Dallas Mavericks veteran Vince Carter admits that he is still a little jet-lagged as the team got in a full practice session earlier this morning in Berlin.
The 2011 NBA champions were put through their paces inside the O2 World Arena in the German capital ahead of tomorrow night’s NBA Europe pre-season game against Euroleague side Alba Berlin but Carter, now a 14-year NBA professional had one thing on his mind.
“I just want to be lazy, being honest,” he joked.
“As a player you hate it because you want to lay there and it doesn’t help that the flight was so long, but [either way] it’s good to get the legs going, the blood flowing a little bit because, and I speak for all of us right now we are feeling lazy. So it will help us and help me to get a good night’s rest tonight and no doubt be ready for the game.”
While the former North Carolina standout admits to not knowing too much about tomorrow night’s opponents; who finished fifth in the German Bundesliga last season and entered this season’s Euroleague via a wildcard due to 2012 Eurocup winners BC Khimki finishing as runners-up in the Russian league, Carter is looking forward to facing Alba forward Deon Thompson, himself a former Tar-Heel.
Carter knows Thompson well off the court and when asked about playing Deon; Carter had a short answer: “I’m gonna foul him hard. He doesn’t know it yet but I’m gonna tell him.”
