Interview Series - Q & A With NBA Hopeful, PG Torey Thomas

Let me preface this post by saying I am a HUGE Scottie Pippen fan. People that know me might even say I am borderline obsessed. It’s so bad that every single email address and username of mine has always had the number 33 in it. It is because of this Pippen fandom that I will randomly search the web for Scottie Pippen updates. I’m always hoping I can find a new picture, article, or video about him, just so I can see what he is up to nowadays.  It was while doing one of my usual Pippen searches when I first came across the name Torey Thomas.  I first saw the following picture of Pipp...

That picture brought me to this article, which talked about Pippen playing ball in an exhibition game in Europe.  Now I had heard that Pippen was still in decent shape and playing ball, so I figured that even in his 40’s, Scottie still had to be sick.  Once I read the article, I found out that Pippen got Co-MVP of the game. Pipp scored 21 pts and had 10 boards.  Torey Thomas, the other Co-MVP, had 22 pts. So I guess my point after all of this, is that I needed to find out more about this other Co-MVP, Torey Thomas.

When I got home later that day, I got to work on the Web looking Torey up. It wasn’t until after reading a ton of articles, that I found out that Torey was a sick Basketball player.  In 2003, Torey was named Connecticut Player of the Year. He led his team to the State Championship that year in High School.  In the same year, he was also named New Haven Register Player of the Year.  He finished HS winning two State Championships, and earned a full scholarship to Holy Cross.  Torey had a great career at Holy Cross, and even earned the Defensive Player of the Year award as a senior.  When his college run was over, he had to decide between taking a job here in the States, or going overseas to keep playing ball.  When it was all said and done, Torey decided to continue on with his dream, and to go to play ball in Europe.  On a side note, I also wanted to know more about Torey as a person.  It was after reading some more articles, that I found out that he was a great person off the court as well.  Torey is doing so much right now to give back to his community too, even from Europe, so I wanted to shed a little bit of a light on that as well in this interview.  Anyways, long story short, I was finally able to get in touch Torey, and we made this interview happen because I personally wanted to know more about him and I wanted my readers to as well.  After reading this interview, hopefully you guys will learn more about Torey Thomas as a player and as a person...

Here’s the transcript from our Q & A...

VC: Thanks a lot for doing this interview with us. First off, tell us a little bit about yourself. Where'd you play your High School and College ball at?

TT: I played HS ball at Trinity Catholic High School in Stamford, Connecticut. I then went on to earn a full athletic scholarship at Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts.

VC: Why did you choose to play ball at the College of Holy Cross over some of the other programs out there?

TT: I chose Holy Cross because I felt it was the best fit for what I was looking for. Holy Cross is a prestigious, academic institution and it also had a great basketball program. I was getting the best of both worlds.

VC: Where are you balling at right now?

TT: I am now playing ball in Europe, in the Netherlands aka Holland.

VC: What is the name of the squad that you are playing for right now?

TT: I play for the Matrixx Magixx in Nijmegen, Holland.

VC: You got a chance to play against Scottie Pippen out there in one of your games. And a lot of people might not know this, but you actually got Co-MVP with Scottie in that game. To me, that is pretty amazing because I grew up idolizing Pippen and Jordan. I’m a huge Scottie Pippen fan, stalker level type! Now I know this is your interview and all, but I’m going to have to ask you some questions about PIP! How was it playing against PIP? How good was he still? Did he come across as a nice guy?

TT: It was an unbelievable experience to play against Scottie Pippen! He was still good at 42 and he’s an extremely nice guy. He didn't have all his athleticism but it’s still very hard to guard him because of his instincts and IQ of the game.

VC: I know I have to move on, so here goes. Are there a ton of guys from the States where you are at?

TT: This league has many guys from the States. There is no limit in this Country as long as you have 5 Dutch players on your team.

VC: Without getting too specific, generally how would you say the Euro game is different when compared to ball here in the States?

TT: The Euro game is more technical and it’s played at a different pace.

VC: I've heard some crazy stories about the fans out there in Europe. Are the fans out there really as rowdy as people say they are?

TT: The fans are probably more rowdy in Europe than in America. They are wild!

VC: What is the craziest/ rowdiest thing you have seen done by the fans out there during a game?

TT: The craziest thing I have ever seen was the fans throwing so much stuff on the court, that the court was covered with garbage. It took about 30 minutes to resume the game!

