Author: Edgaras Pulkovskis, krepsinis.net




The guard of VEF Riga , Alex Renfroe is one of the best players in MasterCard BBL Elite Division. “My career goal is to make it to the highest possible level I can play at”, - says 23 year old point guard from Nashville Tennessee in the USA.  

What is your playing style?

I can play many different ways depending on how my team plays. But I prefer a fast paced game. A lot of transitions and running. It gives me a chance to get my adrenaline pumping. I think I am at my best when we are running up and down the court. I like getting teammates open. And I love doing things to get my teammates pumped up!!

Why this season you choose VEF Riga?

Since it was my first year of becoming a professional basketball player I did not really know what to expect or the process. But my agents had some offers from certain teams from different countries but they suggested that VEF Riga might be the best fit. So I agreed that VEF might be a good team to go and play for.

What can you said about Latvia?

I am enjoying my time in Latvia. Riga is a very nice city and there are many different things to do in the city. I like to hang out with my teammates and I also enjoy spending time in my own apartment and just relaxing.

What is the biggest difference between life in USA and life in Europe?

There are so many differences in Europe and America that it would take me a whole day to tell you. It is amazing that the world is so different depending on what region you live in. There are just some many different cultures in the world. I see it every day just when I am talking to my teammates or my friends that play overseas in different areas of Europe.

In your team playing two Lithuanians Martynas Mazeika and Arnas Labuckas. What can you said about them?

Martynas and Arnas are both great guys!! They understand and speak English very well so it is always easy to talk to them. Arnas is the guy on the team I hang out with the most. He is a good guy. We spend a lot of time talking about basketball and life and mainly about the differences in the USA and Europe or Lithuania. Martynas just recently let me borrow his car while my parents were in town because my car was having some problems. But they are both great guys and I love being around them and being on the team with them. So if you are reading this Arnas or Martynas, thanks for everything. You guys are family to me.

What can you said about Baltic Basketball league? Does he high-level?

I like the Baltic League. It is a league composed of some very good teams. I think there is a high level of competition and I enjoy being apart of it. I am hoping that tomorrow and in January and so on we can improve our record and get some more wins. I believe we have the talent to be apart of the BBL final four and I think we will succeed in this. We just have to focus on not making silly mistakes. And I am working on my turnovers to help this problem.

You are played against two best Lithuania teams – „Zalgiris“ and „Lietuvos rytas“. Which team are looks better for you and why?

Hmmm….That is a hard question to answer. I think that it is hard to say which team is better. But from the results of the games I would say that we had bigger problems with Zalgiris. But they are both great teams. I think it really does not matter who is a better team. You just have to be the better team for the day. Basketball is so up and down and unpredictable that if a team has a great day they have the chance to beat any other team. And if a team has a bad day they have the chance to lose to any other team! But as of now Rytas has the best record in the BBL so I would say that they are the best team in the league. But who knows how the second part of the season will go. Hopefully VEF Riga can start moving towards the top of the standings! And I will try my best to make that happen. I am sure my team feels the same way.

What is yours future plans? Maybe you want to play in the bigger European team?

I have no future plans right now. I am taking it day by day. So I am uncertain about where I will be next year. I just take it a day at a time. But I just want to play somewhere where I can constantly improve as a player in a competitive league. But I am enjoying my year here with VEF Riga.

What is your career goal? Maybe play in the NBA?

My career goal is to make it to the highest possible level I can play at. I would love to play in the NBA. Playing in the NBA has always been my dream. If it happens it happens. But enjoy making a living playing professional basketball overseas. It broadens your horizons and shows you different aspects of the world. And that is what I enjoy most about playing overseas basketball.