Timeout with Anthony Tucker: “The Professor”

“Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.”-- William Arthur Ward

Anthony Tucker has cemented himself as one of the top guards in Asia this season. The 6-foot 3 guard out of Minnesota plays every game like it's his last and exudes an infectious energy on the court. ‘The Professor’ (as he is affectionately called in Taiwan) is a walking highlight reel and a fan favourite across Taiwan no matter which venue he plays in.

He has played the game professionally for 8 years across 8 different countries and currently plays for the Taishin Dreamers in Taiwan’s P+ League. The former ASEAN Basketball League World Import MVP winner was an obvious pick for the Dreamers’ and it looks like they have struck gold.

Tucker is currently within the top three in the league (among players who average over fifteen minutes per game) when it comes to true shooting percentage (55.58%) and effective field goal percentage (45.24%.) Additionally, the value that he adds as a positive influence in the locker room is immeasurable on a stat sheet. Even though he doesn’t have the luxury of playing with a single team for many seasons, he manages to quickly build close-knit relationships with all of his teammates in a short span of time.

The first half of the season has gone as well as it possibly could have for Tucker, as he managed to put up four double-doubles and has led his team into playoff contention. ‘The Professor’ formally put the league on notice after he became the first foreign player to win the 'MVP of the month’ award in January. This shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the fact that the versatile shooting guard has spent most of his time in Asia averaging over 20 points per game.

Of the many heroic performances that ‘the professor’ has put up this season, his 42-point game against the Taoyuan Pilots’ earlier this week deserves special recognition. Anthony took over in the fourth quarter of that game scoring 20 points despite suffering an injury in the first half and led his team to a narrow 102-99 victory. He was virtually unguarable and carved up the Pilots’ defense with ease.

The closest NBA player comparison that I could think of was Gilbert Arenas. Both of them share a slick pull up jump shot and the ability to fearlessly drive to the basket and absorb contact. I was lucky enough to get the chance to interview the P+ League’s most versatile scorer. Check it out…

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You have truly embodied the term 'journeyman' due to your successful stints across different levels of college basketball followed by a professional basketball career that took you throughout Europe and Asia. How do you mentally prepare yourself to adapt to the different environments that you have been in and what are the challenges that you have had to overcome?

One of the main things that you have to do in order to adapt to the different environments is to go into every place and every situation with an open mind. Every situation has been different whether it be a different living situation, role on a team, type of league I am playing in etc. Being able to be open allows you to accept and also enjoy all the new situations you may face.

Having won several accolades as an ‘Import Player’ in the ABL and P+ League, do you feel a sense of responsibility in shaping basketball culture in the various countries that you have played in?

I think it is important to leave things better than you found them. If I can influence the culture of a country I play in in a positive way then I am doing something right. I have been very fortunate to get to play in a lot of places and to meet and interact with a lot of different people from different walks of life. Any opportunity I have to give back and to enhance the culture I feel it is very important for me to do so.

Due to the lack of global coverage, people are often ignorant of the passion that basketball fans around the world exude for their local teams. Could you share your most unique interaction with a fan?

I have had so many unique interactions with fans that it would be nearly impossible for me to narrow it down to just one. I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to play in places for more than just one year at a time and to be able to create lasting relationships with people. A lot of times playing overseas results in just one year in any one place and you often never get to see the people you spend every day with for an entire season. However, being able to come back to a place for additional seasons you get to see people grow up, you have familiarity with fans, especially kids. I think that is something that is really special.

Could you take us through a typical day in the life of Anthony Tucker?

In the offseason a typical day for me would look like waking up around 7:30 am and going to work out doing speed/strength and conditioning at ETS. After that it’s right to working out with my basketball trainer, Reid Ouse. I typically complete my workouts for the day at around 12 pm and head home. Following which I spend some quality time with my girlfriend Ali, catch up with friends and family. and play some golf whenever I get the chance.

During the season a typical day would be waking up around 7:30, eating breakfast and heading to our first practice of the day. The first practice is typically just weight lifting and skill development work on the court. Following which, I come home and get something to eat and usually do a little bit of recovery on the Normatec. Some days I'll try to get a nap in before the second practice which is scheduled at 4 pm. After practice, I come home nourish myself and catch up on some reading.

What advice would you give to young players across colleges in America who are hesitant to take the leap of faith abroad?

If playing basketball is something that you are passionate about then it is pertinent to seize any opportunity that you can get to wear a jersey. The worst thing you can do is not try and then regret not giving it a chance. If it’s not for you, you are not obligated to continue doing it but it provides a pretty awesome and unique opportunity to play basketball, travel the world and of course make some good money.

Also Read: Time Out with Sanjana Ramesh

Sports stars often have to come to the sobering reality that they can’t play forever, hence its important to plan for the future. Could you tell us more about maintaining and growing wealth while playing basketball professionally?

This is a topic I have grown very passionate about recently. I can’t explain how important it is for athletes to be financially literate and to take an active role in maintaining their finances and planning for the future. There are so many different ways that you can not only maintain your wealth but also grow it while you’re playing. This will allow you to live in comfort after your career ends. Obviously, the earlier you are able to start the better however, it is never too late to gain knowledge. In my opinion, investing your money, setting up interest bearing accounts, creating retirement accounts and investing in life insurance are some of the smartest and easiest ways that you can create financial freedom. Lastly, and I cannot stress this enough, pay your taxes!

(Check out Anthony Tucker's clothing brand here)

Over your long career you have built a reputation for being a feisty guard with a competitive spirit and a serious demeanor on the court. Since we all know that not everyone can excel in the art of the trash talk what is the weirdest thing that someone has said to you in the form of trash talk on the court?

I have had some incredibly weird moments on the court but that's to be expected when you have played for as long as I have. One incident that sticks out to me is in NBL China a couple of summers. I was torching the opposition and had scored nearly forty points in the second half and the guy that was guarding me kept telling me to “bring it on” which I thought was odd considering that I scored a majority of my points against him. I had always just assumed that it was one of the few English phrases that he knew which is why he chose to continue screaming it at me regardless of the number of times I pulled up in front of him.

If you enjoyed reading this article watch this space for my in depth analysis on the P+ League.