VC: What do you like the most about being out there? Hate the most?

TT: I like learning about the culture over here and experiencing new things. There is a lot of rich history here and I like to soak it in. I dislike the games being only once a week!

VC: Wow, only once a week, I thought it would be more. That being said, how many days a week do you play ball then?

TT: I play ball 6 days a week, minimum.

VC: Do you guys have trainers and nutritionists out there like NBA squads have?

TT: Yes there are trainers and nutritionists out here, but it’s not as extensive as NBA.

VC: Do you miss home? If so, what do you miss about it the most?

TT: Yes I definitely miss home. I miss my family and friends. The thing I miss most is a home cooked meal.

VC: How was it adjusting to life in Europe without your family and friends?

TT: The adjustment period is everlasting, I'm still adjusting to that every year and it never gets easier.

VC: How do you keep in touch with everyone here in the States?

TT: I keep in touch with everyone there through the internet and my Skype account to call back home.

VC: Ok, enough about Europe. Let’s talk NBA! I know you love to play ball, so is that your eventual goal Basketball wise? Is your dream to play in the NBA? If it is, how realistic is that goal looking right now?

TT: My dream is the NBA and I feel it’s realistic because I had a workout with the NY Knicks this past summer. I would probably have to make a stop in the NBA developmental league, but my dream is still realistic. That being said, as we all know, the dream is still extremely hard to reach.

VC: Ok, so what do you think you could you bring to a NBA squad?

TT: I think I can bring two things to a NBA squad…
1.) Character and 2) The Old School Point Guard Mentality!

VC: If a team were to ask you to describe your personality and character, what would you tell them?

TT: I would describe myself as loyal, and a hard worker that is diligent in completing any task at hand!

VC: Who is your agent and which agency are you signed with right now?

TT: My Agency is Interperformances and there are a group of different agents assigned to me for specific reasons.

VC: Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to switch gears here for a little bit. I had the chance to read about what you do in your spare time when you are not hooping, and I’ve got to say, I’m impressed. For those of you who don’t know, TT helps young kids in the New York area by using basketball as on outlet for them in life. He even works on it from Europe! Anyways, TT why don’t you quickly tell our readers in your own words a little bit more about what NY Blaze is…

TT: NY Blaze is a Basketball program for kids ages 8-18 that want to learn life skills through basketball. It is a wonderful program and we have had up to a 100 kids participating in it, from all over Westchester County and even a kid from France. The program is a grassroots program started in White Plains, New York.

VC: How did you come up with the idea and get it started?

TT: I came up with the idea with Larry White, Ivan Jones, and Kevin Higgs. They had this idea about giving the kids in the community a chance to succeed. I was in a position to give back and devote my time and energy into this program, so we made it happen.

VC: I think this is great, and I hope more people end up following your lead in the future. Is there a website for NY Blaze, so people can check it out themselves?

TT: The website is www.newyorkblaze.com

VC: Also, who runs Blaze locally while you are in Europe?

TT: Jeff Lee, Larry White, and Kevin Higgs run it while I'm gone, but I do all of the administrative work from Europe.

VC: Last but not least, we need to get to some personal questions in!  What's on your Ipod right now?

TT: Ambitious by Jay-z off the Blueprint 3 album!

VC: My friends would kill me if I didn’t ask you this question, so tell us the truth, how are the hunnies out there in Europe?

TT: LOL Ladies are Ladies everywhere!

VC: I know this is some time away, but who will you be rooting for this upcoming March Madness?

TT: I will be rooting for Holy Cross to win the Patriot League and get into March Madness!

VC: Who would you say is the biggest influence and/or role model in your life?

TT: My Mother is my biggest influence and role model in my life.

VC: I also read that you played at Rucker Park. I've always wanted to check it out. How was it playing there?

TT: It was legendary. Every time I stepped on the court it was a feeling of accomplishment because the best around the world have played at Rucker Park.

VC: Lastly, I'm sure you have played vs. a lot of tight ballers in your life. Who would you say is the best player you ever faced?

TT: When I was 16 years old, I got the chance to play against Steve Francis at Rucker Park!

VC: Thanks a ton for doing this interview with us. Good luck with Blaze, and let DSS know if the program ever needs any help! Also, good luck with making the League! Just don’t forget about us when you become a big-timer!!!