RUS - Holden: Papaloukas is at same level as Jasikevicius

KOLN (FIBA) - JR Holden knows a thing or two about competing at the highest level of basketball. The 30-year-old playmaker has helped CSKA Moscow to the past four Euroleague Final Fours, including finally winning the title last season.

He also has won at the club level in Latvia, Belgium and Greece. And this summer the naturalised Russian averaged 23 points a game in leading the Russian national team to the top spot in Group C of the EuroBasket 2007 qualification tournament, securing a berth in next summer's show in Spain.

Now, Holden is busy trying to keep CSKA Moscow at the top of European club basketball. The team beat the Los Angeles Clippers 94-75 in the Russian capital and after winning against Maccabi Tel Aviv in Cologne, they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Pittsburgh native recently spoke to FIBA.

FIBA: "JR, first off congratulations on Russia's successful qualification for EuroBasket 2007. You finished 5-1 in the group with a new coach - David Blatt - and without Andrei Kirilenko. How satisfying is that?

Holden: "I came over this year and we were just really focused on qualifying. We thought we were in a group where we could qualify. We just had to play good, play hard and play together. Without Kirilenko, we knew it was going to be difficult. But I think we played pretty well. We had a new coach and a new system. I think the system was a little better for me - a little more push the ball-type of system with more quick shots and pressure defence. And that's more to my strength. I feel I played very well and the team played very well. We qualified and now we're just looking forward to this EuroBasket."

FIBA: "How do you see Russia's chances in Spain, where the EuroBasket will be staged?"

Holden: "We know it's going to be tough, especially with Greece and Spain and Italy. All those teams are competing and getting better. Italy competed at the 2006 World Championship and they were very young. So I know they're going to be tough. Germany's going to be tough. It's funny with the German team, you look at the names on paper and it looks like a very average team. But they're always there in the mix. They always play together. And they seem like a family. I'm not sure how it really is. They all really care about one another. They're all pushing and always in every game. I just think it will be a good test for us getting in there and competing."

FIBA: "Two European teams besides Spain will qualify directly for the 2008 Olympics from the EuroBasket. But three other nations have an additional chance for an Olympic spot through a 12-team qualification tournament. Do you think that helps Russia's chances of making it to Beijing?"

Holden: "We're going to just try to qualify in Spain. We don't want to worry about that. We know it's going to be tough, and that there's a long road ahead of us. But the one thing the world is learning is that the game has to be played. The teams are getting better and it's the best team at that time. If you're that team at that time, you're going to be tough to beat. And hopefully, we can be that team to beat over that two or three weeks where it's most important."

FIBA: "More recently, the Los Angeles Clippers held their training camp in Moscow and CSKA beat them. How do you see things now between the level of the game in Europe compared to that in America?"

Holden: "One thing the NBA is realising is that there's not a big drop-off once you get past the elite players. You're talking about a team game now, and it's not a one-on-one or two-on-two. Now it's five-on-five. And that's what we're realising overall. Even myself. After playing here, I go over to the States and play in the gym against guys like Travis Best, or Jalen Rose or Eric Snow. It's a totally different game. You come back here and you pass and cut, you screen, you help defense, stuff like that. What better way can you show that than how the U.S. Olympic team is playing."

FIBA: "As an American who has played in Europe since 1998 and has played international ball for Russia, what do you think of Team USA's bronze medal performance in Japan?"

Holden: "I think they played very well this summer. But a team like Greece has been together for a while. Still, are you telling me that they have a player better than LeBron James or Dwyane Wade on their team? It's just a team game now. If you do bring that to Europe with four or five teams, I think they'll be very competitive."

FIBA: And what about the European clubs' chances of winning an NBA title?

Holden: "Of course you'd have to get elite players and superstars to come out here to win a championship. Let's be honest. I don't think one team without a superstar has won. Dallas, if they had won, have Dirk (Nowitzki). Miami have Shaquille O'Neal and Wade. So you would have to have a superstar to win. But we're showing in Europe that you can compete with NBA level teams if you're a team. And I think the best level teams in Europe could compete in the NBA. Win a championship? Probably not. But compete? Yes."

FIBA: "One of the main problems is money. The number being through around for clubs to be considered is a budget of 400million US dollars. CSKA Moscow may be able to come up with money like that down the road. But that's a load of money for a European club to come up with."

Holden: "Definitely. That will be the hardest and biggest thing. The only downfall of this, and maybe the NBA has to look at it, but there's no 16million dollar players in Europe. I don't know a lot about salaries, but I know that LeBron probably makes 12million a year or Nowitzki makes 15million a year. I don't know how much they make. But there's no one player in Europe making that. Not even close to half of that. So when you're talking about a budget and things like that, it'll really be difficult. And you still have loads of players trying to leave Europe to the NBA. Why play here for one million when you can go to the NBA for 12 million? So, the money is the biggest issue and the biggest concern."

FIBA: "How realistic do you think all this is?"

