Exclusive Interview with Justin Dentmon, Star CBA Point Guard

For our next interview at The League News, we invited point guard Justin Dentmon to answer a few of our questions about his life with the Qingdao DoubleStar Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association. Justin has experience in the NBA, appearing with the San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, and the Dallas Mavericks. Not to mention that he was one of the best Americans in the Euroleague while playing for Žalgiris Kaunas in 2013–14. Throughout his pro career, Justin has represented teams around the world, but wherever he goes, his shooting accuracy earns him the nickname, “Abracadabra.”

TLN: What motivated you to play CBA basketball and leave the passionate Žalgiris fan base behind?

JD: The thing that motivated me to play in the CBA was the history of the league and the chance to make history with a team that has never been to the playoffs. The league is full of a lot of talent… just glad that I get to compete against the best in China. I’ve never left Žalgiris—they will always be home whether I’m playing for them or for another team.

TLN: How has life been so far in China? Do most of your coaches and teammates speak English?

JD: Life in China has been OK—not to bad for me other than the food poisoning I got eating buffet food at a hotel. Most of my coaches understand English but don’t speak it well enough to understand my jokes and so on. Few players speak and the others are still trying to learn.

TLN: The numbers that some players have put up in the offensive-minded CBA look superhuman to fans of other leagues. How different is the defensive level of most clubs in China as to those in Europe?

JD: The defense is the same, just different coaches have different concepts. In Europe, most leagues are 8-10 minute-long quarters and coaches don’t like that one or two players can take over a game. Some teams don’t play their imports that many minutes. In China it’s 12 minutes, same as NBA, and play their players a lot, which give players more time to score. In China they demand most imports to score the ball. If Europe coaches allowed imports to play more minutes and ask them to score more, you would see high volume of scores also.

TLN: Lithuania is one of the few countries outside the United States in which the game of basketball is the biggest deal, and you were basically a celebrity while playing at Žalgiris Kaunas. Is the sport of much importance in Qingdao or any other part of China?

JD: Lithuania was unreal, I enjoyed being part of a program such as Žalgiris. Basketball is really big there and I don’t think China is as big as Lithuania because China got table tennis, soccer, and volleyball. Lithuania has other sports, but basketball is the main thing.

TLN: The Chinese Basketball Association has received more popularity than ever since Guangdong Southern’s signing of top NBA draft prospect Emmanuel Mudiay. What was it like to play against Mudiay and what kind of future do you expect him to have?

JD: Mudiay is a good player—got a lot of upside and a lot of potential to be something big in the future. It was good playing against him, got to see what everyone was talking about. If he keeps his head on straight and keeps the right people in his corner, he will do just fine in the NBA.

TLN: After you finished your stretch at the University of Washington, you began chasing an NBA career, an endeavor that took you around the world—signing with clubs from Israel to Venezuela. You have been with multiple teams in the league already, but are you still working to play a more noteworthy role in the NBA sometime in the future?

JD: I’m willing to play any role I can if I was on an NBA team, while being myself. The NBA is a dream a lot of players dream being apart of. I’m blessed to say that dream came true for me. Now it’s all about getting on the right team that would keep me for a longer contact and building from there.

TLN: Last season, Qingdao finished last in the league with just five wins. Where are you aiming to lead the Eagles this time, with three new imports?

JD: I’m aiming to lead this team to the playoffs, something that hasn’t been done ever with this team. I have a long way to go, but I’m willing to put the work in and do my best so that history is made.

TLN: Have you ever modeled your game off a superstar in the NBA?

JD: I modeled my game after a few guys, but mainly I have my own style of play. Troy Hudson, Chris Paul, Allen Iverson. They all are scoring guards but at the same time can make players around them better, whether it’s their passing or their defense. Mainly their approach to the game is what I take from them.

TLN: Who would you say was the toughest player you have had to guard so far in your pro career

JD: I can’t really name anyone being that tough to guard. Most of the hard ones to guard was a team effort in stopping them not just me.

TLN: Puerto Rico is another country in which basketball is a big deal. How supportive were your fans at home games in your brief stint with Capitanes de Arecibo?

JD: Puerto Rico fans were loud and very active. I enjoyed them while I was there, for the short time I was there.

TLN: What would you consider your one favorite on-court moment as a professional?

JD: It’s just not one favorite, it’s two, because my first championship was in the D-League, where I was MVP and got called up to two different NBA teams. And the other is winning my first European championship with Žalgiris. Them are my favorite moments as a pro.

TLN: Growing up, were you a big NBA fan? If so, which teams and players did you support?

JD: I was a big Chicago Bulls fan. I think everyone in Illinois was. That was the Michael Jordan era. I followed them until Mike left for good. Now I’m just a sports fan. I don’t have any favorites.

TLN: Any closing comments you would like to say to your fans?

JD: To all the fans that follow me, thanks for all your support. Make sure to go online and check out my documentary series, “A Hunger For More,” and learn a little about me off the court. And continue to follow while I try to make history in the CBA. Thanks and God bless.

You can follow Justin Dentmon through Twitter @JustinDentmon and Facebook. Also, check out his website at JustinDentmon.com.