketball hardwood. The 30-year-old discussed that background and one of his favorite New Orleans teammates in this week’s “24 Seconds” Q&A article, presented by Ibotta:
Pelicans.com: When did you first realize you love the game of basketball?
Satoransky: I was probably in my fourth or fifth year of elementary school, two years after I started playing. I always knew I was going to fall in love with it. My whole family played volleyball, but I didn’t find volleyball that attractive. In basketball, I always played with older kids and enjoyed it. My family respected my (greater interest in basketball).
Pelicans.com: You’ve previously discussed how special it was to play in the Olympics this summer and represent the Czech Republic. When did your team recognize that you had a good chance to qualify for them?
Satoransky: When we beat Canada, which was very unexpected, we realized we could make it happen. Playing in the final (of qualifying) against Greece, we played our best basketball.
Pelicans.com: One of the Pelicans players you knew best from Europe when you arrived here was Willy Hernangomez. What are some of the things he brings to a locker room?
Satoransky: I always joke about him that he’s like a big kid, that it’s great to have (on a team), because his excitement allows people to (act) positive all the time.
Pelicans.com: How impressive is it to watch him be able to produce consistently after some long stretches where he’s been a DNP?
Satoransky: Sometimes things don’t go as you planned – there are a lot of ups and downs in the NBA, everybody knows that – and not everybody can face it. In his six years, he has been playing a pretty similar role for all of his teams. He stays excited and waits for his name to be called, but he’s always ready. He always puts up good numbers. I admire that kind of mentality.