The Swedish basketball player surprised in his debut in the Polish league. He turned to his rivals
MKS Dąbrowa Górnicza made a big surprise at the very beginning of the Orlen Basket Liga season by defeating Legia Warszawa. Mattias Markusson was close to a double-double in his first official match in his new colors. “With each such match, we will show the entire league that we deserve respect,” declares the Swedish representative.
Apart from MKS Dąbrowa Górnicza fans, it is difficult to find many people who assume that Boris Balibreja’s team will achieve the result from last season. Then MKS also made quite a surprise by advancing to the play-offs. The biggest stars disappeared from that squad. The financial capabilities of the club from Silesia did not allow it to compete with the leaders of the Orlen Basket League, so the Spanish coach and the club’s authorities had to work hard to attract new, high-quality basketball players.
Interview with Mattias Markusson, basketball player from MKS Dąbrowa Górnicza
It is difficult to pass judgment after one league match. Nevertheless, if MKS continues to make surprises similar to the one on Sunday in Warsaw, more and more PLK fans will start to warm up to them. In the clash in Bemowo, the team from Dąbrowa Górnicza won 77:68. Although the most effective player of the match was Kameron McGusty from Legia (27 points), the American’s goal did not help make up for the losses.
The second most effective basketball player was Mattias Markusson from MKS. For the Swede, it was the first league match in Poland. The 217-centimeter-tall representative of the country has played in domestic competitions, as well as in the NCAA (Loyola University), the Czech Republic and France. He came to Dąbrowa Górnicza after a combined season in Chalon and Fos-sur-Mer (Pro A and Pro B, respectively).
Markusson scored 16 points and also grabbed nine rebounds on Sunday, putting him within a whisker of a season-opening double-double. In a short conversation with “Wprost”, the center revealed how he finds himself in the new club, how he recalls the previous stages of his career, and also refers to the unprecedented situation in the Polish league where he has a teammate of similar size to him.
Michał Winiarczyk, “Wprost”: First match in the Polish league and we almost watched your double-double. Plus an away victory over a strong rival. Nice day for a debut in the competition, right?
Mattias Markusson: Yes, it was a really good day (laughter). I expected a tough, physical game and that was the case. Legia Warszawa is a strong team fighting for the top four of the league. We had to be well focused on our game plan. I can say that we did a really great job. I’m glad that we maintained a good level throughout the match. We started well and then kept it up. We did not allow ourselves to be physically suppressed. We may not be the most talented team on paper, but we cannot allow our opponent to give more than us.
You mentioned the strength of Legia and the fact that your potential is not visible on paper. Would you agree with the statement that the people of Warsaw ignored you?
Of course. We’ve seen pre-season “power rankings” that put us at the bottom of the table. It all depends on other teams, what approach they will take towards us. From what I heard, last season a few teams underestimated MKS and paid dearly for it. With each such match, we will show the entire league that we deserve respect.
How do you feel after the first weeks in the Polish basketball world?
I had contact with Polish basketball when I was a player of Opava. After a relatively short period of time, I can say that the opinions regarding the league’s physicality have come true. You have to work hard to maintain possession. I like it overall.
Have you ever played on a team with another center similar in size to you? According to information from “Puls Basket”, you and Adam Łapeta form the highest basketball duo in the modern history of the league.
No, never. This is also an unprecedented situation for me. I’m used to always being the tallest guy myself, and here we also have Adam. I think coach Balibrea did a good job building the squad. We have been molded into a way of playing that is now bearing fruit. Even from my perspective, I can’t wait to see what my game with Adam will look like throughout the season. Today you no longer have to deal with such a situation. Even in the Euroleague or NBA, you usually have one very tall basketball player, with shorter, more agile players next to him. I look at it as a cool experiment.
The Swede will face his colleagues in the Orlen Basket League
How do you like working with coach Boris Balibrea? He knows Swedish basketball well.
I really value our cooperation. We have known each other for a long time, as we played together in the Swedish national team. Looking at his club career and winning record, you can see that he is a man who can achieve results in various teams. He is great at adapting to various conditions, adapting to the players and getting the maximum potential out of them.
You have experience playing in Sweden, the USA (NCAA), the Czech Republic and France. Which season are you most fond of?
I think that until the time spent in Opava, although each season gave me something, it allowed me to look at basketball from a different perspective. The Czech Republic was special because I got there right after I finished playing in the NCAA and after the Covid season. I needed time to re-enter the professional basketball game, but thanks to a good coach, I managed. I developed a lot there, which later also paid off in France, where from Chalon I was promoted to Pro A.
This year, the Orlen Basket Liga is very… Swedish. There’s you and David Hook in MKS. Denzel Andersson plays in Dziki Warszawain GTK Gliwice Chris Czerapowicz, and in Arriva Polski Cukier Toruń Viktor Gaddefors. Will these be special matches for you?
Of course. We have contact with each other in the national team, so we know each other well. We’ll see you in November during the training camp, but also, as you mentioned, during the season. These are always interesting fights because you want to show your friend who’s boss (laughter). There is no shortage of obscene trash talk, but it is rather in terms of sportsmanship and respect for the other person. After the meeting ends, we become good friends again.