Alexey Shved: "The atmosphere was amazing today, thank you to the fans"

Blue-whites guard Alexey Shved shared his emotions about first game for the St. Petersburg team in an interview with Zenit TV. In the recent match against MBA-MAI (73:50), he recorded 9 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds in nearly 20 minutes on the court.

— Alexey, congratulations on your official debut for Zenit. How do you feel?

— I feel great, happy to be back. The atmosphere was amazing today, thank you to the fans — I was really glad to see them. We won my first game and are now preparing for the next one.

— Did you feel any nervousness at all? Today, all basketball fans were watching you.

— No, why would I? I wasn’t nervous. I guess I just missed it — I hadn’t played here for a year and a half. But now I’m back. I was welcomed very warmly, so once again, a huge thank you. It was awesome, such great emotions. It felt amazing!

— Overall, did you like how the fans received you today?

— Yes, of course! That’s exactly what I’m talking about. They were really loud, so when I stepped onto the court, I was ready to play right away. They help a lot.

— How would you assess your current condition? You played 20 minutes today, scoring 9 points and making 5 assists.

— I’m still getting back into shape. I hadn’t played for a while, but I already feel good. So, very soon, I’ll be back to my best form.

— How did it feel to play with your longtime teammates Andrey Vorontsevich and Sergey Karasev? Do you already feel the team chemistry?

— Of course. We’ve played together and against each other for many years, so we know how to interact on the court. With each game, our basketball will only improve.

— What did the head coach tell you after the match?

— Let’s keep that in the locker room. But the most important thing is that we won, played well, and have other key things to focus on.

— Ahead is a tough away game in Moscow, where Zenit will face CSKA. What are your expectations for this match?

— I’m really looking forward to it. We’ll be preparing for it. It’s going to be a great and exciting game. Let’s go, Zenit!