Mini interview with Daiki Tanaka
Tanaka made a decision to move from Alvark Tokyo to Sun Rockers Shibuya this summer. He spoke to the media after the team introduction meeting.
After leaving Alvark Tokyo, where he had been since 2013, Daiki Tanaka decided to join Sun Rockers Shibuya as his new team. Last season he was forced to miss a long period due to back surgery.
But at Shibuya he will once again play under coach Luka Pavicevic, who won two consecutive B.LEAGUE titles with Alvark Tokyo.
Here is what Tanaka had to say in response to the media after Shibuya's press conference on September 27.
Q You left Alvark Tokyo to join Shibuya. How did you feel about being in the same Tokyo team as when you were with Albark Tokyo before? Can you talk not only about playing but also about the atmosphere?
DT When I was a member of the Alvark, I thought the Tokyo derby was exciting, and I wasn't conscious of anything special, but I thought it would be nice if these two teams could make Tokyo exciting.
Q Luka Pavicecic comes as a new coach to a team that has been led by Leo Vendrame. What do you think will be different at this point between the basketball you have played in Albark Tokyo and this team?
DT I don't think what the head coach does will change much, but the players on this team have changed a lot. I hope to bring out the best in each player. I have been working with Luka for a long time. So I think I understand him better than other players and I hope I can be of help to other players.
Q What do you think about Yudai Baba coming back to the B.LEAGUE?
DT I am looking forward to having him back in Japan and competing with him on the court. I had the opportunity to play with him for several years at Albark Tokyo, and I think he is a high-quality player, so I am looking forward to competing with him this season. I also hope that I can make my hometown more exciting.
Q You and Luka have won the B.LEAGUE championship, and I think that's what is expected of you when you come to Shibuya. You have a good group of players, but what do you think are the other things that a winning team has, and what do you think is the culture that a winning team has?
DT I have won two championships, and if you ask me how I got there, I would say that you have to live your life to become a champion, not only in games but also in daily practice and training. I think that is the way to go. We have all been practicing hard since the team started, and as Luka said, this league is growing and there are more opportunities for more teams than in the past, so I think the intensity is increasing. I think the only thing we can do is to do what we have to do and do it carefully every day.
Q Last season you underwent surgery for the first time in your career and were sidelined for an extended period. How difficult was the rehab process and how did it reaffirm for you the importance of being healthy and able to play?
DT This is a story about my former team, I knew I was the one who had to be on the court, but I had to leave the team early. There were parts I could control and parts I couldn't, but I still had to stand on the court because this is what I do for a living, and watching the games from the bench reminded me of that. I have never had this kind of experience, so I am not sure how long it will take for my performance to improve this season, but as I said before, I am taking each day carefully, and so far my condition is not bad. I am taking a long-term view of my performance, and I hope to be in the best condition at the end of the season so that I can improve even more from now on.
Q. After playing in the preseason games and the Emperor's Cup, do you feel that so far you have been able to play the way you imagined?
DT Yes, I think so. I thought the moves would be tougher, but surprisingly there have been a lot of positives. Maybe it will be much more difficult from now on, but I will gladly accept it as a new challenge for me.
Q Have you gotten used to the yellow uniform of Shibuya?
DT To be honest, I don't think it looks good on me, and of course, it may be the same for everyone else. But I hope I will get used to it and it will look good on me throughout the season. But so far I don't have a good feeling about it.
Q Why did you choose the number 13 as your number?
DT I had been wearing number 24 for a long time, but the change was made at this time. I wore number 13 in high school when I was an underclassman. Since I was moving to Shibuya and after my surgery, I decided to use the number I had when I was an underclassman in high school, as it meant I wanted to start from scratch with a fresh mind.