Interview transcription

Introduce yourself in a few words

So I’m Jean-Remy Esor, I’m 29, I’m a basketball player, I play in Monaco in National 3 and I’m also a college supervisor.

Tell us about your background

So I started basketball in middle school in 2nd year of 13U. Then we went to Evry, I did 2 years of 15U there and I also did 2 years of 17U in Evry. Then I went to Guadeloupe to finish my 17U years and I went to the United States. I played 2 years of High School and 2 years of JUCO. Then I came back to France and I played in several national 3 teams in France and I’m playing in Monaco this year.

What motivated you to start playing Basketball?

I started by chance because I had a friend in middle school who was playing and he asked me wouldn’t you like to try on my team etc since you are tall? I said to him: yeah why not. I wasn’t too motivated at first and finally I went and I liked it and I continued afterwards.

Which moment in your career so far has made you the proudest, and why?

The thing that I’m the most proud of in my career is the fact that I went to the United States. Because I didn’t expect it at all. During my 15U and 17U years I was really not in the best players so the fact that I had this opportunity, it gratified a lot of things and it changed a lot of things in my life.

What where the main challenges you encountered in your career and how did you overcome them?

So there were 2. The 1st one was when I went abroad, so to the United States. It was very difficult with the language. To overcome it, I had to look at the words and sentences that I didn’t understand every night when I came home and I had to work on my lessons a lot more because I was late in English so that was difficult. The 2nd challenge was my first year in JUCO, I hurt my knee so for 2 months I didn’t play and when I came back I was afraid to play, to jump and I had no feeling etc. So it was very difficult. To overcome it, the physio helped me a lot and one day I went on the court and I said to myself go, stop being hesitant and play and jump and it came back.

What motivates you to push your limits and constantly improve?

Well the performance. When you play in national 3, it is absolutely necessary that you perform otherwise you do not play and you can be cut from teams etc. So that’s important. Then the passion for basketball is something that is always in me so it motivates me to work and to improve myself every day.

What advice would you give to young people who want to succeed?

I will tell them to be really rigorous because in all sports you have to be really rigorous, you have to be very disciplined. You have to listen to your coaches and try to take information from everyone because there are people who have different knowledge and different ways of working. Everyone can give you something in sport so you have to listen to people, be very rigorous and very disciplined.

What values or qualities are essential for success?

First, you have to be patient because in sport you don’t get results right away. it happens after many weeks, months and years of work. You have to be rigorous because if you stop a bit, you lose everything you have acquired before and you have to be very passionate, very very passionate about the sport you practice in order to have the will to do it every day and to progress.

What is your vision for the development of basketball in the coming years?

I think clubs should communicate more around them, in their city etc. To encourage more young people to register and develop their club and the basketball in France. And train more coaches, because often in the clubs they are struggling to find coaches to train the young people so we have to try to find coaches and train them well so that they can train the young people who come to the clubs.

What are your future projects or goals?

I would like very much to go up to National 2 with the team where I am currently, Monaco. it has always been a goal even in the teams where I was before going up from national 3 to national 2. It would be a great accomplishment for me. And to play as long as possible.

Your ultimate top 5 in basketball

So my favorite player was Kobe, so Kobe will definitely be there. Then I take Michael Jordan. I take Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson and the latest Tim Duncan.

Which rule would you change in basketball?

I would say the 3 second rule. In addition, recently it changed so the referees never have the same version so it changes all the time. They should find a more consistent way to apply this 3 second rule so I would change that one.

Which sports personality would you like to have dinner with?

It would have been Kobe but since he’s dead I’m not going to choose him but I’m going to say Kevin Durant because he’s the first slender player at the time who arrived in the NBA with a really specific way of playing and to create his shot like no one before with this size. So I would like to discuss this with him to find out how he developed his skills.

which athlete or coach impresses you the most today?

I would say Giannis Antetokounmpo because when he arrived in the NBA he was very thin, he was not favorite to be in the best players. He’s been working like crazy and he’s gotten super strong and he’s dominating the NBA like no one would have thought he would before.

A final word?

I wish all athletes who are starting a sport to thrive in their chosen sport and to develop to the best of their abilities. And to all my sports friends, I hope they succeed in their project. I would like to give a special shout-out to Sport Combine.