On focus: Shane Gibson

- I started playing organized basketball around age 10, but I played basketball since I was about 3 because my dad was a basketball coach at the time and I was one of the ball boys for the team. Being around the players and my dad at such a young age are some of my first memories of the game. I also remember watching my brother play basketball in a rec league and he wore number 3. I just remember him being really good at it and I wanted to be good too.

- I decided I was going to be a professional player at around 9 in my living room shooting a balled up sock into a bucket. At that moment I was watching Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan on tv and I remember thinking how perfect their shooting form was. I thought that to be a professional basketball player you had to had form like that, so I decided I was going to shoot like them so I could become a pro. The things kids think… but I guess it worked out right. I′ve helped my career the most so far, I′ve been given nothing, I′ve had to scratch and claw my way to everything I′ve ever gotten, every position I′ve reached I′ve had to grind for it, I had to stay mentally tough and just go and get whatever I wanted or could get.

- I would describe my game as very very consistent, very perfectionist, every time I play I′m looking to have a great FG percentage, limited turnovers, and few mistakes overall. I hate missing, I hate making mistakes, I pride my game on being very efficient. I never was impressed by the guy who scored 50 but took 43 shots. I try to string good performance for as long as I can before having a bad one, the game of basketball is so hard that you will always play bad sometimes but how many good ones can u surround that game with. I need to improve my point guard skills the most, I′m a scorer so sometimes I get into scoring mode and might completely miss an open teammate. Or just getting to the rim more and putting pressure on the opposing big men to commit fouls. On the defensive end, I can work on chasing my guy around screens, or just getting around screens better than I do.

- I′ve worked for every aspect of my game, I was a really skin guy, I had to lift weights to gain any size and mass that you have. I entered college at 70 kg, I weight 82 kg now and I lifted for every pound. I wear a weighted vest and resistance bands in the summer and do jumping exercises. Also jump rope with a weighted vest helps me to stay strong through my jumpshots. My best dunk was when I was sixteen. I stole the ball in a game and was ahead on a fast break but I saw a defender chasing me so I slowed up a little bit, he caught up and I went up with two hands, changed the ball to the outside hand took the contact and dunked it.

- I am in Beroe because it′s God’s will. In the summer you have many different opportunities and destinations and at the end of the summer after your agent and teams and players make decisions you make the best choice you have. Beroe was the best choice for me. I′m happy with the decision, I′m playing well, my teammates are playing well and we are winning. My coach is giving me an opportunity to display my talent so I have no complaints and it′s all good. Plus I believe we can win a championship here, and I am playing in Europe where I can build my European resumè.

- The competition level is high. Out of three games, two of them have been close for us, which means our level isn′t higher than their level of play. We can be beaten at anytime but we can also beat everyone. If I don′t come ready to play I can look bad so the competition level is great. My goals are to be the player of the year and win the championship, and if I continue to average 2.67 steals a game and guard the opposing team’s best players, we continue winning and I average multiple steals per game then I should be defensive player of the year as well.

- Outside the court I’m a simple guy. I like video games, movies, hang out with friends and family. Nothing too crazy. I like to work on my body and my basketball skills. I like to box also, I will get into it more this summer. It′s a p?ssion of mine that I′m exploring.