Holden: "I don't know how realistic this is in the short term. But i would say that in the next three to five years it could open up and at least have three or four teams. Besides money being a big issue, I think another big issue would be having superstars coming over here to play. Could you get a LeBron James to come over and live in Moscow for a season? Could you get a Dirk Nowitzki to decide to live in Moscow for a year? I'm not sure. Maybe more European guys more than American guys. But then you have to start thinking about the draft. Are the college kids going to be willing to come over here for the league minimum to play on an NBA team? So, I think a lot of issues and concerns will come up. But I'm sure they're thinking about all these things."

FIBA: "You said you're going to finish off your contract with CSKA Moscow and then look for a two- or three-year deal and then maybe hang up the shoes. Any thoughts of playing in the NBA?

Holden: "Honestly, I don't even think about it. All these teams have seen me. I've been to four Euroleague Final Fours. I'm sure every NBA team has seen me play at least once. It's not like the NBA Europe Live tournament was going to decide if i make it or not. So i'm not concerned about NBA teams looking at me. I'm focused on playing for CSKA and I'm trying to have fun. If somebody gave me a good deal like Anthony Parker (with the Toronto Raptors), it would be great. But if not, it's no concern to me. Every team is looking for something different. I'm not really concerned. And I definitely wasn't banking my chances on these (NBA Europe Live) games because they've seen me in the past four Final Fours. If they wanted me I would be there."

FIBA: "You mentioned Anthony Parker, who signed with the Raptors after a number of excellent seasons in Europe. He's just the latest in a series of Americans who have received NBA contracts after playing in Europe - Charlie Bell before last season and Lynn Greer and Maceo Baston for this season. What does that tell the world of basketball about hoops in Europe?"

Holden: 2It tells the world that you can be an American and come over here and make a good living. You can also be an American and come over here and get better and get back to the States. It also gives Europeans not only the chance to compete in Europe but also to be able to look forward to going to the NBA. It used to be Europeans looking to go to the NBA. Now, it's Americans looking to come to Europe and then say to themselves maybe in two or three years I can get into the NBA. And I think a lot of these guys coming over now are getting better deals because they're playing with some of the best players in the world. And they're getting a chance to see that. If Lynn Greer or Anthony Parker can average 16 points in the Euroleague, that's saying something."

FIBA: "One of the changes in the game in the United States was not allowing high school graduates to immediately enter the NBA. Do you think it's possible that highly-touted high school grads would decide against spending one season at a big-time college and instead come to Europe and then get drafted in the upper half of the NBA lottery?"

Holden: "I would say yes. The main reason would be money. Every kid wants to go to the NBA, of course. They want to play at the highest level. But what's the main difference of playing one year of college and then going to the NBA and playing at the highest level overseas? Money. And if you could make two million or one million dollars for one year in Europe and then go and play in the NBA, why not do that? at this stage, the best players in high school are going to start doing that because I think European clubs are going to start looking for players that are that talented - No. 1 or No. 2, or even top 10 picks. I don't see that being far away at all."

FIBA: "Do you think big European clubs like CSKA Moscow or Benetton Treviso or Barcelona or Maccabi Tel Aviv would go after these players?"

Holden: "I would say no because most of the top teams try to take veterans or take young guys who have grown up through their system. But I do think middle teams will because that could be the difference in maybe competing with that top team - getting the highly-touted kid straight out of high school and maybe instead of finishing fifth in Spain you finish top three. So, I think they may take a chance. But I don't know about clubs competing for Euroleague championships."

FIBA: "You've played with Theodoros Papaloukas since 2002 and have shared loads of success with him. What it's like having Papaloukas as a team-mate?

Holden: "Papaloukas is a great guy. It's funny because we started competing against each other. He was at Olympiacos and I was at AEK, and we beat them for the championship in Greece. And then we both came to CSKA together. And I was like this was my competitior now we're on the same team. So we were fighting to see who would start. And then it became I was the starter, and he was the best sixth man in Europe who could start on any other team. But he's just a player and a great team-mate. There's not much he can't do. He's 6ft 6in. He can dribble, can pass with the best of them. He's not a great shooter but he makes big shots. He can finish around the basket because he's so tall. There's nothing bad I could ever say about Papaloukas. Because on and off the court he's a great guy who will give you his last. If you're going out, he'll pick up the bill. He's that type of guy. He's been one of the best team-mates I've had. Hopefually we can stay together until I retire. But if not, I guess we'll be competing against each other somewhere.

FIBA: "He's almost reached cult-star status in Europe."

Holden: "He's a superstar. There are not many people who have come through and been superstars while I've been around. I would say Sarunas Jasikevicius was a superstar. Every time he stepped he stepped into the gym everybody was pretty much in awe of him. Papaloukas is on that level. He's won a European Championship with Greece. He's won a Euroleague championship - and was MVP of both. The only other point guard who has been on that level was Jasikevicius. So, in that respect, you have to give Papaloukas all the credit in the world. He's performed at the highest level on the biggest stages and played his best games. So what can you say."

By David Hein, PA Sport, Exclusively for FIBA