Hayes-Davis on NBA offers and staying with Fenerbahçe: “Maybe this is better for me”

The U.S. forward Nigel Hayes-Davis spoke to Eurohoops about NBA offers, his summer with Team USA, staying with Fenerbahçe, and his future goals.

By Bilal Baran Yardımcı / info@eurohoops.net

Having had an excellent season in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and being selected to the All-EuroLeague First Team last season, Nigel Hayes-Davis decided to stay with Fenerbahçe Beko this summer.

Talking to Eurohoops, Nigel touched on various topics, including his decision to stay, his experience with the US national team, the source of his confidence, manipulating the game, and his personal goals for the new season.

“The reason is simple – I didn’t sign an NBA contract. Some things in life are simple, and that’s the simple answer. I’ve always said that I wanted to be near my family and friends in the NBA. I want to be the best version of myself wherever I am, and this season I’ll do my best to be the best Nigel I can be,” Hayes-Davis said about his decision to stay in Istanbul.

After a great season and a summer with Team USA, he had interest from the NBA. However…

“At the end of the day, it didn’t happen. The reason isn’t important. I’ve always been someone who focuses on the things I can control. I feel like I did everything I could to prove my abilities. Sometimes things don’t go your way. Maybe this is better for me. I went through a similar process last summer, and I came back and broke a EuroLeague scoring record. We don’t know what the universe has in store for me this year, but we’ll see together.”

He was part of the Team USA setup during the Olympic preparations, working with some of the biggest NBA stars.

“It was something I could only experience once in a lifetime. It was the best three weeks of my life; I can’t remember being happier. Everything, from sunrise to sunset, was amazing. I’m very happy and grateful for the experience. Being in the camp, the things I learned, the atmosphere, the travels with the team—everything was perfect. There are people who would pay a lot of money to have these experiences. It was an unforgettable experience. I’m so glad I recorded most of it. Being able to share and watch it again in the future will be very special for me.”

Before another season with Fenerbahçe, the player who scored the most points in a EuroLeague game, posting 50 against ALBA Berlin last season, wants to improve his game.

“I don’t want to be a player who dominates with the ball. I want to improve my conditioning to a very high level. I want to set better screens and average 6-7 rebounds per game. I want to focus on things that require more energy and endurance. I know I’ll develop my game. I’ve never been someone who wants to hold the ball all the time. There are talented point guards in the league who need to control the ball and score to help their team. I don’t need that to be efficient, and I don’t want to do that. I’ve talked before about the ‘gatherer-hunter’ mentality I discussed with my coach Charlie. I focus on taking what the defense gives me in each position, whether it’s taking the right shot or finding the right teammate for the best shot. Charlie once sent me a video of Michael Jordan scoring 45 points in a playoff game. There was only one play where Jordan dribbled more than three times. When he got the ball, he took his shot quickly.”

Looking at the upcoming season, Hayes-Davis aims for another Final Four appearance.

“My perspective is this: I want to be in the Final Four. The best thing I can do is work as hard as I can. The summer and the preparation period are all about that. I need to do everything necessary to perform at the highest level when the season starts. The most important thing I can hope for is to be healthy at the end of the season and for everyone on the team to have found their rhythm. By the time the playoffs come, all the teams know what each other can do and their strengths. You can’t surprise your opponents much. That’s why health becomes such an important factor. Every team has the same goal, and we’ll see in 8-9 months who reaches that goal,” Nigel Hayes-Davis concluded.