As part of his Madrid welcoming tour, Quinton Hosley sat down with Realmadrid.com and RealmadridTV for his first official interview as a Madridista. How do you feel knowing you are going to play for Real Madrid?
I am happy to be here and I am looking forward to the start of the new season. I've met some great people and have only heard good things about this team. I'm looking forward to proving that I am capable of playing here.
How would you define yourself as a player and what can you contribute to Real Madrid?
I don't know how to describe myself. Honestly, I'll leave it up to you to decide. I have been a winner wherever I have played, so I guess I would call myself just that. I think my best attribute is the energy I bring to the team. No matter who I play for, I always have a good attitude.
Real Madrid is coming off a great season despite not winning a title. Do you think you can handle the pressure of knowing you are expected to win every game?
I'm coming from a city where all the teams are expected to win. Playing here is like playing for the Yankees, a team always expected to win, so you just have to know how to handle that pressure. I want to feel the pressure. It's why I play basketball.
You have been a stand-out player, especially in rebounding, on every team you have played for. You think you can keep it up on Real Madrid?
I'm going to give it all I've got when I'm on the floor. I only want to win. Stats are important, but they only serve to win games.
Your dad Ron Matthias is a New York playground legend, and the playground is where you earned the nickname Terminator 2. What difference is there between T2’s playground basketball and Quinton Hosley’s arena basketball?
My dad holds the record. He won nine New York playground titles. He was a phenomenal player in his day. I just want to follow in his footsteps, but those of my mom as well, as she played basketball, too. My dad never had the chance to play abroad, but I do, and I want to blaze my own trail. There’s one common denominator between my playground days and now. Terminator 2, the Quinton Hosley who played in the streets of New York, is the same who plays in basketball arenas. He plays with the same energy and drive.
After graduating from college, why did you decided to come to Europe rather than try your luck in the NBA?
I thought playing in Europe was a better option than the NBA. I can learn more about basketball here and can grow on a personal level. The NBA will always be there, and although it was my childhood dream, my goals and desires changed as I got older.
What did you learn during your first year in Europe, during which you were the MVP of the Turkish league?
In Turkey I learned that things never end the way they begin. Seasons are long. They’re like marathons that you have to know how to control, in good times and bad. A season is really just like a race. You cannot sprint.
Are you familiar with Real Madrid or any of its players? What have your heard?
I know a little about Real Madrid’s players, but I still haven’t met any. I am looking forward to practicing so I can get to know them. I am sure we’ll be great friends.
Is there anything you want to say to Real Madrid fans?
I would like to thank them for such a warm welcome. I am eager to meet fans and for them to greet me on the street. I am a nice guy and I always talk to those who wish to speak to me.
Real Madrid