Easygoing personality on display in District The United States will be the third country Jan Vesely calls home since he left the Czech Republic at 16 to pursue basketball. As a result, certain things are sure to be lost in translation.
But no matter where he is in the world, the 6-foot-11 forward’s easygoing personality is easy to understand.
At his introductory news conference Monday with the Wizards, who took him sixth overall in last week’s NBA Draft, Vesely was asked who he admired in the league currently and when he was younger.
“When I was kid, I was watching Dirk [Nowitzki], his game,” said the 21-year-old, who sealed the moment with a wink and grin. “Now I still watching Dirk.”
Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld moved to the United States from Romania at age 9. “I relate to him because he speaks three different languages. When I first came here, I couldn’t speak a word of English, and the way he understands, the way he communicates and the way he understands jokes is not that easy for someone when it’s not your primary language.”
When it came to the draft, both Vesely and Grunfeld were speaking in the same tongue. The Wizards’ front office was unanimous on choosing Vesely, who professed Washington as his first choice after spending the last three years with Partizan Belgrade in Serbia and one year before that with Geoplin Slovan Ljubljana in Slovenia.
Vesely could have been a lottery pick in 2010, but on the advice of his agent and his mother, Ivana, a two-time Czech volleyball champion, he stayed one more year in Belgrade to mature and take on a greater role with Partizan.
“He’s built probably more for our game than he is for Europe because there are much more open floor opportunities, not as much zone defense, more opportunities for him to really do the things that he can do,” Wizards coach Flip Saunders said.
Vesely’s game has a universal appeal — he said he’s similar to Andrei Kirilenko — predicated on running the floor, playing defense, blocking shots and, best of all, dunking the ball. That he’s a dunker works both ways; he thrives on feeding off an adoring crowd, embracing the notion that he’s a European Blake Griffin.
“I have to connect with the fans because in Serbia, they are really, really crazy fans,” he said. “They sing all game, and I like to get motivation for the game. I have motivation for the game, but when the crowd is loud, it’s amazing to play and to play more stronger.”
With labor uncertainty ahead as Vesely departs for home from his first visit to the District, it remains to be seen how long it will be until he returns to wear the Wizards’ No.?24 jersey.
Until then, the “Flying Czech” will be more known for a famous draft-night kiss from his girlfriend, 6-4 Eva Kodouskova, whom Wizards owner Ted Leonsis jokingly threatened to recruit for the Mystics.
“I think nobody knows about the picks,” Vesely said when asked about the reaction back in the Czech Republic. “On that night, everybody talking about the kiss. I think we went to history.”
No interpretation required there.
